What Higher Ed Marketers Can Learn by Looking Outside the Industry

Higher ed has long been a world of its own—but that doesn’t mean the best ideas have to come from within it. When it comes to marketing, student engagement, and building lasting relationships, some of the boldest and most effective strategies are being built in completely different industries. This post examines how looking beyond the campus gates can help enrollment marketers reassess their strategies and adopt more effective, human-centered approaches to their work.

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Key Takeaways

• Your most valuable marketing lessons might come from outside higher ed
  
  
• Emotion drives action—facts alone don’t move students or parents
  
  
• Personalization at scale is not just possible—it’s expected
  
  
• Simplicity can be a competitive advantage
  
  
• The best enrollment marketers are curious, open, and not afraid to borrow boldly
  
  

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Why Higher Ed Needs to Look Outward to Move Forward

It’s easy to fall into the trap of only comparing yourself to peers at other colleges and universities. After all, they’re dealing with the same enrollment cycles, budget constraints, and Gen Z behaviors. But by only looking sideways, we often miss the opportunity to leap ahead. Outside industries are constantly reinventing how they connect with people, and those strategies—when adapted with intention—can supercharge how we approach prospective students and families.

This doesn’t mean blindly copying what’s popular. It means paying attention to what works—the emotional resonance, the frictionless experiences, the community-driven loyalty—and asking, “How might this apply to us?” When marketers in other fields find new ways to tell better stories or solve problems faster, it’s a signal to get curious, not defensive. Higher ed doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel—it needs to make the wheel relevant to the students we serve.

At its core, enrollment marketing is about connection. It’s about trust. And it’s about helping someone envision a better version of their future. Those themes are universal, and other industries have invested heavily in learning how to bring them to life. We don’t need to wait to innovate. The blueprints are already out there.

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Personalization Isn’t a Perk—It’s the New Baseline

Students today expect a personalized experience from the first click. That means more than just using their first name in an email—it means understanding their interests, needs, and behaviors and responding with relevant, timely content. Outside industries have set this expectation, and higher ed has to meet it.

Too many schools still rely on one-size-fits-all communication plans and generic value props. But today’s prospective student has been raised on digital experiences that know what they want before they do. If we want their attention—and more importantly, their trust—we need to match that level of thoughtfulness.

Personalization isn’t about creepy tracking or expensive tools. It’s about listening well, segmenting smartly, and responding in kind. It’s about treating students like people, not applications. And the good news? You don’t need a massive budget or a data science degree to get started. You just need a mindset shift—and a willingness to meet students where they are.

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Creativity Thrives in Constraints

Every marketer works with limits—whether it’s budget, bandwidth, or bureaucratic approval chains. But those constraints don’t have to be creativity-killers. They can be the exact conditions that spark your best ideas.

Some of the most beloved and effective campaigns outside of higher ed were born from limitations. When you can’t do everything, you’re forced to focus on what matters. You prioritize clarity. You simplify messaging. You create standout moments with fewer moving parts. That’s a superpower.

For enrollment teams, this might mean ditching the 30-page viewbook in favor of one killer microsite. Or shifting your focus from trying to say everything in one email to saying one thing well. Simplicity cuts through the noise, and today’s students are swimming in it.

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If this got your wheels turning, then Engage Summit is where you need to be. It’s not your average higher ed conference. It’s the place where ideas from outside the industry get translated for our world, where bold thinking meets real-world application. If you’re ready to challenge the status quo, get inspired, and walk away with practical strategies you can use, Engage is your launchpad.

Don’t wait for change to come from the top. Be the one who brings it. Join us at Engage. Virtual registration is free!