RNL’s JD Wyborny and Scott Jeffe break down new data on the impact to digital marketing during the COVID pandemic. As you engage prospective students and their families with advertising across platforms like Google, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, watching these trends is crucial.
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Key insights from JD and Scott’s conversation:
- There was a big crash in digital reach in late February. We were all just focused on other things with the pandemic from moving to working from home, taking care of our kids and dealing with furloughs and layoff.
- Google, however, didn’t see any decline in search or clicks, which means students and parents continued to explore. But conversion rates suffered, and we think it’s because of the uncertainty about how higher education would be delivered in the fall.
- Ad effectiveness has rebounded. Most platforms are now at pre-COVID numbers, and some are experiencing record performance. We’ve been able to produce low costs per lead with partners.
- Facebook continues to be important. “News fatigue” is a significant barrier, but the targeting and reach of the platform is a huge.
- YouTube conversion is up, and the cost per lead is down significantly. We’re all streaming more video, and a good strategy for this platform could help you.
- Snap and Tik Tok, along with streaming services in general are rising in their effectiveness. We’re carefully watching them.
- Having digital strategists that can navigate all the platforms, and use data to best manage your resources to the best effect on a daily basis is crucial.