Case Study
California Aeronautical University
At a glance
Introduction
California Aeronautical University is a modern aeronautical training center, offering aviation related degree programs to students from around the world. As a new company, CAU came to SMG seeking full digital marketing services to increase their online presence and lead flow.
Challenges
When California Aeronautical University engaged Sachs Marketing Group, they faced challenges filling classes and growing the student body. At the time, their social ads had a cost per lead, deemed reasonable, of $150, and the conversion rate lingered at an average of 13%, and securing an average of 38 leads per month translated to a mere 5-6 meetings.
Process
In close collaboration with California Aeronautical University, Sachs Marketing Group engaged in a detailed dialogue to grasp the institution's objectives, challenges, and opportunities. Recognizing the significance of targeted outreach, the strategic approach emphasized audience segmentation to refine California Aeronautical University’s target audience, ensuring that efforts were precisely directed toward individuals actively seeking a flight university.
A pivotal aspect of campaign optimization involved implementing a series of A/B tests on ad copy, creative elements, and calls-to-action. These tests played a crucial role in fine-tuning the marketing approach, ultimately identifying the most effective formula for engaging the right audience.
Central to the triumph of the campaign was the utilization of data-driven decision-making. Leveraging Meta data and CRM data, Sachs Marketing Group continuously assessed the performance of ads, allowing for a proactive approach in promptly identifying what was and wasn’t working.
Despite operating within a modest budget, Sachs Marketing Group demonstrated significant increases in key performance indicators (KPIs), specifically in cost per lead, total leads, meetings secured, and conversion rate.
Metrics & Results
Witnessing the success of California Aeronautical University's ad campaign, the decision to amplify efforts and pursue even greater leads from social platforms was made with a clear objective - double the number of meetings and fast! The team at Sachs Marketing Group met this challenge in stride and delved into the intricacies of the existing ads, identifying areas for enhancement. Through a meticulous process, Sachs Marketing Group unearthed and cultivated an audience primed for conversion.
In a remarkably 3-month timeframe, Sachs Marketing Group surpassed the established goal and continued to meet or exceed the meeting targets each month until the campaign's culmination. This achievement reflects the team's agility and responsiveness and underscores the enduring impact of strategic marketing guided by data-driven insights.
The collaboration between Sachs Marketing Group and California Aeronautical University yielded impressive results, demonstrating the effectiveness of social ad strategies. Noteworthy achievements include:
In one quarter:
Conversion rate (leads to meetings) increased by 38%
Achieved conversion rate goal of 30% four weeks this quarter
Meetings scheduled increased by 62%
Cost per meeting decreased by 37%
Conclusion
The partnership between California Aeronautical University and Sachs Marketing Group stands as a testament to the transformative power of collaboration and strategic marketing. Together, they not only met but exceeded expectations, navigating challenges with agility, precision, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. The success achieved is a resounding affirmation of the impact that strategic marketing, guided by data-driven insights, can have on the growth and success of educational institutions.
Over 3 years
2022-2023
“They're helping our business grow and helping us stay relevant in the digital world. Sachs Marketing’s efforts have succeeded in fostering growth and visibility for the university. The team is personable and knowledgeable, making them an ideal partner. The relationship prospers because of thoughtful strategies and a genuine concern for customer success."
- Matthew Johnston - President of California Aeronautical University
SEO / Search Engine Optimization
Challenge
In Jan 2018 SMG launched a robust SEO campaign that included both on and off-page SEO development. Our SEO team conducted detailed keyword research to identify search concepts likely to result in conversions (calls, leads, and students) for CAU. We set about the task of optimizing every page of the website in an effort to improve rankings for our targeted keywords. Our on-page optimization included implementing structured data for rich snippets and mobile-first SEO techniques. The static web pages identified as most relevant to the specific keywords we were targeting were bolstered with additional copy and further optimized in keeping with best practices.
Solution
We developed an editorial calendar for blog content and selected topic ideation in an effort to select blog topics likely to resonate with specific segments of CAU’s target audience. We’ve written, optimized and published 4 blog posts per week throughout the duration of our SEO engagement. The need to regularly develop blog content in the aviation market meant SMG needed to find copywriters who were not only talented writers, but also had a background in aviation (no small task). We located and hired a staff writer at the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) who started writing informative, educational, and compelling blog content for our SEO campaign with CAU.
Off-page optimization efforts included the development of market-specific directory accounts as well as local NAP (Name Address and Phone) accounts to help with local or “geo-specific” organic rankings. SMG’s outreach team has been hard at work developing collaborative relationships with 3rd party website owners and webmasters in an effort to generate backlinks from high-authority websites in the aviation vertical.
Results
To date, the SEO campaign, coupled with the social media development efforts, have resulted in a dramatic increase in Cal Aero’s organic rankings and overall search visibility. The resulting improvement in the number of in-bound leads and student enrollment have had a consistent and positive influence on CAU’s revenue and overall ROI.
Services Provided
SEO
Implementing a targeted search engine optimization strategy to enhance the visibility of CAU in organic search results, driving qualified traffic to their website.
Social Media Development
Establishing and managing social media channels to engage with the target audience, build brand awareness, and foster a sense of community.
Social Media Advertising
Running targeted advertising campaigns on social media platforms to reach potential clients interested in aviation.
Content Development
Producing high-quality, informative content to position CAU as a trusted authority in the aviation space and engage with their target audience.
Ongoing Web Design and Web Admin
Providing continuous support for website maintenance, updates, and improvements.
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