Marketing Doesn’t Make Deposits. Relationships Do.

Stop me if you've heard this from non-enrollment or marketing higher education leadership:

💭 “If we just run more ads, we’ll hit our enrollment goals.” 💭 “I'll budget for us to receive five deposits from this ad campaign."

💭 “Why isn’t marketing bringing in more students?”

But marketing ≠ deposit.

Not directly, and certainly not as a lone contributor.

This idea isn’t new—it mirrors a frustration seen in sales-driven industries where leadership questions why marketing isn’t driving immediate revenue. But just like in the business world, marketing in higher ed plays a supporting role—it’s not the closer.

What Marketing Actually Does for Enrollment

Marketing creates awareness, generates leads and nurtures prospective students through the funnel. It builds a foundation of interest and understanding, making it easier for students to engage with admissions professionals, faculty, and campus staff.

Marketing can:

• Increase brand awareness so students and families know your school exists.

• Drive web traffic to application pages, visit sign-ups and financial aid resources.

• Create compelling storytelling that builds an emotional connection to your institution

• Generate inquiries and leads by capturing interest early in the process.

• Provide consistent, nurturing communication through email, social media and digital ads.

But marketing alone doesn’t convince a student to deposit. That’s where human connection steps in.

Admissions Is the Closer

Deposits happen because of relationships, trust, and personalized support. Students and families have questions, fears and concerns that an ad or an email sequence alone can’t resolve.

That’s why admissions plays a critical role in converting prospective students into actual students. Through:

• Campus tour guides and student ambassadors—Real students sharing real experiences matter more than any marketing material.

• Professors and faculty members—Hearing from future instructors can solidify a student’s excitement for their major.

• Financial aid advisors—A positive and helpful interaction about affordability can be the deciding factor.

• Coaches, club leaders, and staff members—Students want to see where they’ll belong, and every person they meet contributes to their sense of fit.

An ad campaign might put a school on a student’s radar, but it’s the people they interact with who build the trust and connections that lead to a deposit.

Setting Marketing Up for Success—Not Failure

When leadership measures marketing’s success by deposits alone, they set their team up for failure.

Imagine telling a chef that the quality of their ingredients determines how good the final dish will taste—without factoring in the skill of the cook, the recipe, or the oven temperature. That’s what happens when we tie marketing’s value only to final enrollment numbers without considering:

• The effectiveness of admissions outreach.

• Campus visit experiences and yield strategies.

• Financial aid and affordability concerns.

• Overall institutional fit and competition.

Higher ed recruitment is complex because students are humans—not just numbers in a funnel.

The Most Effective Strategy: Marketing + Admissions Working in Tandem

Success in enrollment happens when marketing and admissions work together—not in silos.

Marketing should:

• Focus on brand awareness, engagement, and lead generation.

• Nurture prospects through strategic content and communications.

• Provide data-driven insights to help admissions teams personalize outreach.

Admissions should:

• Convert leads into relationships and help families navigate decisions.

• Engage in one-on-one, high-touch interactions that marketing can’t replicate.

• Close the loop with timely, personalized follow-ups.

The Campus Community should:

• Ensure every student interaction—whether with faculty, staff, or student ambassadors—reinforces belonging.

• Make campus visits as personal and engaging as possible.

• Show prospective students that this is a place where they can thrive.

When marketing creates awareness, admissions nurtures relationships and the full campus experience confirms fit, colleges see stronger, more sustainable enrollment results.

Final Thought: Recruitment Is a Team Sport

Marketing is not a magic bullet. It’s a powerful tool, but it works best when paired with human interaction.

Instead of asking “Why isn’t marketing bringing in more deposits?” institutions should be asking:

🤝 Are admissions and marketing truly working together?

🔎 Are we measuring the right success metrics for each team?

🎯 Are we setting realistic goals that reflect how students actually make decisions?

Because at the end of the day, we’re not just selling a product. We’re helping students find a home for the next four years—and that requires both great marketing and meaningful human connections.