From 2010 to 2023, college enrollment in the US dropped from 18.1 million to 15.8 million students. As colleges and universities struggle to make up the difference and stay afloat, radio provides an excellent opportunity to boost enrollment, per a new report.
A University recently collaborated with Katz Radio Group on an AM/FM advertising campaign aimed at enhancing online engagement. Over five months, the campaign aired a series of 30-second and 15-second spots across multiple stations in a key market, with Katz Analytics and LeadsRx measuring the campaign’s impact on web traffic.
The analysis revealed that the radio campaign was instrumental in driving a significant increase in web traffic, with a notable 22.3% lift in visits to the University’s website directly attributed to the radio spots. Both the 30-second and 15-second advertisements played a critical role, each equally contributing to the rise in web sessions.
On days when the radio ads aired, the University saw a 7% increase in daily web sessions compared to days without radio advertising. This trend was consistent even during a six-week pause in the campaign, highlighting radio’s effectiveness in maintaining audience engagement.
A 2023 Gallup poll found Americans’ confidence in higher education has dropped to 36%, a decline from 57% in 2015 and 48% in 2018. Radio could also provide an advantage here, as Katz previously found traditional radio is deemed the most trustworthy mass medium, nearly three times more trusted than social media.
The results from this study provided compelling evidence of radio’s power in driving online activity and benefit for institutions of higher learning.
