Best Practices for Retargeting Ads in Higher Education

Wouldn’t it be great if every student who visited your website or saw your ads for the first time was ready to apply?

A recruiter’s dream, right?

However, not every prospective student is ready to apply or enroll the first time they visit your university’s website.

They might need more time to explore their options, gather additional information, or consult with family and mentors before making a decision.

This is where retargeting becomes essential.

It’s an effective way to reconnect with prospective students who didn’t take action during their initial visit, helping to keep your institution top-of-mind as they continue their college search.

That said, many higher education institutions miss the opportunity to make the most of retargeting ads.

Instead of reusing ads designed for broader campaigns, it’s essential to create tailored ads that speak directly to prospective students who have already engaged with your university or college.

To achieve this, you must put in a bit more effort and focus on details that resonate more deeply with your audience, driving better results and encouraging prospects to take the next step in their journey.

So, what is retargeting, and how does it work for higher education? Let’s find out.

What is Retargeting?

Retargeting is a digital marketing strategy that helps institutions reconnect with students or candidates who have already interacted with their website, ads, or other online content.

Instead of reaching entirely new audiences, retargeting focuses on people who have shown interest but didn’t take the next step, like applying for a program, filling out a form, or signing up for an event.

So, how does it work for higher education?

Retargeting uses tracking technologies like cookies or pixels to identify users who engage with your content.

For example, a student who visits your website to check out a specific program or views your online ad without applying is added to a retargeting list.

Consequently, ads are shown to them across platforms like Google, Facebook, or Instagram to remind them about your offerings.

Additionally, these personalized ads can showcase relevant programs, emphasize upcoming deadlines, or highlight the benefits of enrolling in your institution.

This means the goal is to re-engage prospective students by staying visible during their decision-making process.

Therefore, retargeting ads are particularly effective because they target individuals who are already familiar with your institution, increasing the chances of converting interest into enrollments.

Here are some retargeting tips and strategies from the experts:

1. Create a lookalike audience

Use your most engaged visitors to build a lookalike audience.

For example, create a lookalike of your top 5% of website visitors based on time spent. This approach helps you reach new prospects with similar behaviors and interests.

Pro Tip: Add a new ad set to your existing campaign for seamless targeting.

2. Use dynamic remarketing

Dynamic remarketing shows students' ads based on the programs or pages they viewed on your site.

For example, if prospective students explore your nursing program, they’ll see ads related to that specific program.

Pro Tip: Meta Catalogue Ads work particularly well for dynamic remarketing.

3. Focus on high-intent audiences

If your budget is limited, prioritize users who show the most interest.

Retarget those who visited specific program pages, signed up for events, or partially filled out a lead form. These students are closer to making a decision.

4. Engage alumni and current students

Target alumni or current students with ads about advanced programs, certifications, or opportunities to further their education.

Personalized messaging can highlight “what’s next” in their educational journey.

5. Always have a retargeting ad set

Even if your traffic is small, a retargeting campaign ensures you’re constantly reconnecting with interested students. An effective audience can consist of at least 1,000 visitors.

6. Address common objections

Use retargeting ads to overcome potential objections.

For example, if prospects are unsure about the cost, create ads emphasizing scholarships or financial aid options. If they’re skeptical about value, highlight student testimonials or program success rates.

7. Leverage social proof

Ads featuring reviews or success stories from current students or alumni build trust.

For example, showcase a statistic like “97% of students are satisfied with their program experience.”

8. Exclude certain audiences

Avoid targeting students who have already completed an action, like applying or enrolling. Instead, re-engage them with new opportunities, such as career fairs or advanced programs.

Pro Tip: Use owned media like email for re-engagement campaigns instead of retargeting ads.

9. Optimize ad placements

Regularly check where your ads are displayed.

Use tools like the MOZ spam score checker to identify and exclude low-quality or spammy websites from your campaigns.

Here’s how-to:

1. Go to Tools and Settings in Google Ads.
2. Select Content Suitability > Advanced Settings > Excluded Placements.
3. Add the spammy websites to your exclusion list.

Therefore, by following these best practices, your retargeting campaigns will be more focused, effective, and capable of converting interest into enrollments.

Best Channels for Retargeting for Higher Education

Higher education institutions can essentially use 4 retargeting channels to increase enrollment numbers.

Retargeting campaigns demand a high level of expertise to effectively convert prospective students into loyal enrollees. Working with a specialized university marketing agency ensures your institution’s campaigns are executed with precision, ultimately driving stronger results and long-term growth.

1. Using display ads for retargeting

Using display ads is one of the easiest and most effective ways to retarget students.

These ads appear on other websites as prospective students browse the internet, keeping your school in their view even when they’re not on your site.

While branding is essential, remember that students have countless options in higher education.

