Higher Ed: How Digital Printing Can Boost Enrollment, Endowments and the Student Experience

Higher education marketing influences students at every level, from attracting new students to enhancing the student experience while on campus and encouraging alumni engagement. It can even draw top-tier staff.  

And it’s not just for large public universities. Artisan Colour’s print marketing supports high schools (Desert Mountain in Scottsdale, AZ), charter schools (BASIS) technical colleges (Universal Technical Institute), community colleges (Mohave Community College), and private or smaller universities (Grand Canyon University).  

First Look: Enrollment and Admissions  

Potential students and their parents are often the top target audience for schools, and for good reason. The National Center for Education Statistics reports a steady increase in enrollment in degree-granting postsecondary institutions – an 8% spike over the last decade.  

While digital marketing seems to target younger generations, print marketing is designed to target multiple generations. Marketing collateral in hand is much easier to pass around and keep for quick reference than an email or social media ad.  

And print marketing has proven itself to work. Higher education is competitive now more than ever, and to reach the student, you must also reach the influential support system: the family. There is no better way to do this than through direct mail and variable data printing.  

Custom variable data printing can be used to personalize a variety of marketing collateral, from school brochures and welcome letters to newsletters and even those crucial fundraising mailers. A study by Epsilon revealed that 80% of those surveyed are more likely to engage with an organization when offered a personalized experience.  

Plus, email is now oversaturated and often gets ignored. Print marketing is tangible and elongates engagement.  

“Working with Artisan Colour has been an extremely positive experience. Not only do they provide superior products, but their customer service stands out above everything else. It’s great to know you can always count on a company to deliver first class results, even with quick turn-a-rounds. Thank you for always making it very easy and fun to work with!” – Marketing Client Services Manager, Grand Canyon University

Higher Education Marketing Shouldn’t Only Focus on Admission

For schools, a one-stop print shop partner can be the solution.

The print shop can bring together marketing campaigns of multiple departments, from admissions to athletics. With that, overall school branding remains consistent and compliant while various departments and campaigns can assert their unique perspective and voice.

As a printing partner, Artisan acts as an in-house printer that helps to maintain brand standards across ALL products, especially when it comes to exact brand colors. Quality control is one less thing for the schools to worry about.

Creative Services to Help Schools Stand Out in Print

Cutting edge technology is another key differentiator. Through Artisan’s proprietary online ordering portal, all graphics and imagery are stored securely in one place and available to use by various departments when making their on-demand orders.

A digital asset management tool connected to the portal also makes it easy to keep collateral updated with new pictures, sponsor logos, current programs, enrollment numbers, or any other elements that change frequently.

Keep Budgets Streamlined

Oftentimes, departments like marketing and communications take on the brunt of print logistics: who to order from, what to order, how much, which department it goes to, etc. A professional printing partner with serverless software can remove this workload from these key departments.

Additionally, a printing partner can help reduce costs to meet budget demands – without reducing quality. An Artisan printing pro may be able to recommend unseen areas of cost savings, such as using a different substrate/printing material, changing brands, or tweaking sizes, folds, or cuts.

This innovative problem solving can make a big difference on the budget while making little to no detectable difference on the print products.

Through the online ordering portal and variable data printing, all departments can create and order what they need. Orders are shipped directly to them, whether that’s a separate building on campus or in a different state for recruitment. This also helps keep track of budgets for the different departments.

Higher Education Marketing: Athletics to Aesthetics

School athletics are often a high engagement point for students, alumni and the community. And there are ample opportunities for print marketing – from locker room wraps to team banners. Adding sponsor logos is also an excellent way to include the community (and increase fundraising).

Another way that printing provides solutions in higher education is through simple aesthetics. While attractive wall art graces hallways and common areas, why not make it thought-provoking and thematic, as well? It can incorporate the school’s mission or highlight alumni or local artistic talent.

Why Work with a Professional Printer

While some institutions have on-site print shops, they are often more for making copies than creating print marketing. The broad print products utilized in higher education marketing make it difficult for those shops to handle both the workload and creative aspect.

These products often include:

• Brochures
• Catalogs
• Event Signage and Collateral
• Wall wraps
• Large format banners
• Social distancing signage

Education institutions have chosen to work with Artisan Colour not only for the vast expansion of print marketing capabilities, but also offers personalized service, quick turnarounds, and reasonable prices. Should your institution need support, reach out to our team of Artisans.