The process of attracting students is part of the reality for educational institutions. After all, they are the new customers, the future students who help the business meet its objectives and stay in business. In return, they receive a quality educational service, essential for their personal and professional development.However, the effectiveness of certain strategies for attracting students has changed a lot over the years. The distribution of flyers and the use of billboards, for example, have given way to cheaper tactics with a much higher return. Taking advantage of digital tools is the best thing educational institutions can do to win over their audience.
Offline actions continue to have their validity, it all depends on the objectives of the educational institution and its audience. In fact, combining the use of these channels with digital marketing brings better results than investing in just one model.
But, after all, how can you attract students on a limited budget and without resorting to overused techniques? Read on to discover that it is possible to increase enrollment in a consistent and creative way.
Inbound marketing strategy for attracting students
The use of inbound marketing as a technique for attracting students can be defined in two words: attraction and enchantment. In this case, the aim is to get potential students to come to the educational institution and not the other way around. To do this, they have access to content appropriate to the stage of the sales funnel they are in.
It's no coincidence that content marketing is at the heart of this attraction and retention model. Instead of persistent and aggressive advertisements, students are presented with relevant information that meets their needs at that moment. The educational institution then becomes a reference.
The relationship between the leads and the brand goes beyond a possible commercial transaction. It involves sharing knowledge and trust, something more solid than an automatic response to a random ad.
The efficiency of inbound marketing has to do with its structure, careful planning, monitoring by a specialized team and the use of tools that boost results. The combination of these four factors has more than satisfactory consequences for everyone involved.
Recent research shows that content continues to drive demand. In the B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets & Trends 2025 study, 74% of professionals report that content has generated demand/leads in the last year and 87% say it has strengthened brand awareness. For educational institutions, this reinforces the logic of inbound: planning, content by stage of the funnel and clear measurement throughout the journey.
Instead of fixed percentages (which vary by sector and channel), prioritize internal indicators: CAC by course, conversion rate by stage and cost per lead by source. The same CMI 2025 research indicates a consistent impact on demand generation and nurturing, which in practice pulls the CAC down when there is a well-executed editorial calendar, SEO and nurturing.
This is important data for educational institutions that spend large sums on commercial actions to attract students, which often bring minimal results. There is no doubt, therefore, that investing in inbound marketing means putting into practice smarter, more up-to-date and more effective tactics for the business.
Image: Technology and Digital Engagement in Student Recruitment
5 cost-effective ways to attract new students
When it comes to attracting new students in a cost-effective and creative way, it's impossible not to consider the many possibilities of digital marketing. Unlike offline commercial actions, it is possible to reach a larger and more qualified audience with an equal or even lower investment.
By combining the advantages of digital media with a strategy that allows you to attract customers and follow leads through the sales funnel, the results are the best. The same combination is equally effective in building loyalty, not only by motivating new enrolments but also by optimizing the relationship with current students.
Here are some strategies to put into practice and win over students without risking your educational institution's budget.
1. Content creation
Content creation, as mentioned above, forms the basis of inbound marketing. It is thanks to material that is well aligned with the needs of potential students that you can create emotional connections with them. In addition, clarifying doubts and presenting solutions are part of the process.
There are various possibilities that can be explored in this regard. One of them is the development of blog posts to feed the institution's website. The topics covered are not random and are again aligned with the sales funnel. Students will find exactly what they are looking for at that moment.
Even if they haven't yet made the decision to enroll, they have access to quality information to structure their choice. In this way, they come to associate the educational institution with a trusted brand, a reference worth turning to or even referring to when necessary.
As well as blog posts, other content can be used for the same purpose. E-books and landing pages are part of the same strategy, which is usually integrated to maximize results.
In a recent performance, videos were identified as the most effective format (58%) for results, followed by case studies (53%), while short articles continue to be the most used type (92%). To attract students, combine course and career guides (articles), short videos with course differentials and student cases, orchestrated by funnels and SEO.
