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Google Tag Manager 101: Learn the Basics to Optimize Your Digital Marketing Efforts

Google Tag Manager is a powerful platform capable of redefining how digital marketing campaigns are run. With all that power, learning Google Tag Manager can be a daunting task, but at its core, Google Tag Manager is designed to make digital marketing efforts easier, and with a basic understanding of the fundamentals, you can make it do just that.

What is Google Tag Manager?

Google Tag Manager (GTM) is a tag management platform designed to streamline and optimize digital marketing efforts by simplifying the process of managing and deploying marketing tags. A tag is a snippet of code added to your website for various purposes, such as audience building or conversion tracking. Advertising platforms like Google Ads generate these tags. GTM manages these tags in one place, so you don’t have to manually embed them into your site’s code — a great option for those not versed in web development or HTML.

How Does GTM Work?

GTM works by having a single piece of code — a GTM container — placed across your entire website. Google has in-depth resources about how to place the container code here. From there you can add any tags to any page across your entire site.

Placing tags is only part of what makes GTM such a powerful tool. You can also control exactly what pages each tag will be placed on and under what conditions each tag will fire. These conditions are called “triggers”. The combination of a tag and trigger is the bread and butter of GTM. The tag sends data off to a platform, while the trigger tells the tag under what conditions to send that data. Triggers can be configured by a near-infinite number of different variables. Some common ones are page URLs, button click text, and form IDs.

How Does GTM Work?

Any institution running a digital marketing campaign can find some use for GTM. Once set up, GTM will make campaigns easier and more effective. Having all your campaigns’ remarketing and conversion pixels in one place will save time and keep everything organized. In addition, GTM can act as a launching point for more tools like Google Analytics.

GTM also offers an easy way to track conversions. Conversion tracking is essential for measuring the effectiveness of a campaign and better understanding your users. Without GTM, setting up conversion tracking can be tedious, and results might not be accurate. The key to effective tracking is ensuring that your conversions are only firing on specific actions, GTM makes this easy by using triggers. If you want to dive deeper, the blog post “The Ins and Outs of Conversion Tracking” breaks down exactly how conversion tracking can impact your campaigns.

An Example of What GTM Can Do

Let’s put everything we learned together with an example:

Scenario: You want to run a campaign targeting students who have visited your website but haven’t applied yet. To measure the success of this campaign, you want to track whenever a student applies.

Steps:

  1. GTM Container: Create the container and place it on your website.
  2. Remarketing Tag: Create a remarketing tag in the advertising platform and place it via GTM. Target users who visit specific pages, such as admissions, application deadlines, and how to apply pages.
  3. Conversion Tag: Create a conversion tag called “Application Submission” and place it using GTM. Set a trigger to fire this tag when the URL matches the confirmation page after an application is submitted (e.g., examplecollege.edu/application/confirmation).

Now, whenever a student who interacted with your ads submits an application, the “Application Submission” conversion is recorded.

Next Steps

Understanding Google Tag Manager and its capabilities is a journey, but with the right approach, it can significantly enhance your digital marketing efforts. By organizing your tags, improving conversion tracking, and leveraging the full power of GTM, you can take your campaigns to the next level. Embrace the learning process, and take the next step. Create your GTM container and get to tagging!

As a Google Premier Partner, Carnegie is uniquely suited to help you unlock the full potential of Google Tag Manager. If you need assistance or are interested in working with us, reach out to start a conversation.

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How AI Can Transform Marketing for Community Colleges

Marketing has always been about connecting with your audience at the right time and place. Today, that means meeting them where they spend most of their time: online. In line with this, the recent advancements in AI have transformed how we approach marketing. AI is not just a buzzword—it’s a game-changer, especially for community colleges looking to engage prospective students more efficiently and effectively.

