Audience: Community College

In higher education marketing, tracking application and yield conversions is essential—but often, the insights stop at the surface. Many institutions face a critical challenge: while it’s possible to track an application or yield conversion through paid media campaigns, gaining deeper context such as the program, term, or student type remains out of reach, especially for an institution with a shared CRM. How is it possible to distinguish an undergraduate from a graduate application?

If your institution uses Slate but hasn’t strategized about leveraging Ping’s capabilities, then this article is for you. Think of it like Google Analytics for Slate – you can see where a student came from and what they did during their time on the site. However, the aspect that is different from Google Analytics is that you can connect this behavioral information to student profiles once a student enters the system.

hen launching a new Slate instance, one of the most crucial steps for ensuring high deliverability is IP warming. IP warming is the gradual process of building trust with Internet Service Providers (ISPs) by sending a small, increasing volume of emails over time.

One of the most impactful areas for improvement is your website’s information architecture (IA), or how you label and organize information to make it easy to find. IA includes both your sitemap and your navigation elements. Done well, good IA is nearly invisible, allowing site visitors to focus on your content. It’s the difference between a seamless user experience where visitors find what they’re looking for without thinking twice or a frustrating, confusing experience full of endless clicking and scanning.

With community college enrollment rebounding, now is the time to ensure your institution stands out online. Many prospective students begin their higher education enrollment journey using search engines like Google, where they look for degree programs, vocational training, and certificate courses. By implementing content and search engine optimization (SEO) best practices, you can enhance your college’s visibility in search results.

As we approach the 2026-2027 “Enrollment Cliff,” with high school graduate numbers peaking in 2025, community colleges across the country are preparing for a shift in enrollment trends. With fewer traditional-age students on the horizon, it’s becoming clear that adapting strategically will be key to maintaining—and even growing—enrollment in the years ahead.

Located in a competitive Illinois environment, Oakton Community College needed to generate brand awareness, inquiries, and applications among both prospective traditional and non-traditional (adult learner and working professional) students.