To make your ads stand out and encourage clicks, you must go beyond just showing your logo or a generic message.

Here are some ideas your marketing team can use to make your display ads more engaging and effective:

• Open House Event Ads

If you’re hosting an open house event, create display ads to remind students about it.

Include important details like the date, time, and location so they can easily plan their visit.

This can encourage more students to explore your campus and learn about your programs in person.

• Programs and Degrees Ads

When students browse your website and check out specific programs or degrees, it’s an excellent opportunity to serve them personalized ads.

For example, if a student showed interest in your computer science program, your display ad could highlight key benefits of that program, like career prospects or unique courses.

Source: Distance Learning Portal

• Testimonial Ads

Students trust the experiences of others, especially current students and alumni.

Therefore, create ads that feature reviews or testimonials related to the programs students searched on your website.

For example, if a prospective student explored your business degree, show them an ad with a quote from an alum sharing how the program helped them succeed in their career.

This approach can lead to more clicks and engagement, resulting in more enrollments.

2. Using meta ads for retargeting

Social media is a powerful tool for retargeting students, and platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook offer unique opportunities to reconnect with prospective students.

Here’s how you can use these platforms to boost engagement and drive enrollments:

1. TikTok

TikTok is a great platform to retarget students, especially Gen Z.

Use short, engaging videos to showcase your programs, highlight campus life, or share quick testimonials from current students.

Source: TikTok

Here’s a great example of how Western Sydney University leveraged TikTok to drive quality engagement and achieve impressive results.

The campaign generated 39,970 clicks with a strong click-through rate of 0.80%, surpassing industry benchmarks.

Through partnerships with creators and the use of their tailored audiences, the campaign drove over 1,000 webinar registrations at a cost-per-acquisition 45% lower than projected.

Moreover, with TikTok’s algorithm, you can deliver personalized content that feels natural and engaging, encouraging students to explore your school further.

2. Meta Ads (Facebook and Instagram)

Meta Ads allow you to retarget students on Facebook and Instagram, giving you access to a wide audience.

You can create highly targeted ads based on actions students have taken on your website, such as visiting a program page or partially filling out a form.

On Instagram, use visually appealing images or videos to highlight campus tours, upcoming events, or success stories.

In addition, Instagram Stories and Reels are particularly effective for creating short, engaging content that grabs attention quickly.

On Facebook, share more detailed ads that explain the benefits of your programs, include testimonials, or remind students about important deadlines.

Also, you can use carousel ads to showcase multiple programs or features of your college and university.

The University of Utah’s sponsored Facebook ad is a great example of a retargeting ad targeting prospective graduate students.

This retargeting strategy works well because it continues the conversation with students who are already in the consideration phase.

3. Retargeting based on what people search

Another effective way educational institutions can run retargeting campaigns is through search retargeting.

This approach focuses on targeting students based on the keywords and queries they’ve used on search engines like Google, Bing, or Yahoo.

Therefore, by analyzing these searches, you can connect with students who are actively looking for schools, programs, or specific educational opportunities.

Here’s how search retargeting works and how you can use it:

When prospective students search for terms like “top universities for engineering,” “best online MBA programs,” or “campuses with strong student support,” these keywords reveal their interests and intent.

With search retargeting, you can use this data to serve ads to these students, even if they haven’t visited your website yet.

After students perform relevant searches, they may come across display or search ads tailored to their interests.

Consequently, appearing prominently in prospective students’ search results builds awareness and positions your institution as a top choice.

4. Using email for retargeting

So, now that you've managed to get prospective students to share their emails with you, what’s the next step?

Now, it's time to use your email list to encourage these prospects to register or enroll in your school.

With email retargeting, you can send personalized messages to persuade prospective students to take the next step.

For example, you might launch an email campaign that explains how to register, emphasizes important deadlines, and highlights the benefits of your programs.

This way, higher education institutions can boost their enrollment numbers.

As a result, using these personalized and informative email campaigns will keep prospective students engaged and more likely to choose your institution.

Conclusion

Now that you know that prospective students often apply to multiple colleges and research even more before finalizing their choices.

They usually need to see a college program several times before taking any action.

Therefore, keeping your ads visible to them reminds them of their interest in your institution and encourages them to revisit your website for more information.

As a result, when leveraged correctly, retargeting can help your institution reach its goals for the upcoming enrollment period.

Moreover, the best thing about retargeting marketing is that it allows you to test different ad variations and see what resonates best with your audience.

Remember, the more customized they are to your audience, the more impactful they will be.

Think Orion assisted many educational institutes in retargeting strategies to increase enrollment. With vast experience in the education industry, Think Orion as an edtech ads agency increases the lead generation process of education technology providers.

Related: Learn more about our higher education marketing agency services