Interactive maps are more than a navigation tool; they can drive better legitimate admissions results. Higher education is facing headwinds with both the enrollment cliff and the search cliff, making it harder than ever for institutions to stand out. At the same time, the college admissions process has become more competitive, with many students hedging their bets across multiple institutions. 45% of students now make a deposit to two or three schools, creating an environment where admits don’t always translate into enrollments.
When students have so many potential options, admissions teams must work harder than ever to attract and engage them. Students comparing colleges want to know about campus culture, academics, student support, entertainment options, and location. Sharing information about each of these elements in a way that engages digitally minded students can be challenging. Using interactive maps in admissions campaigns will allow you to highlight everything with one useful tool.
Why Your Campus Map Is More Important in Admissions Than You Think
Ninety percent of students find campus visits among the most useful sources of information when selecting a college. But visiting up to ten different colleges isn’t practical for most families. Furthermore, families with lower incomes are less likely to have the opportunity to travel to a college campus. Only 59% of students with a family income of $30,000-$59,000 participated in campus tours. For families with an income of less than $30,000, the number drops to 48%.
When selecting which schools to apply to, 88% of students utilized campus maps for their evaluation. However, static PDF maps don’t have much to offer students who grew up with a digital world at their fingertips. Increased access to artificial intelligence (AI) further reinforces the desire for a convenient, engaging experience with digital assets. About two out of five students are using AI for fun. Also, 35% use it for academic purposes. In comparison to these experiences, a static/text-based PDF map falls flat.
Interactive college maps offer an experience similar to in-person campus tours. But they’re in a format that can be repeated over and over and shared with others. When you utilize all the features available in modern digital campus maps, you can find an array of creative ways to use interactive maps in admissions campaigns.
7 Uses for Interactive Maps in Admissions Campaigns
Using interactive maps in admissions campaigns gives you the power to create dynamic experiences. Showcase your location and highlight what makes your campus unique. These creative solutions are designed to engage users and help them learn more about why your institution aligns with their interests.
1. Self-Guided Walking Tours
Imagine making tours available to prospective students and their families anytime, day or night. Whether families lack the resources to visit your campus in person or need to visit when your admissions office is closed, your interactive campus map can help families feel welcome.
Self-guided walking tours allow families to explore the campus outside of official touring schedules at their own pace. An interactive campus map can act as a virtual tour guide with narration, accessibility information, and highlights of key points of interest. Adding special features like pictures, videos, 360-degree panoramas, and social media links can increase engagement further. Ultimately, these tours help students picture themselves in your active campus environment.
Providence College’s campus map is an excellent example of how a campus map can be used to engage visitors with a curated experience that is accessible anytime. When an increase in campus visits outside of official scheduled programming made it essential to capture key engagement opportunities, Providence College implemented an innovative self-guided walking tour powered by Spotify and integrated into their Concept3D interactive map. The solution uses audio storytelling to engage visitors. It also offers unmatched flexibility with multi-platform access on the school’s website, Spotify, and a printed map for a barrier-free experience to explore the campus.
2. Engage Prospective Students With Major-Specific Tours
When investing in a college education, students want to know the program they enroll in will provide a high ROI and match their career goals. By using your interactive map to create major-specific tours, you can engage students with various program offerings. Then you can share vital information about what they can expect.
Give students a peek into a day in the life of a student with their preferred major by creating audience-specific tours that highlight different academic programs. Crafting a complete tour can offer insight into details like transportation, classroom environments, dining, and campus culture. Include details about learning opportunities and daily schedules. Engage students further with 360-degree panoramas of academic buildings, dorms, dining halls, and gathering spaces. These extra details help students imagine themselves in these places and foster a sense of belonging.
3. Highlight Off-Campus Activities and Local Lifestyle
Student life isn’t (and shouldn’t be) restricted to campus. Forty-seven percent of students rate location as one of the biggest factors influencing their college choice. A student’s college lifestyle will include routine amenities like local dining and shopping. Entertainment opportunities and local attractions are also a big draw for out-of-state students and visiting families.
With the right interactive college map, you can share information about the local lifestyle surrounding your campus. Many students don’t have a car on campus. So transportation options and routes to access these points of interest will also add value. You can increase engagement in local entertainment options even further by adding social media links and other information to give students a behind-the-scenes look at local experiences.
Michigan Tech’s Concept3D campus map is one example of how easily schools can showcase local activities. Under locations, users can select “Community Resources” to learn about everything nearby, from banks and grocery stores to healthcare clinics. The addition of an “Outdoor Recreation” tab allows the institution to share the locations of nearby ski trails, hiking trails, and beaches.
4. Use an Event Overlay to Show Campus Culture in Real Time
Students attending a college or university want the full college experience. Academics are a major deciding factor in finding the right school. But students also crave information about the lifestyle they can expect on campus. The events and activities at your institution make up campus culture. They serve a vital role in helping students feel a sense of belonging. With certain standout features, interactive college maps can be used to showcase the events and details that make your unique campus environment stand out.
3D map overlays allow you to highlight special events by displaying building interiors, seasonal views, or upcoming or recurring events to give students a realistic look into campus culture at its best. Overlays use data from your CMS to transform your map into a lifelike representation of one of your school’s most successful events. Linking your map to your events calendar can give prospective students added insight into upcoming and annual events likely to align with their interests.
5. Add Lead Capture to Walking Tours
A boost in web traffic that doesn’t increase leads or enrollment numbers can be confusing and disappointing. But stealth traffic is a common issue for admissions teams. When students and families visit your website or explore your campus and aren’t prompted to interact, they might walk away without learning what your campus has to offer. Embedding inquiry forms within your campus map at various tour stops will allow your visitors to tell you who they are and share their interests.
By embedding inquiry forms throughout your tours, you can capture interest related to academic majors, specific events, or visit times. This information will make it easy to segment your audiences and engage prospects with personalized follow-up.
6. Reinforce Key Admissions Campaign Themes
You produce various personalized admissions campaigns that align with distinct occasions and interests. Targeted campaigns on multiple channels, ranging from search to social media or YouTube, attract and engage students for different reasons. Inserting custom interactive maps in admissions campaigns that align with specific narratives can reinforce your campaigns with visuals and further engage students.
Creating map layers that align with admissions campaign themes like “Why Choose Us” or “Top 5 Reasons to Visit” can help you highlight unique aspects of your campus. Custom layers can include live data feeds and videos. They can also be incorporated into map- and 360-degree tours. These layered maps can be used in initial admissions campaign themes and repurposed in targeted follow-ups, such as email, social, and print.
7. Use Maps in Digital Ad Retargeting and Email Follow-Ups
Personalized admissions follow-ups are a vital part of establishing authentic communications that show your institution understands and values each student as an individual. Retargeting allows you to personalize messages aligned with student interests, like academic majors, campus events, or local attractions.
Adding maps to these interactions can boost digital marketing campaign performance with real interactivity. For example, you can send map links to students who visited your website but didn’t inquire about key features. Alternatively, you can embed personalized map experiences in yield-stage communications.
Learn How Concept 3D Can Help You Turn Your Interactive Map Into Your Strongest Admissions Tool
Although they offer numerous benefits for recruitment, interactive maps in admissions campaigns are often underutilized. Overreliance on static tools and traditional recruitment methods can lead to missed opportunities to engage a large portion of your audience. By treating your digital campus map as an engagement engine that aligns with various admissions campaigns, you can meet student expectations with digital tools that pique their interest and share vital information.
Interested in learning more about how our innovative solutions can help you transform the use of interactive maps in admissions campaigns? Let’s have a conversation.