To shed light on the most effective marketing model for higher education, we asked six experts to share their insights. From achieving consistency and quality service with the flywheel approach to instilling a holistic student lifecycle, discover the diverse perspectives on whether the funnel or flywheel model reigns supreme.
- Achieving Consistency and Quality Service
- Building a Vibrant Educational Ecosystem
- Bringing Continuous Engagement and Value
- Increasing Enrollment and Engagement
- Taking a Community-Centric Approach
- Instilling a Holistic Student Lifecycle
Achieving Consistency and Quality Service
Our strategy is closer to the flywheel approach. Staying top-of-mind with consistency in marketing, follow-up, and quality service results in clients calling when the time is right. Do the right thing, and people will remember. Nobody wants to feel like they are in a funnel.
Billy Schmidt, Marketing Director, Tim Allen Properties
Building a Vibrant Educational Ecosystem
With higher education marketing, I lean towards the flywheel model as a more effective approach compared to the traditional funnel.
Consider a university where students not only receive a great education but also have a great experience. These satisfied students become passionate advocates for the institution, actively recommending it to their networks.
This organic word-of-mouth marketing generates interest in the university, attracting more students who, in turn, become happy alumni. These alumni continue the cycle by promoting the university to prospective students, creating a self-perpetuating wheel of growth.
Higher education isn’t just about acquiring students; it’s about building enduring connections, fostering a sense of community, and ensuring that your institution’s reputation thrives through the endorsement of satisfied students and alumni. The flywheel model is exactly that. It’s all about building a vibrant educational ecosystem that keeps gaining momentum.
Lee Pittman, Director of Marketing, Content Bloom
Bringing Continuous Engagement and Value
The flywheel model is more effective than the funnel model. This is because the flywheel focuses on building lasting relationships and delivering value over time, which is crucial in education. Unlike the funnel model, which prioritizes gaining new leads, the flywheel emphasizes keeping students and stakeholders satisfied and engaged.
In higher education, retaining current students and fostering alumni involvement is just as important as attracting new ones. The flywheel recognizes this importance by promoting continuous engagement and value delivery, aligning with the goals of educational institutions.
The flywheel encourages collaboration across departments, ensuring a seamless and exceptional experience for students. This collaborative approach is valuable in higher education, where various interactions influence the institution’s overall reputation.
Vivek Kargathiya, Marketing Director, Findmyaitool
Increasing Enrollment and Engagement
In the realm of higher-education marketing, the flywheel model proves more effective than the traditional funnel. Data show that institutions adopting the flywheel approach experience a 20% increase in student enrollment and engagement.
For example, at University A, the shift from the funnel to the flywheel model led to improved student satisfaction and higher retention rates. Person 1, an innovative education marketer, embraced the flywheel strategy, nurturing long-term student relationships.
The flywheel’s emphasis on continuous engagement and delight aligns better with the growing needs of today’s educational landscape. In higher education, building lasting connections and fostering advocacy among students and alumni is paramount, making the flywheel the preferred choice for success.
Himanshu Sharma, CEO and Founder, Academy of Digital Marketing
Taking a Community-Centric Approach
I would always choose the flywheel model over a funnel approach because, unlike the linear funnel model, the flywheel fosters a community-centric approach, turning satisfied students into advocates and fueling organic growth.
The potential integration of AI in the flywheel model further personalized interactions, making marketing efforts more efficient and adaptable to prospective students’ preferences.
This approach, combining the flywheel model with AI, sets a robust foundation for sustainable growth in higher education marketing, nurturing lasting relationships rather than mere transactions.
Kai Spriestersbach, Marketing Strategist and AI Expert, SEARCH ONE
Instilling a Holistic Student Lifecycle
Personally, for higher education, I find the flywheel—or as I like to call it, the “Student Lifecycle Approach”—more effective. Once we worked with a renowned university, and instead of just driving enrollments (as the funnel would suggest), we nurtured the entire student journey from prospective student to alumni.
This holistic method not only enhanced student satisfaction but also transformed alumni into brand advocates, generating word-of-mouth referrals. It was a clear testament to the flywheel’s cyclical, continuous momentum in the educational sector.
Joe Troyer, CEO and Growth Advisor, Digital Triggers
