4 Key Strategies for Marketing Your MBA Program
It’s understandable that some have started to question the value of the MBA over the last few years, especially since earning one requires a significant investment of time and money. Even for someone who opts for an online program, which allows greater flexibility for adults with work and family obligations, it still requires a sizable commitment. However, an MBA can still offer a lot of value:
In-depth business knowledge
Real-world experience
The opportunity to foster meaningful professional relationships
These, and a host of other skills gained through an MBA program, will continue to be in demand as the world of work shifts.
Here are four key strategies for marketing your MBA program to prospective students and increasing enrollment.
Feature real-world experience.
It’s important to make it clear what your program is going to offer when it comes to business readiness. One way to do this is to show that students are going to walk away with real-world experience.
There are a number of ways to do this. You might produce a video featuring students at work on an actual project. Or you can use a testimonial quote of an executive talking about how she has worked with students from your school. It’s one thing to tell prospective students about real-world experience (such as merely listing this on a website). It’s a whole other thing for you to show prospective students what kind of experience they can count on getting to prepare them for the world of work once they graduate.
This is exactly what Point Loma Nazarene University did with their Daytime MBA program. They developed a landing page modeled after a case study (an approach that is likely appreciated by business-minded prospective students). They also included a video that details the type of work experience prospective students can expect to receive should they enroll.
Become a content marketer.
This is a great top-funnel strategy for drawing students to your school. Consider offering a podcast that features your MBA faculty or a white paper on how to effectively navigate a career. A blog with content related to current topics in the business world will also be appealing.
When prospective students see that your school offers high quality content, they will be more likely to consider your program if or when they are in the market for an MBA. This is also a great way to help prospective students develop a positive correlation with your program, since they will be able to experience firsthand your commitment to providing quality educational resources.
Check out this Career Guide from the University of Cincinnati, which serves as a top-funnel content piece to help put their school on the map for business-minded audiences. As you can see, something like this is valuable for its own sake. What’s more, it also associates UC in the minds of prospective students as a school that can deliver in preparing students for career success.
Offer free GMAT test-prep courses.
This strategy can have a huge payoff, though it does also require some initial resources. One of the major obstacles for prospective MBA students is having to study for and take the GMAT test. Can your school offer a free course to prospective students to help them prepare for it? Not only does this give you an instant batch of leads for marketing your program, but it also allows you to demonstrate your teaching quality.
Consider the University of Kansas model. Their Kansas City campus offers free GMAT prep classes after focused information sessions for their MBA program.
Again, the costs of an instructor and test-prep material exist, however, the resulting strong leads or enrolled students could be well worth it. You could also offer a GMAT prep course online to reduce costs, but the key is to provide a high-quality course that helps prospective students see your school as a quality institution. This puts your school on their radar.
Highlight the importance of professional relationships.
The old saying, “It’s who you know,” definitely has some weight when it comes to MBA programs. One of the reasons students decide to go back to school is to forge relationships that can help them grow in their career, be that through mentorships, peer connections, or alumni networks. While most schools say they offer these types of connections (just like everyone says they offer real-world business experience), not everyone is showing this in compelling ways. (Think videos, well-designed website pages, or testimonial quotes and blog articles.)
On a well-designed and informative landing page, Seattle Pacific University does a great job of highlighting their mentorship program They even offer a video about the program, which is more proof that the school understands the importance of professional relationships. Again, it’s important to show—and not just tell—students about the types of relationships they can expect to form should they enroll in your MBA program.
Marketing your MBA program is one part of telling your school’s one-of-a-kind story. Help prospective students see themselves as part of the story.
