What Admission Teams Can Learn From Global Warming

It always disappoints me when people say it’s too late to correct the course of climate change. Or when they say we should reach for the low-hanging fruit—easy actions that do little to move us toward the future we hope for. Year after year, instead of making real change, we default to the same tired measures while watching the planet spiral behind our screens, claiming there’s nothing we can really do.

I am not a climate expert, but I am a digital marketer, and the similarities between the two fields are unexpected. Resigning to lead generation as the answer to mounting recruitment challenges is ineffectual at best and harmful at worst—but it’s not too late to change our approach. If we allow lead-gen companies to define the solution to the student recruitment funnel, they’ll define themselves as the answer. Just as we can still change the narrative of the climate crisis, we can still change the trajectory of our admission efforts.

Students are not a self-renewing resource. The way we choose to recruit says something about how we view students and their families, and about our commitment to opportunity in higher ed.

Seeing the Problem Clearly 

The term global warming is often met with resistance. People jump to discredit the issue or avoid its seriousness. For some, it’s easier to accept that climate is always changing than to accept that the earth is warming. Political strategist Frank Luntz even advised the Bush administration to use climate change rather than global warming because it was a “less frightening” phrase.

This has been bad for all of us, and Luntz admitted as much later. We softened the issue and traded urgency for comfort.

Admissions does something similar. It’s easier to focus on lead gen than to address the real issues of diminishing recruitment: fewer students going to college, and more students with more options.

You can only “lead gen” your way out of that reality for so long. By itself, it’s not a sustainable strategy. When we ignore the severity of the issue and focus on short-term wins, we forgo important work that would allow future generations to benefit from all our institutions have to offer. This is why we must move from lead generation to intentional demand generation. It’s a matter of when, not if—and like global warming, we can’t put this off forever.

Defining the Solution

Lead generation and intentional demand generation are both crucial, but they focus on different stages and objectives within the student acquisition process. Lead gen is an essential part of demand generation, but it will never be sufficient alone.

Lead Generation

In higher ed, lead generation focuses on identifying and collecting potential students. It’s about creating interest, gathering contact information, and handing it to the institution for conversion.

Intentional Demand Generation

Demand generation is a broader strategy focused on creating interest and then demand among a right-fit audience. It builds awareness in potential students, educates and nurtures them before they explicitly show interest, and follows them through the matriculation funnel. The emphasis is on building relationships and trust through content, educational materials, events, or other engagement unique to each institution.

Key Differences

• Focus: Lead gen targets individuals who have already shown interest. Demand gen creates awareness among a broader audience.
• Timing: Lead gen relies on prospects at the moment they engage. Demand gen nurtures them throughout the funnel.
• Approach: Lead gen uses direct tactics like forms or sign-ups. Demand gen draws from strategies like content marketing, resources, and brand-building activities.

Both are vital, but lead gen as a sole practice often leaves prospects and their families with little information or guidance. What’s the point of generating demand that won’t be a good fit…or worse, might negatively impact a student’s decision?

It’s Time We Made a Change — But How?

• Trust that a multi-effort approach will work.
• Use your first-party data often. Personalization drives conversion and builds better look-alike audiences.
• Create content that addresses the real questions prospects and families are asking.
• Keep ad groups clear and segmented, focusing on specific offers, programs, or values.
• Build landing pages that are easy to navigate, informative, and set up to convert efficiently.
• Communicate with prospects post-conversion. A “thank you” pop-up is not enough.
• Don’t fear elevating to broader awareness campaigns. Students often need a nudge before they dive in.

It’s not too late to address the real challenge and stop chasing the easy win. As with the climate crisis, ignoring the issue is no victory.