MarTech’s latest piece says shoppers haven’t stopped buying online. They’re just more skeptical, more careful about price, and more likely to check the offer before they commit.
Now picture that same shopper looking at a four-year degree.
A pair of shoes is a low-risk buy. A bachelor’s degree takes years, and a lot of prospects already doubt what a generic online program is worth. They’re going to check everything.
So the click isn’t the hard part anymore. The proof is. What do graduates earn? Will employers value the degree? Why this school over a cheaper one?
Most of those answers live in content, like outcome pages, alumni stories, and cost and aid explainers. That’s where prospects do their homework. But last-click reporting gives the credit to whatever ad they clicked at the end, so content looks like overhead and paid search looks like it’s doing all the work.
If you run student acquisition, I’d put outcome evidence up front in your ads and landing pages, as long as you can back it up. I’d fund the content that answers the hard questions and track whether it shows up on the path to a start. And I’d judge every channel by starts, not leads.
Skeptical buyers make cheap leads look better than they are. Cost per lead looks great, then those leads go quiet before enrollment. Invest in what it takes to get them over the hump.
Just know your campaign reports won’t show it. They can’t show you where you aren’t investing.
Responding to Consumers are still buying. They’re just harder to convince., MarTech