The Markets Are Changing

Community colleges serve a diverse demographic, not limited to any one age group. However, it is Gen Z, born between 1997 and 2012, who are currently experiencing the most significant impact of our ever-evolving tech-centric world. As true digital natives, Gen Z’s interaction with content is distinct—they typically have an attention span of 8 to 12 seconds and are accustomed to multitasking. This generation favors visual and personalized content, making them much more responsive to marketing strategies that are customized to their preferences, from tailored emails to individualized course suggestions. This is why it’s more important than ever to begin harnessing powerful AI tools that can help you stay ahead of the changing markets and better serve the demands of your audiences, who expect personalization at every turn.

How AI Can Help

AI is a powerful ally in understanding and better serving your audience. Here are a few examples of how AI tools are already enhancing marketing efforts in significant ways:

  • Automated Content Creation: AI can help create compelling content quickly. It can draft initial text, edit for clarity, and ensure the tone matches what your students relate to.
  • Optimizing Campaigns: AI can analyze large amounts of marketing data to see what’s working and what’s not.
  • Predicting Trends: AI can look at past data and predict future trends, like which programs might see a spike in interest.
  • Engaging with Students 24/7: AI-powered chatbots can provide real-time answers to prospective students’ frequently asked questions, day or night. This round-the-clock availability helps in building a stronger connection with potential applicants.

AI Tools You Can Start Using Today

To help you get started, here are a few examples of AI tools you can begin using today to enhance your marketing efforts:

  • Copywriting: Need help getting past a blank page? OpenAI can help you create copy for emails, social media posts, and promotional materials quickly.
  • Grammar, Tone, and Style: Grammarly checks your writing to make sure it has no mistakes and sounds clear. WordTune gives you tips to make your writing easier to read and sound better, helping you show off your school’s unique style.
  • Landing Pages: Mixo and Archer make creating web pages that attract and engage potential students faster and less labor-intensive. These tools can help you test different layouts and content to see what performs best, making sure the first point of contact is impactful.

Challenges AI Can Help Overcome

Many community colleges face similar challenges: limited budgets, understaffing, and the need to adapt to rapidly changing technology. AI can alleviate some of these pressures by automating routine tasks, helping your staff focus on more strategic activities like relationship building and student services.

Ready to Take Your Marketing Efforts to the Next Level?

You’ve seen how AI can enhance your marketing efforts by allowing for greater personalization and efficiency. Now, imagine taking those capabilities even further with our tailored digital marketing and predictive modeling services. Our services fine-tune your marketing efforts to ensure you’re reaching the right students—those most likely to apply and thrive at your institution—with personalized messaging that resonates with them.

Contact us today to learn more about how our tailored solutions can help you harness the full potential of AI-driven marketing.

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Driving Enrollment in the Digital Age: The Power of Paid Search for Community Colleges

Gone are the days of traditional student recruitment methods where prospective students contacted admissions offices requesting printed viewbooks. Most research and decision-making processes are now done online, rendering tactics that may have worked in the past ineffective in today’s digital landscape.

The Power of Paid Search

One tactic that has proven to be effective in driving leads and enrollment for community colleges is Paid Search. Utilizing Google Ads PPC (pay-per-click) advertising ensures that your institution appears at the forefront when a prospective student searches for content related to your offerings. The immediate display of tailored ad copy precisely when it matters most maximizes the chances of capturing high-intent prospects who are ready to engage further. This strategy not only boosts lead generation but also encourages prospective students to take action, such as applying or enrolling.

Customizing Campaigns for Targeted Messaging

Paid Search campaigns also offer the flexibility to customize your ad copy to highlight the messaging you want to focus on at that particular moment. For example, if you are looking to boost spring enrollment, you can leverage Sitelink Extensions to direct users straight to the registration page for spring classes. Special programs like “College in High School” and “Early College” can also be promoted effectively through these extensions, highlighting unique opportunities available at your community college.

Efficient Marketing with Limited Resources

Community colleges face unique challenges in executing an effective SEO strategy. For one, the variety of programs they offer requires ranking for a wide range of keywords. Additionally, we understand that in-house marketing teams at community colleges are often operating with limited staff, with individuals wearing many hats. This is where a well-planned PPC strategy can be really beneficial! For example, if your school has a welding program and you’re not ranking high on SERP (search engine results page) for the term “how to become a welder,” you can add that keyword to your PPC strategy to drive immediate traffic to your program pages, resulting in increased interest and leads. This strategy also ensures you’re not solely reliant on organic visits.

