Following the introduction of postgraduate loans, scholarships and grants in 2016, data from the Office for Students shows that there’s been a progressive increase in the number of postgraduate students continuing their studies through to a masters degree. Students in the UK are now eligible to apply for further funding up to the value of £10,000, to assist with their tuition fees and general living costs. As these postgraduate loans enable students to achieve their ambitions to partake in further education at a fraction of the cost, the introduction of the new postgraduate loan scheme in 2016 has since been well-received, as 30,000 extra students are now in a masters programme. Taking the total number of students in the UK currently enrolled on a masters degree in the 17/18 academic year to 468,060.
Whilst the concept of a masters degree becomes increasingly accessible to postgraduates, universities across the UK need to work hard to maintain their competitive advantage and successfully retain their students, as well as attracting new graduates. The advanced knowledge and capability of postgraduates is highly prized, as postgraduates are extremely employable and on average, earn more than individuals whose highest qualification is at an undergraduate level. As other countries heavily invest in their own postgraduate provisions, the UK will need to do more to strengthen and promote UK postgraduate offerings on both a regional and international stage to attract the best students. Here are six actionable ways universities in the UK can successfully retain and attract students through postgraduate study.
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Be digital-first
A university still needs to leverage its traditional methods of advertising through brochures, prospectuses and flyers that each give a snippet of what your university has to offer post-graduates. But, digital communication is inevitably the most popular method of communication, with 87% of graduates favouring email as the primary point of contact during the enrollment phase.
A well-executed digital communication strategy is the best way for students to build an excellent perception of your university. Whether that be through email, live-chat services or a student portal, by regularly following up conversations, engaging with students and articulating a personal approach, you can build up a level of support that may influence a student’s decision to consider a masters degree at your institution. AlphaGraphics can help institutions deliver a compelling and successful, integrated digital marketing campaign, as we provide effective strategy through paid search, social media marketing, SEO, marketing automation and other channels.
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Make your funding, grants and programme offerings clear and precise
Your programme’s offerings may not be your first considered area of promotion, but your institution’s specific details are one of the most crucial elements to include in your marketing strategy. The postgraduate market is heavily saturated with discounts, available grants, bursaries and specific offers, so it’s important to clearly illustrate what sets your institution apart from other competing universities – either digitally, or through a personalised, effective student brochure campaign. Be sure to include the following three questions:
- How much is the programme?
- How long is the programme?
- What do students get out of the programme?
Highlighting and answering these questions and making sure this information is concise and at the forefront of your marketing strategy, as well as being easily available online, will give your institution a competitive edge.
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Use previous post-graduates as social media ambassadors
Relaying positive experiences first-hand from previous postgraduate alumni is an invaluable way to attract new students. Utilising student testimonials and recruiting previous graduates to run social media channels and share their individual university experience makes for a more personal, relatable marketing strategy. Students are more likely to put their trust in a peer-to-peer review as opposed to a regular member of staff. Consider student ‘takeovers’, to portray typical day to day activities in the life of a postgraduate student. Not only does this provide valuable video content for visuals across social channels, it also highlights what postgraduate life is really like, as well as showcasing the strong relationship your university holds with its students.
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Talk about funding and accommodation options
Prospective students want to know where they will live when studying a postgraduate degree at your university. Therefore, you need to make sure that you provide a wealth of information about funding and accommodation options. Without these details, this could ultimately be the deciding factor that influences a student to consider studying elsewhere. All information on accommodation should be concise, clearly displayed and advertised across both digital and traditional print marketing preferences. That way, potential students can quickly find out if your university has accommodation that will suit their needs.
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Emphasise your employability rates and job creation policies
Whilst it pays to be mindful of all the wider benefits postgraduate study can offer a recent graduate, putting a focus on employability is crucial. Letting graduates know the employable benefits of postgraduate study long-term is arguably one of the most efficient ways to successfully attract students. Graduates want to know the levels of employability your programme offers, how many previous students in your institution graduating at a masters level went on to successfully secure a postgraduate job? Highlighting data on employability success rates and career routes of recent graduates, as well as adding student testimonials will help your institution stand out against competing universities.
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Attend Postgraduate fairs
Making your presence known at postgraduate fairs and events is a crucial way to successfully attract students. As well as having the opportunity to talk to students face to face, it also gives universities the chance to look at what competing universities have to offer. Make sure you attend postgraduate events with staff who can provide valuable, in-depth information about what your postgraduate programmes can offer students. AlphaGraphics can help universities craft personalised collateral that will stand out amongst the sea of other competitors at postgraduate fairs. We’re leading experts in personalised prospectuses, flyers and brochures, and also offer large format printing services that can display engaging graphics across a wide range of sizes.
At the fair, consider taking postgraduates along with you, so they can relay their experience from a student perspective, which will allow your university to leverage a competitive edge. Having both staff and students present factual, valuable programme information from two perspectives can give a real insight into what it is like to attend your university and can make all the difference when it comes to ultimately deciding which institution is best suited as the next best step for undergraduates.
At AlphaGraphics, we help universities retain and attract university students by creating bespoke, individually-tailored, digital and print campaigns. With an undergraduate audience at the forefront of inspiration, we can help universities develop engaging marketing strategies to increase postgraduate enrolment. Get in touch with the AlphaGraphics specialist education team today to see how we can help you achieve real results.
