Don’t Underestimate Email: The Most Trusted Channel in Higher Ed Still Works
Email Isn’t Dead. It’s Your Most Underrated Enrollment Tool.
Spoiler alert: Students do read their email. In fact, it’s one of the most trusted and effective channels in the entire college decision process. But most higher ed emails? They fall flat.
Generic. Boring. Forgotten.
At Boal Media, we believe email should be your most powerful tool for building trust, nurturing interest, and moving students toward enrollment—with clarity, creativity, and intention.
Why Email Still Wins (When You Use It Right)
Despite all the buzz around TikTok, texts, and DMs, email remains the one place students expect to hear from you—especially when it comes to admissions, deadlines, and financial aid information. But that doesn’t mean they’ll engage with just anything. Here’s what we know:
- Students want answers, not fluff.
Can I afford this? Will I get in? What happens after I apply? Your emails should cut through the noise with helpful, human answers—not institutional jargon or pretty brochures disguised as HTML.
- Segmentation is everything.
A high school junior exploring liberal arts isn’t the same as a transfer student’s parent or an adult learner in a nursing program. Different audiences need different stories, sent at the right moment, with a CTA that feels like it’s for them.
- Email is where the journey is built.
Think beyond “send date.” Email is where you guide someone through your funnel—from first interest to application to orientation. A smart sequence of emails can remove friction, build emotional connection, and deliver the information students actually need to take action.
How Boal Builds Email Campaigns That Work
At Boal Media, we treat email like a living, breathing part of your enrollment strategy—not an afterthought. We design modular, story-driven email ecosystems that:
- Personalize content based on behavior, segment, and funnel stage
- Reinforce key themes from your paid media, organic content, and video
- Drive action while saving your team time and energy
Every subject line, CTA, and content block is intentional. Every campaign is built to plug into your CRM and marketing automation—so you’re not just sending email. You’re building a system that works around the clock.
Quiet Power, Loud Results
In a world of scrolls, swipes, and disappearing stories, email gives you a rare opportunity to speak directly and intentionally. No algorithms. No guesswork. Just a direct line to the students (and parents) who are deciding where to spend the next four years—and tens of thousands of dollars.
Email isn’t just alive. It’s one of your greatest enrollment assets.
Let’s make it unforgettable.