Educational institutions — from tech schools to state universities — compete mightily to recruit students, maintain enrollment, and solicit support from alumni.

Those that use variable data-driven direct mail can get the edge in filling seats and driving donations.

Presenting an array of possible formatting and personalization opportunities, digitally-printed direct mail is perhaps the best way to keep a school’s messaging relevant and personal, which leads to the question…

What Formats Should Higher Education Marketers Use for Direct Mail?

Letter

A simple, personally-addressed letter serves educational institutions well for many types of engagement including:

  • Fundraising – Personally appeal to alumni to keep a lifelong connection to their alma mater. Take advantage of variable data printing to mention each recipient’s department of study and year of graduation for example.
  • Admissions – Make recruits feel special that they were handpicked to apply for admission based on certain talents and interests that match academic areas of where your institution excels.
  • Acknowledgements – A personal letter of gratitude in response to a request for information, an application for admission, or for attending an event goes a long way in acquisition and retention.

Letters are often used as a straightforward way of delivering news or more formal communication.

Self-Mailer

From postcards to multi-panel mailers, self-mailers work well to promote events and special educational opportunities. Use variable data technology to boldly print recipient names, feature custom imaging, and version copy within each general target audience. Send self-mailers for such promotions as:

  1. Invitations to student and alumni gatherings and excursions.
  2. Notifications of special courses like summer or night classes.
  3. Announcements of new programs such as new degree offerings.

Unlike letters, self-mailers allow you to utilize more visuals, which can make the mail piece more attention-grabbing.

Large Format

There are a large variety of large format mailers that make a big impression upon the recipient. Understanding what options are available to you and how they will affect your timeline and budget (production and postage) is crucial in picking the best format for your campaign.

1. Catalog: Course catalogs can showcase an organization’s entire curricula and are commonly used for adult continuing education programs. Saddle stitch books work well and will often fall under the larger flat designation so they will not require wafer seals. Do, however, pay attention to the different handling of addressing when it comes to flats, as proper placement is required.

Community colleges often use Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) to distribute their course catalogs, as they target everyone within their county and can save on costs by using this program.

2. Newsletter: Students and alumni enjoy hearing news about their beloved schools, areas of specialization, and fellow student achievements. Staying in touch with former and current students is an excellent way to maintain enrollment, increase donations, and stimulate involvement. Use variable data digital printing to feature news by audience segments such as age groups and academic departments.

By folding an 11 x 17” piece to 8.5 x 11”, you can gain the room you need and you won’t need to wafer seal your piece. Folding again down to 8.5 x 5.5” can help your save on postage but will require you to affix wafer seals to keep the piece closed during mailing. While folding and sealing may cost more during the printing phase, the lower postage rates you’ll get because the piece now falls into the letter category may help you make up cost.

Choosing the best vessel in which to deliver your message is crucial in making the best first impression. Recipients will infer the intent of the piece simply by scanning its exterior, so the importance of picking the right format should not be overlooked. Know your audience and determine the format that will allow them to best relate to your message.

Digital printing now affords universities, vocational schools, and all higher education providers the ability to mail smarter with highly personalized campaigns. Depending on the type of promotion, various direct mail formats can be hyper-personalized to target diverse groups of students and alumni by academic interests and demographic attributes.