Spring enrollment may feel far away, but for marketers working in higher education, it’s right around the corner. The most successful institutions are already planning and executing strategies that nurture prospective students long before decision season hits. From refining messaging to optimizing digital touchpoints, now is the time to build momentum for your spring campaigns, not to wait for the flowers to start blooming.
Why Fall 2025 Was Different and What Comes Next
Fall 2025 enrollment campaigns didn’t look like the ones before them.
They were faster, leaner, more data-aware, and infused with the kind of agility that higher ed hasn’t always been known for.
AI was no longer experimental. Student voices took center stage. And media strategies finally started catching up to how students actually search and engage.
Now, as Spring 2026 looms, enrollment teams face a familiar question, this time with new urgency: What actually worked this fall, and how do we apply it before it’s too late?
At Zero Gravity Marketing, we’ve been in the room with our higher ed marketing partners, building and optimizing campaigns in real time. This is what we saw succeed and what you can still apply heading into the next cycle, even with a short runway.
Generative AI Moved From Experiment to Workflow
Fall Insight: The institutions that treated AI as a creative co-pilot (not a gimmick) moved faster and produced more personalized, relevant messaging.
We saw teams use AI to:
- Draft initial versions of degree pages and email sequences
- Customize ad copy for different personas (Gen Z, adult learners, transfers)
- Help lean content teams scale output in days, not weeks
“AI didn’t replace strategy; it only accelerated execution.”
Action for Spring:Spin up a 1-week content sprint: → Use AI to refresh stale program pages → Test new subject lines and CTAs across 2–3 ad variants → Generate persona-based landing page intros that connect faster
UGC + Student Voice Outperformed Generic Creative
Fall Insight: The best-performing creative wasn’t always the most polished; it was the most personal.
User-generated content (UGC) drove higher engagement, lower bounce rates, and longer time on site. It felt real because it was.
Winning formats we saw:
- Vertical video testimonials built for TikTok and Reels
- Day-in-the-life content from student ambassadors
- First-year Q&As and tour-style video takeovers
Action for Spring:Activate your student community:
- Turn 2–3 campus ambassadors into short-form content creators
- Repurpose existing social stories into UGC-style paid media
- Curate a landing page of “Voices from Campus” to support your campaign
Programmatic Ads Helped Stretch Small Budgets
Fall Insight: With rising media costs, schools that used programmatic recruitment targeting got more from less, especially in high-intent, high-competition markets.
What we ran for our clients:
- ZIP code targeting around competitor campuses or priority high schools
- Retargeting for students who visited application pages but bounced
- Dayparting for adult learner campaigns (early AM, post-8PM hours)
- Lookalike audience targeting based on historical applicant or enrolled student data
- Creative versioning by academic program or degree type (e.g., nursing vs. MBA)
Action for Spring:Shift part of your media budget from top-of-funnel awareness to:
- Geo-targeted program ads
- Lookalike audiences built on past submitters or inquiries
- Retargeting of warm traffic with clear CTAs to finish applying
Agile Email + SMS Flows Became Conversion Engines
Fall Insight: Broadcast email calendars underperformed. The campaigns that drove conversions treated email and SMS as live conversion tools, not static newsletters.
What worked:
- Shorter, mobile-first emails with one CTA
- Behavior-based sends (ex: visited application but didn’t submit)
- SMS nudges tied to deadlines or event reminders
Action for Spring:Build a mini-retention and re-engagement flow:
- Target Fall 2025 leads who didn’t convert
- Trigger a 3-message flow with a reminder, a testimonial, and a next-step CTA
- Include one SMS touchpoint for urgency or event invites
Performance Gaps Revealed Weak Spots in Tech + Tracking
Fall Insight: Even strong campaigns lost momentum due to broken funnels, bad attribution, or missing conversion signals.
Common issues we audited:
- Microsites not tracking user behavior beyond the first click
- Drop-off between mobile ad click and form submit
- GA4 setups that didn’t align with enrollment goals (like app starts or event signups)
Action for Spring:Audit before you relaunch:
- Map your user journey and confirm tracking is firing at every stage
- Simplify your application funnel to reduce friction
- Tag your media properly to distinguish inquiry vs. app conversions
What’s Working Doesn’t Require a Massive Budget
The best campaigns weren’t the biggest; they were the clearest, fastest, and most intentional.
What the highest-performing schools had in common:
- A focus on 1–2 clear outcomes (inquiries, apps, RSVPs)
- A willingness to reuse good content in new ways
- Strategic use of paid channels, not a “spray and pray” approach
Speed, clarity, and intent outperformed polish and volume.
How ZGM Helps Higher Ed Teams Move Faster, Smarter, and With Confidence
We work shoulder-to-shoulder with marketing and admissions teams to help them learn, adapt, and get smarter about their marketing at every cycle.
What we support:
- Full-funnel paid media planning tied to academic calendars
- AI-powered content acceleration for lean marketing teams
- Cross-functional strategies that unite SEO, social, and enrollment marketing
- Real-time reporting and adjustments based on conversion data
And we move fast, because enrollment goals can’t wait on a six-month strategy deck.
Spring 2026 Starts Now, Let’s Build What Works
The gap between planning and action is where most enrollment campaigns lose steam. The schools seeing wins right now are the ones making fewer decisions (faster) based on what’s working across the industry.
If you’re still refining your Spring enrollment campaign plan (or haven’t started yet), this is the window to act.
Let’s talk about how to prioritize what matters.
