How to Boost your Higher Education Marketing Strategy with Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH)

Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) advertising, the tech-enhanced version of traditional OOH (billboards, large posters, etc.), is quickly becoming an essential piece of every marketer’s media plan because it offers a contextual, real-world impact with the same digital capabilities you’re used to having online.

So why do higher education marketers use this channel to reach potential students?

Well, it’s important to look at some of the key problems facing the industry today:

• • Addressing the high cost of college education in the U.S.
• • Communicating the value of getting a college degree
• • Competing with trade schools and other education programs

In order to get these messages across to students, increase enrollment, and stay competitive, universities have to break through the noise of constant information overload— both in-person and online. With DOOH, you have the opportunity to reach your target audience when they’re likely less distracted and simply going about their daily routine.

With this in mind, here’s how your institution can start using DOOH advertising to your advantage.

5 ways higher education marketing can benefit from DOOH

1) Find effective ad spaces without breaking the bank

DOOH networks offer a cost-effective way to test a wide variety of outdoor or place-based display formats and locations. Because of the digital nature of the channel, you won't run into any issues or additional costs if you want to switch up the campaign messaging or try a different location for a few weeks.

Pro-tip: By using programmatic DOOH, educational institutions like yourself can easily buy ad space, set campaign parameters, and view performance similar to how you would with an online channel.

2) Target students by specific demographics

With DOOH, you can reach specific audiences and personalize your campaigns without relying on third-party data. Your institution can target students by demographics such as age, ethnicity, or lifestyle— whether they’re high school seniors in the Latino community, recent undergrads considering graduate or doctoral programs, or middle-aged parents seeking a new degree.

3) Stand out with contextually relevant advertising

The last thing you want to do is leave students with a negative impression of your institution’s brand. Since DOOH is a type of place-based media, there’s a huge opportunity to leverage contextual advertising that’s tailored to the student’s unique environment. This will capture their attention, encourage engagement, and differentiate you from competitors.

4) Integrate exciting technologies

When you use digital displays, you’re able to integrate numerous technologies such as artificial intelligence, computer vision, audio broadcasts, voice activation, augmented reality, motion sensors, and the ever-growing presence of 5G.

This is especially relevant during a time when students and consumers are seeking new, interactive experiences that blend physical and digital spaces.

5) Incorporate DOOH into your marketing funnel

DOOH is a great fit for top-of-funnel marketing because it gives you broad reach in the community and helps keep your institution top of mind among your audience. By building more awareness and recognition, DOOH campaigns can support your lower-funnel online advertising tactics that encourage students to take an action.

We’re here to help

We hope this overview gave you some useful insights! The DOOH space is growing, and we’re excited to see what else it can provide for higher education marketers in the near future.

Did you know that more than 2 in 3 institutions increased their digital ad spend in recent years? If you’re looking to dabble in DOOH, we’d be happy to share more information about Grocery TV and how we can help reach students in supermarkets.