FACEBOOK GIVES ADVERTISERS MORE CONTROL: Facebook is now testing “topic exclusion controls” for advertisers to bypass having their ads show up next to topics in the news feed that may be considered damaging to their brand. Since most advertisers go through an automated bidding system for ads, they weren’t previously able to exclude undesirable content from surrounding their ad (outside of using lists of words to avoid when buying automated ads, which aren’t 100% reliable). For now, there will be three topics that can be avoided: news and politics, social issues, and crime and tragedy, says Axios.
Why you should care: You now have the chance to dodge certain potentially controversial topics being placed around your ad. Since a user’s consumption of negative news can increase stress and fear, it may not be the best course to position a graduate school webinar around a lot of doom and gloom. That being said, marketers for political science, journalism, and other similar programs may not want to avoid these topics at all. Facebook users who are considering pursuing degrees in these fields may have their desire to make an impact reinforced by that type of content.
ELEMENTS OF EFFECTIVE COPY: SEMrush analyzed 1.2 million articles to determine the features of top-performing copy, evaluating each piece by traffic, engagement on social media, and backlinks. “Of course, the copy’s performance is ruled first and foremost by its originality and relevance, but factors such as word count, headlines, structure, and visuals are sure to play their role,” according to SEMrush. Some of their key findings include:
Why you should care: When you’re churning out a lot of copy on your institution's blogs, your head can start to spin—what actually works and how can you get more eyeballs on your copy? It turns out that just a few adjustments can make your blog post more likely to be shared on social media and linked to by other relevant pages. Take a look at your structure (headings and lists), beef up your visual content (images and videos), and expand your word count to really move the needle. You may want to publish less frequently but have more long, pillar-page-like posts (then you can refurbish that content and make it work even harder for you).
FIRST COPY, NOW DESIGN: Abstract’s State of Design in 2021 report is a powerhouse, in which survey results from 1,000 participants shed light on the challenges designers are facing, how they work, and what they value. One of the trends that was discussed is “the shift from outputs to outcomes.” There is a big transition in the industry toward a focus on design decisions being made not in a silo, but as a part of overall strategy and company goals. “For our work to survive and evolve, it has to be plugged into the larger picture,” says Chi Thorsen, Brand Design Manager at Thumbtack.
Why you should care: As an enrollment marketer, design is a huge component of your marketing tactics—emails, blog posts, digital resources, your main website pages, and so on. Whether you have a designer on staff or contract a freelancer, increasing your design savviness by understanding their pain points and goals will go a long way. That knowledge will help you bring new ideas to the table, ask thoughtful questions, and collaborate with designers more effectively to produce outstanding assets that align compelling design with your marketing and enrollment objectives.
Each week, The Enrollify Podcast equips you with insights into how the latest trends in marketing and technology are affecting enrollment managers. Every episode is designed to inspire new, creative ideas for how to optimize the resources you have to generate the results you need.