In order for the content created to fulfill its function of attracting potential students, it needs to be developed using SEO (Search Engine Optimization) techniques. Through these techniques, the content can be well positioned in search engines and easily found by students.
A specialized agency is able to carefully define the type of content according to the objective to be achieved, for whom it is intended and ensure that such techniques are used in the best possible way.
Read also:
- 5 reasons to invest in chatbot AI in your attraction and retention efforts
- CRO - Conversion Rate Optimization: what is it, how does it work?
- Data science in marketing strategy: 5 reasons to use it!
2. E-mail marketing
Another low-cost strategy that can be used to attract students is email marketing. This type of strategic communication, when applied well, has the power to attract new students quite consistently. For this to happen, however, you need to be consistent, know your audience well and carry out tests.
For a long time, sending emails from companies was considered unpleasant and inconvenient. In fact, when there is no alignment of objectives and too much communication, the strategy can have the opposite effect. That's why it's so important to master the tool and its specifics.
The average ROI for email is around US$36 for every US$1 invested (2024), varying by maturity and vertical. In capture campaigns, the gain comes from segmentation, interest-based nurturing and continuous A/B testing (subject, offer and cadence), which sustains performance without inflating paid media
It is essential to take certain issues into consideration, such as an adjusted frequency to maintain the flow of nurturing and subjects that are always very well defined. After all, the "title" of the email and a more personalized message can make all the difference in the open rate and in making transactions.
Since Feb/2024, new requirements from Gmail and Yahoo for bulk senders have made SPF, DKIM and DMARC mandatory, 1-click unsubscribing and spam complaint control. Google advises keeping the spam rate < 0.10% and avoiding reaching 0.30%; failures can block sends. Adjust sending domains, authentication and base hygiene to protect the deliverability of acquisition campaigns.
The use of a good CRM can make all the difference in the administration and management of email marketing. Hubspot's management software is one of the most complete on the market and makes it possible, in addition to automated sending, to create different message templates and carry out A/B tests.
3. Marketing automation
The aim of marketing automation is not to make the whole process of attracting students automatic and impersonal. In fact, the main intention is to optimize this dynamic to the point of making the best use of all the resources in order to obtain more leads and, consequently, enrolments.
There are different automation tools and, once again, Hubspot is worth mentioning. The software makes it possible to completely configure the sales funnel, segment the contact list and schedule different tasks, making it useful for both the marketing and sales teams.
Automation saves resources and time once the configuration is done correctly. The software also provides more specific metrics that enable a quick and accurate assessment of the strategy used. The performance of certain campaigns can be evaluated more quickly, enabling changes to be made if necessary.
By 2025, more than half of professionals intend to prioritize automation with AI to gain efficiency and optimize content. In the CMI 2025 study, 56% indicate AI-supported automation as a high/medium priority, and the top performers stand out for integrating AI into the daily flow and measuring performance better. For Educational Institutions, this means smarter nurturing and clear SLAs between Marketing and Sales.
4. Social media strategy
How can you win over new students in the 21st century without using social media? It's not impossible, but it will certainly result in higher costs and less interesting results. More than tools for communication and entertainment, social networks are essential for building relationships.
The new generation uses social apps to contact friends, but also to find out information and even carry out some transactions. The time spent on these platforms is greater than using any other type of tool, something that should be strategically taken advantage of by educational institutions looking to increase their enrollment numbers.
It's not just a question of being present on social networks, but of having communication aligned with the audience and offering quality content. Note that, once again, content plays a very important role in attracting students, always integrated with other strategies.
Action on the networks should also involve interaction, building authority, combining strategies for paid and organic traffic and evaluating relevant metrics.
5. Chatbot
Many educational institutions in Brazil have yet to discover the potential of chatbots. The fear of robotic communication means that great opportunities are missed to automate and speed up processes, such as sending documents, and to provide better customer service.
Artificial intelligence and virtual assistant tools ensure a more fluid language as they interact with students. Over time, the answers, rather than being standardized and clearly automatic, seem more natural and generate less awkwardness.
