New TikTok photo app, a big knock to the ‘Big Four’, and Linkedin launches connected tv ads

Welcome to The Student Funnel, a monthly higher ed marketing newsletter from Hybrid, leader in student marketing and recruitment strategies. We highlight the latest news on what’s impacting the sector and share insights on how to better connect with your audiences.

April has seen changes in international rankings, new ad formats and groundbreaking findings. Here’s our roundup of the biggest stories in education marketing:

TikTok launched new photo-app Notes

After weeks of speculation, TikTok has introduced its new app ‘TikTok Notes’, a photo-sharing application separate from its main video platform. Initially only available in Australia and Canada, the app allows users to upload images with descriptions, similar to TikTok's current photo capabilities, but in a dedicated feed.

The layout of TikTok Notes resembles Pinterest and enters the market as a direct competitor to Instagram. Unlike Instagram which limits posts to 10 images, TikTok Notes users can load up to 34 images and include captions of up to 4,000 characters. At this stage, this photo capacity difference seems to be its main differentiator.?

Whether the app will be a hit or a miss is hard to say, but it will certainly be interesting to see the direction it goes in.

Watch this space for further Notes updates.?

QS Rankings indicate growing alternatives to the Big Four

QS have published their annual subject rankings for institutions across the globe - and there are some interesting shifts. The rankings have shown a decline in the traditional 'Big Four' study destinations—the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.

The US experienced a notable 23% drop in performance, while the UK and Canada decreased by 8% and Australia by less than 5%.

However, it isn’t all doom and gloom for the ‘Big Four’. Universities from the US and UK continue to dominate the rankings. US universities for instance led in 32 subjects, with Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) being the strongest, leading in 19 and 11 disciplines respectively. UK institutions followed, leading in 16 subjects, with the University of Oxford at the forefront in four disciplines.

Growing alternatives have emerged from universities in Singapore and Switzerland, both securing top placements in the rankings with the National University of Singapore and ETH Zurich, among others.?

It’s good practice to keep an eye on wider shifts in the market, to stay in touch with where the demand is for international higher education. It’s a competitive landscape out there, not just nationally but in new markets. Leading institutions will be tightening their strategies in coming cycles.

Exclusive interview with Dr. Brandt-Rauf, Dean of Drexel University BIOMED

In our recent interview with Dr. Brandt-Rauf, he explained why he champions an education model prioritizing practical experience and industry collaboration.

Rooted in the university's foundational vision, this approach is illustrated through the Cooperative Education Program, where students gain full-time, paid work experience, often leading to employment at significantly higher starting salaries (half of Drexel co-op students are paid 20% more than other university graduates). Emphasizing the distinction between cost and value, Dr. Brandt-Rauf highlights Drexel's focus on real-world skills and entrepreneurial opportunities, supported by extensive industry partnerships.?

Facing the challenge of effectively communicating this value, Drexel leverages targeted marketing strategies to attract students, showcasing the tangible benefits and career success embedded in their unique educational experience.

Read the full story here.

LinkedIn goes into connected TV

LinkedIn has introduced a new ad format - connected TV (CTV) ads. The social media / professional networking platform now allows marketers to deploy video campaigns directly on viewers' home TV sets via platforms like Paramount, Roku, and Samsung Ads. This new CTV ad feature is accessible through LinkedIn's Campaign Manager, offering TV-like exposure, specifically for brand awareness campaigns.

It also partnered with NBCUniversal to launch "LinkedIn Premiere," enabling targeted advertising across NBCUniversal’s premium streaming content. This move extends the potential reach of LinkedIn video promotions beyond its app and traditional CTV campaigns.

For university marketers, these could certainly be powerful tools to add to your belt when it comes to digital campaigns. Costs aside, these new formats will help enhance brand awareness and reach your target student audience through more targeted, premium video content.

The rise of micro-credentials

The US in particular is experiencing a supply and demand ‘boom’ in micro-credentials.?

Micro-credentials are short modules that focus on specific practical skills, meeting employer demands and moving people into the workforce quickly. There was an astonishing 95% increase in the availability of micro-credentials between 2021 and 2022. US students say they are 74% more likely to enroll in a degree program that offers industry micro-credentials.

Many people see this development as essential for upskilling the workforce, driving the economy forward and widening access in education. Others see it simply as a new phase in the privatization and marketization of higher ed, destroying the integrity of the sector.

Before universities are quick to dismiss the opportunity that this boom presents, there’s no denying that institutions can no longer rely on high school grads to choose costly four-year degrees at the scale and consistency they used to.

We recently analyzed the causes behind the recent success of micro-credentials, the challenges they present and how to leverage them for the benefit of students, employers and institutions.?

Read the full article here.

US universities could be scaring students away with inaccurate sticker prices

A new report by The Brooking Institution has found that sticker prices are an “increasingly poor” indicator of how much students actually end up paying for college.

The report found that between 2019 and 2020, 26% of in-state public college students paid the full sticker price, down from 53% in 1995-96. At private nonprofits, the portion dropped from 29% to 16% during the same period.

The concern is that these ‘one size fits all’ prices aren’t a true advertisement for the price of many college degrees. These costs are often taken at face value by prospective students and are deemed ‘non-negotiable’, ultimately resulting in students being intimidated from applying.

For those working in HE, this report is a strong indication that it could be worth advertising potential net costs for studying, to give those who are needing financial aid a more accurate picture.

Understanding the student transfer market

Colleges are seeing a marked bounceback in transfer student enrollments across the US. According to the National Student Clearinghouse, colleges are seeing a healthy 5.3% increase YoY, which are back to pre-pandemic levels.

But for university marketers, defining transfer students under an umbrella term can be detrimental to your marketing strategy. Upwards vs lateral, intentional vs circumstantial, returning vs continuing - all are key distinctions when trying to segment the many types of transfer student.

These classifications have an enormous impact on your marketing strategy and introduce complex problems of personalization when trying to woo students with your education offering.

Read up on how to classify and target your transfer student market here.

Subscribe to The Student Funnel newsletter to receive monthly updates.