What you need to know to start your campaign, why it’s important, and some helpful tips to improve your campaign results.
With over eight years of experience in developing and nurturing our email database of students, we’ve developed a deep understanding of online students' behavior and needs during the crucial time when they are searching for higher education.
This expertise enables us to identify and connect with the right student profiles, helping match them with schools that best fit their goals.
Below, we’ve outlined what we need from you, why it’s important, and some helpful tips to improve your campaign results.
Your creative choices are important — clients who follow our recommendations often reach the top end of our performance benchmarks, even when their brand is relatively unknown in target markets. That’s why we’ve shared some additional best practice below the creative requirements.
Creative Requirements
'Visual Requirements:
Submit one image in the following format:
- 575x275 pixels
Copy Requirements:
We’ll adjust the text to third person in order to make sense to students in our database and send you a preview before going live. Please provide:
- Maximum 100 words of copy
Link Requirements:
Please provide:
- A link with UTM tracking to the landing page where you want to direct students.
The link must be a UTM link, not a regular one (essential for tracking campaign performance internally). Only one link is allowed in order to ensure good deliverability.
Choose Your Targeting
Before submitting, verify audience availability with your Sales Representative or Customer Success Manager. When selecting your audience, please consider:
- We can filter by study interests, country, and degree.
- We cannot filter by age, study duration, or work experience.
- Parents are not targetable.
- Keep the audience broad, not too niche.
- Indicate preferred countries in case adjustments are needed due to audience size limitations.
Best Practice for DEMs
When it comes to running successful DEMs, following best practices can make all the difference in achieving impactful results. Whether you’re promoting a university or specific programs, understanding how to create engaging content and effectively target the right audience is key. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the essential strategies and tips for designing compelling DEMs that not only capture attention but also drive meaningful conversions on your landing page. From optimizing visuals and copy to refining your targeting, these best practices will help you maximize your ad performance when reaching students who are searching for educational opportunities.
Creatives That Convert
Visuals:
Your visual content is the first thing your audience sees, and its effectiveness determines whether they will engage with your ad. Strong visuals are key to grabbing attention.
- Avoid generic or commercial imagery: Make it personal. Images that reflect campus life, classroom moments, or a fun student lifestyle resonate best.
- Use bright colors: As students' eyes scan, sharp color contrast or bright hues will stand out and drive higher engagement.
- Branding matters: Include your school’s name or logo in your creative. Where possible, add the program name or other key details to reinforce your message.
Copy:
While visuals capture attention, the text reinforces your message. The right words can clarify your value proposition and drive student interest.
- Avoid generic text: Make sure the copy is relevant to what you’re promoting. Like strong visuals, strong words communicate what makes your institution or program special.
- Tuition discounts and scholarship availability are broadly appealing and drive engagement.
- Instead of making promises, share clear facts about your school or programs that students can easily understand. Our best performing schools focus on facts students can grab onto, such as program ranking or internship placements.
- We’ll handle the third-person transition: Our team will adjust your copy to fit the context of Keystone’s student database, presenting your institution as a valued partner.
- Keep it concise: Students will only spend a few seconds reading your text, so make it count.
Converting Students on Your Landing Page
We want to help you make the most of the students we send your way. Converting students from outside of your database, can be challenging, but here are some tips to maximize the impact:
- Design your landing page for newcomers: Your landing page should appeal to students who may have never heard of your school before. DEMs introduce your brand to a new audience.
- Capture leads effectively: If you’re using the page to gather leads, remove unnecessary links and simplify your lead form to just a few information fields (ideally no more than five for a new member).
- Bold branding: Make sure your branding is prominent and incorporates your school’s colors.
By following these guidelines and best practices, you'll be well-equipped to create effective, high-performing campaigns that resonate with your target audience. Our team is here to support you throughout the process, ensuring your DEMs deliver the results you’re looking for. Let’s collaborate to connect students with the educational opportunities they’re seeking.