Chatbots also guarantee more agile customer service, which is essential when the aim is to win over new students. The robots can answer several people at the same time and, if they are unable to follow up on requests, an agent can follow up on the conversation to continue with the request.
A potential student visiting your institution's website can ask questions or even start the enrollment process through the chatbot at any time. The possibility of enrolling or having answers immediately weighs heavily on the decisions made and it's worth taking this into account when structuring a strategy.
These are just some of the advantages of investing in an AI chatbot.
In higher education, the adoption of chatbots has accelerated, with use cases in academic assistance and recurring doubts. A report in the Financial Times showed an assistant dealing with 12,000 interactions in one semester and spreading to ~100 universities; recent academic studies discuss perceptions and limits of use by students. For recruitment, the gain comes from immediate responses and 24/7 qualification.
Summary: Student recruitment has evolved from the use of flyers and billboards to more economical and effective digital strategies that combine inbound marketing, relevant content and technological tools. Producing educational content aligned with the sales funnel, investing in SEO, targeted email marketing, automation and an active presence on social networks increases the attraction of qualified leads and reduces the cost per enrolment. Resources such as chatbots with artificial intelligence guarantee agile service available 24/7, facilitating enrollment and clarifying doubts in real time. This combination increases the predictability of enrollments, strengthens relationships with future students and improves the ROI of actions. In this way, educational institutions are able to attract more students in a creative, sustainable and budget-friendly way.
See our post to find out more about the subject and the benefits of this type of resource for retaining and attracting students.
Attracting Students: Effective Strategies for Increasing Enrollment
What is student acquisition and why is it important?
Attracting students is the process that guarantees new enrollments at educational institutions. Students represent clients who help keep the institution running and, in return, receive a quality educational service for their personal and professional development.
How has student recruitment evolved over the years?
Traditional strategies, such as flyers and billboards, have lost ground to more economical and effective digital actions. Today, digital marketing and inbound marketing offer greater returns, allowing you to attract and engage potential students with relevant content.
How does inbound marketing help to attract students?
Inbound marketing is based on attraction and enchantment. With content marketing, potential students find relevant information at every stage of the sales funnel. This process generates trust, strengthens the brand and increases the chances of enrollment.
What are the advantages of inbound marketing in education?
Inbound marketing replaces invasive advertisements with educational content, strengthens the relationship with the student and positions the institution as a reference. With planning, a specialized team, the right tools and measurement, recruitment becomes more predictable and efficient.
What are the most cost-effective ways of attracting new students?
Five main strategies help to attract students at low cost and with high impact:
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Content creation (blog posts, e-books, videos, SEO);
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E-mail marketing (segmentation, automation and A/B testing);
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Marketing automation (lead nurturing, sales funnel, team integration);
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Social media strategy (paid and organic traffic, interaction and authority);
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Chatbots with artificial intelligence (agile 24/7 service, subscriptions and support).
How does digital content contribute to attracting students?
Blog posts, videos, case studies, e-books and landing pages help potential students find answers at the right time. When optimized with SEO, this content improves the institution's positioning in search engines, increasing visibility and lead generation.
Why is email marketing still relevant for recruitment?
With an average ROI of US$ 36 for every US$ 1 invested, segmented email marketing allows for continuous and personalized lead nurturing. Well-structured campaigns increase the open rate, engagement and conversion into enrollments.
What role does marketing automation play in attracting students?
Automation integrates the sales funnel, contact segmentation and task scheduling, allowing for greater efficiency and accurate measurement. For educational institutions, this means more enrollments with fewer wasted resources.
How do social networks help to attract new students?
Social networks are essential channels for relationships, information and engagement. A strategy aligned with the public, with relevant content and paid or organic traffic, expands reach, strengthens the institution's authority and encourages enrollment.
How can chatbots support student recruitment?
Chatbots with artificial intelligence allow immediate and personalized service, available 24/7. They answer questions, send documents and even start the enrollment process, increasing convenience and speeding up decisions by prospective students.
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