Cost-Efficiency of PPC Advertising

PPC advertising is not only effective but also cost-efficient. You only pay when a prospective student clicks on your ad, which then leads them to a specifically targeted landing page. In fact, the average cost per click for our community college clients in March was a mere $0.67. Although community colleges typically have much smaller marketing budgets than four-year institutions, with effective campaign management, they can be a very impactful way of driving leads from prospective students who will apply and enroll at your school.

Why Choose Carnegie as Your Google Premier Partner

As a Google Premier Partner, we’re among the top 3% of Google Partners participants in the U.S. We’re held to the highest standards of excellence, which translates into the most strategic and effective campaigns, ensuring that your community college attracts and enrolls more students.

Ready to Boost Your Enrollment?

Are you ready to transform your community college’s digital marketing strategy and see real results in enrollment and engagement? Contact us today to learn how our tailored digital advertising solutions can help you achieve your recruitment goals. Let’s make your institution the top choice for prospective students!

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5 Steps for Community Colleges to Implement a Digital ROI Tracking System

In today’s competitive educational landscape, community colleges face the dual challenge of attracting new students while ensuring optimal use of their marketing budgets. The key to overcoming this challenge lies in mastering the art of measuring Return on Investment (ROI) from digital advertising campaigns.

This blog provides a step-by-step guide for how community colleges can enhance their digital advertising effectiveness by implementing an ROI tracking system.

1. Embrace Data-Driven Decision Making

Begin with a commitment to data. Understanding the impact of your marketing efforts on student enrollment starts with a shift towards a data-driven culture within your institution. This approach not only clarifies the effectiveness of each campaign but also illuminates the path to optimizing your strategies for higher returns.

2. Identify Allies and Key Stakeholders

Engaging key stakeholders early is crucial. Present the concept of digital marketing ROI to your board of trustees, finance department, and student services leaders. Highlight how targeted campaigns can lead to measurable increases in enrollment. Additionally, collaboration with Institutional Research (IR) and CRM managers is vital for accessing and interpreting the data necessary for ROI analysis.

3. Leverage Visitor Resolution Software

Utilize website visitor resolution software which identifies the individuals by name and address who hit your dedicated landing pages for your campaigns, or start with a list of names and addresses you are targeting using addressable geofencing. By starting with a list of individuals’ names and addresses, you can follow those individuals to applicant and enrollee status – matching by name or address.For example, a 60 day campaign we ran for Allied Health Programs resulted in 749 applications, with 432 enrollments, showcasing an incredible ROI of 2,462.7%. We were able to calculate this by matching the individual visitors to semester enrollment based on their initial engagement with the digital ad.

4. Simplify ROI Calculation

Calculating the ROI of digital campaigns doesn’t have to be daunting. Tools like HubSpot’s Advertising ROI Calculator simplify this process by allowing you to input variables such as ad budget, conversion rates, and average price per student, offering a straightforward calculation of campaign ROI.

5. Celebrate Success and Scale Up

Once you’ve established a methodology for measuring and achieving positive ROI, it’s time to scale up your efforts. Success stories serve not only as a testament to the effectiveness of your strategies but also as a catalyst for further investment in digital marketing.

Implementing Your Strategy

  • Start Measuring: Begin with any campaign, however small, and start tracking its ROI.
  • Find Partners: Identify allies within your institution who can provide data or support.
  • Share Wins: Communicate your findings and successes within your organization to build support and momentum.
  • Patience is Key: Recognize that establishing a robust ROI measurement process for digital advertising takes time and continuous refinement.

The path to tracking ROI in digital marketing is both a strategic necessity and a transformative opportunity for community colleges. By adopting a data-driven approach, securing internal support, and leveraging technology for targeted campaigns, your institution can unlock significant enrollment growth.

Seeking expert guidance on implementing these strategies? Contact us today to explore how we can help transform your institution’s approach to digital advertising and ROI measurement.

 

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