The Digital Marketing Guide for Grad Admissions Professionals

Please provide a one-paragraph overview of the session.‎ (200 words or less): Digital marketing can feel like it’s happening somewhere else on campus, owned by central marketing or an outside agency, leaving graduate admissions professionals wondering how to influence campaigns that directly impact their enrollment goals. The truth is: you don’t need to be the one running ads or managing SEO to shape strategy and outcomes. This session is designed for the graduate enrollment leaders who want to better understand the digital marketing landscape in 2026 and how to make it work for their programs. We’ll break down the essentials of search, advertising, and content strategy through the lens of grad admissions, showing you what matters most for attracting the right prospects. More importantly, we’ll break down the silos between marketing stakeholders; you’ll learn practical ways to partner with your central marketing team or vendors, what questions to ask, and how to advocate for tactics that deliver measurable results with graduate enrollment. You’ll leave with a clearer understanding of how digital marketing connects to your admissions pipeline, a checklist of the key metrics to watch, and a playbook of strategies you can influence — even if you’re not the one pushing the buttons.

Session Agenda/Outline (200 words or less): 1. Challenges graduate admissions professionals face when marketing
a. Lack of strategy “ownership” (despite being liable for enrollment)
b. Not enough marketing knowledge to evaluate marketing tactics
c. Outsourced marketing efforts (central marcomm or vendors)
d. Takeaway: You can still shape outcomes. Here's how.

2. The digital landscape for graduate enrollment in 2026
a. The channels that matter most
i. Search (Google and AI-driven)
ii. Paid advertising (PPC, social, retargeting)
iii. Content (websites, landing pages, thought leadership)
b. What’s changing and why it matters to admissions leaders

3. Connecting digital marketing to the admissions pipeline
a. How campaigns impact inquiries, applications, and yield
b. Key metrics to watch at each funnel stage
c. Case study

4. Working across silos: partnering with central marketing and vendors
a. Collaborating effectively with central marketing
b. Questions to ask
i. Are campaigns aligned with enrollment goals?
ii. How are leads being tracked, measured, and reported?
iii. What performance-based adjustments are being made?
c. Evaluating vendor tactics/reports with confidence

5. Empowering admissions leaders to wield their influence
a. Identifying where admissions can take the lead (e.g., messaging, content, audience targeting)
b. Advocating for needle-moving strategies
c. Practical actions to take today

6. Q&A