Fordham Graduate School of Social Service
turn a shared passion into successful student recruitment
overview
Our research-driven campaign for Fordham University’s Master of Social Work program is one only this top-ranked graduate school can own: Not just because it’s built around the Fordham name, but because it strongly conveys their vision and purpose—and converts like-minded individuals into Master of Social Work (MSW) candidates.
Digital
Target grad students with digital precision . . .
The best way to find a specific student—in this case, a MSW candidate—is to analyze the ones you already have, right? That’s what our digital strategists did for Fordham: using an in-depth analysis of student records to finely slice and dice our geotargeted campaign for the grad school’s Westchester, Manhattan, Bronx and online campuses.
![Three smartphone screens showcasing Fordham University social media posts with the logo at the top. The posts feature](https://www.austinwilliams.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Fordham_1920x714_Case_Study_Full_Width_Instagram_2.jpg)
INTEGRATED MEDIA CAMPAIGN
. . . online, on the job and out-and-about
Once we learned who the prospective MSW candidates were—and where to find them—we used a mix of traditional media, including transit, out-of-home and professional outlets along with our digital campaign to reach targets where they live, commute and work.
![An image displays a set of escalators on the left and a large illuminated poster on the right. The poster features two students smiling and the text](https://www.austinwilliams.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Fordham_1920x714_Case_Study_Full_Width_OOH-02.jpg)
![A city street scene shows a bus stop ad for Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service. The ad features a young girl hugging a woman, with text promoting](https://www.austinwilliams.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Fordham_1370xHeight_Case_Study_1_Across_BusShelter.jpg)
With most prospective candidates already working in the field, we leveraged professional print media to reach those interested in advances in social work (and in advancing their careers).
![Two individuals are focused on their computer screens in a study area. The image text promotes Fordham University's Graduate School of Social Service, highlighting their MSW program's flexibility, experiential learning, and ranking in the top 10% nationwide. Visit fordham.edu for more information.](https://www.austinwilliams.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Fordham_670xHeight_Case_Study_2_Across_PrintAds-01.jpg)
![A focused student in a classroom works on a laptop. The text reads:](https://www.austinwilliams.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Fordham_670xHeight_Case_Study_2_Across_PrintAds-02.jpg)
While an equally compelling and branded exhibit booth helped Fordham stand out at professional events to drive in interested students.
![A promotional display for Fordham Graduate School of Social Service featuring a backdrop with a cityscape view at dusk, the text](https://www.austinwilliams.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Fordham_1370xHeight_Case_Study_1_Across_Tradeshow2.jpg)
WEB ENHANCEMENTS
Seek, find, convert
We not only helped Fordham find the right students, we helped the right student find them: optimizing their online content, improving the user experience (UX) on their pages and implementing conversion focused strategies.
![Fordham University Graduate School Ad](https://www.austinwilliams.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Fordham_1370xHeight_Case_Study_1_Across.jpg)
COLLATERAL
Follow up to close the loop
Prospects who didn’t immediately apply online received a follow-up mailer to continue the conversation, and further lead them down the conversion funnel. The same piece was also used as a handout by Fordham recruiters at professional forums.
![A trifold brochure titled](https://www.austinwilliams.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Fordham_1370xHeight_Case_Study_1_Across_Brochure.jpg)
Outcomes
55%
lower cost per qualified lead vs. the industry standard
35%
increase in organic search volume in 12 months following updates