It’s been five years since higher ed was forced to take virtual experiences seriously, but has their purpose evolved? More importantly, which universities are getting results and how are they boosting engagement?

Joining me today are Charlotte Hopes (University of West England), Nic Vaughan-Bell (Birmingham City University), and Matt Usher (Bournemouth University).

Some have used virtual experiences for years.

Others are new to the game.

All of them bring a unique perspective.

*This episode is delivered in partnership with Vepple.

Fewer prospective students are making themselves known. According to new data from UniQuest, 60% of students who accept a firm place at their chosen institution have done so without engaging in any marketing activity:

*They didn’t click on your ads

*Haven’t been subject to nurture comms

*Didn’t attend your open days or enquire beforehand

To discover how to connect with hard-to-reach students, Kyle was joined by Associate Director of Future Students at Demontfort University, Elliot Newstead, and Victoria Littler, Chief Commercial Officer at Vepple.

This episode is delivered in partnership with Vepple.

In the 2023/2024 cycle, 20% of students started researching the university they were placed at in Clearing BEFORE October 2023. That increases to 36% (a third!) if you extend the window to January.

Year-on-year, 12% more students applied directly to Clearing.

And 15% more students decided to reject an offer from their first choice and pick up a place in Clearing.

The Clearing student is changing.

Kyle joins UCAS's CMO, Dave Penney, and its insights lead, Jo Richards, for a dive into 2024's Clearing data, and what it can tell us about 2025.

There is not an education marketer in existence who hasn’t experimented with AI in the last 2 years.

However, there are relatively few using it in the places where there is the most opportinity.

Joining Kyle today are Jonny Harper, Chief Technology Officer at Revolution Viewing, and Lucy Parrott (Marketing Manager at Kingston University) for the road less travelled on AI-enhanced student marketing.

This episode is delivered in partnership with Revolution Viewing.

It doesn’t matter where you get your data, university websites are the most trusted communication channel for students when making their study choices.

Kyle is joined by Guus Goorts, author of the new book Genuinely Helpful: A practical guide to effective university websites. They talk about why websites endure and what schools need to make sure that their is... genuinely helpful.

Most students don’t attend open days, and even those who do, expect (and use!) some kind of virtual experience to enhance the occasion.

Joining Kyle to discuss the data is Jonny Harper, Chief Technology Officer at Revolution Viewing. Jonny brings over a decade’s know-how in building digital experiences that convert, including:

*When personalisation is most effective

*How to scale your content efforts

*Best practice for UX design

This episode is in partnership with Revolution Viewing.

Being a creator, influencer or content entrepreneur. These are the top careers young people want in 2024. So why is no university going after them?

Further reading and show notes

Offical university LinkedIn accounts are the only ones seeing growth. Read

High-achieving young people (apprentice example) on LinkedIn. Look

It’s shaping up to be a tough Clearing More students are going into confirmation and Clearing holding an offer, up from 89% to 92% this year.

Also, higher tariff institutions have made 4% more offers than they did by this time last year. Come A-level results day, there could be a lot less to play for.

However, knowing what students want, current subject demand and how to rise above the noise won’t hurt your chances.

It’s time for a Clearing special.

Joining Kyle for today's show is the founder and CEO of Uni Compare, Owen O’neil.

Owen brings insights from over 40,000 Clearing students navigating their choices:

Which universities are winning when it comes to community marketing?

Joining Kyle today on the podcast is Amy Parker-Johnson and Joe Woodcock from The Student Room.

Both bring their knowledge of how universities can genuinely connect with students, and what taking a community-first approach can do for your recruitment.