Future-ready higher ed marketing: 10 digital skills to master now

Digital marketing never stands still—and neither should you

If you work in higher education marketing, you already know the digital landscape changes fast.

From emerging platforms to shifting student behavior, there’s always something new to learn and a growing list of tools and tactics to try.

But staying current isn’t just about keeping up. It’s about making sure your team has the skills and insights to drive enrollment, engagement, and brand visibility in a competitive environment.

So how do you keep your edge when you’re already juggling a dozen priorities? It starts with intention—and the right mix of tools, content, and habits.

Here are 10 smart places to start.

Please note: These tools and courses are shared as suggestions, not endorsements, and their availability, format, or pricing (including free options) may change over time.

1. Digital marketing proficiency

To reach and convert students, higher ed marketers need solid digital fundamentals.

From SEO and social media to paid ads and content optimization, building a strong foundation helps your campaigns perform better and reach the right audiences across digital channels.

To build these skills:

• Google Keyword Planner (free): A built-in Google Ads tool for researching keywords, search volumes, and competition—ideal for optimizing content and PPC (pay-per-click) bids with minimal cost.
• SEMrush (paid): Comprehensive platform for SEO audits, PPC keyword research, competitor analysis, and social media tracking, with higher-ed-specific benchmarks.
• Hootsuite (free and paid tiers): Schedules posts, monitors social engagement, and analyzes performance across platforms like Instagram and TikTok for student-targeted campaigns.

When you’re ready to go deeper, structured courses can help you connect the dots between tools, strategy, and real results. 

These options provide a solid grounding in digital marketing while staying relevant to the channels your audiences use every day.

Some courses to try:

• Coursera:
  • Google Digital Marketing & E-commerce Professional Certificate: Covers SEO, SEM, social media ads, and short-form video strategy.
• LinkedIn Learning:
  • Social Media Marketing: Strategy and Optimization: Deep dive into TikTok, Instagram Reels, and platform-specific algorithms.
• Google Skillshop:
  • Google Ads – Measurement Certification: Free training on PPC optimization and performance tracking.
• HubSpot Academy:
  • Social Media Marketing Certification: Free, includes TikTok and Instagram strategy, content calendars, and analytics.

2. Data analytics and insights

Understanding your data is essential if you want to make better decisions, protect your budget, and show the impact of your work.

When you can turn numbers into stories and insight, it becomes much easier to explain performance and shape future strategy at your university or college.

To analyze data to track ROI and reaffirm its value:

• Google Analytics 4/GA4 (free): Tracks website traffic, user behavior, and enrollment funnels (step-by-step journeys) with AI-powered insights for storytelling and ROI proof.
• Looker Studio (free): Google's visualization tool for creating interactive dashboards from GA4 data, helping visualize trends and budget impacts.
• HubSpot Analytics (free and paid tiers): Integrates CRM data for marketing ROI reports, lead tracking, and value demonstration in higher-ed contexts.

If you’d like to build stronger data skills in a more structured way, these courses walk you through GA4, visualization, and storytelling so you can present clear, confident insights to leadership and colleagues.

Some courses to try:

• Coursera:
  • Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate: Includes GA4, data visualization, and storytelling with data.
• LinkedIn Learning:
  • Google Analytics 4 (GA4) Essential Training: Hands-on GA4 setup, event tracking, and funnel analysis.
• Google Skillshop:
  • Google Analytics  Individual Qualification (GA4): Free certification on advanced GA4 reporting.
  • Google Analytics 4 (GA4) Certification: Free, official training on events, funnels, and enrollment tracking.
  • Looker Studio Certification: Free, build interactive dashboards from GA4 for leadership report.
• HubSpot Academy:
  • Data-Driven Marketing Certification: Free, shows how to tie marketing data to CRM outcomes (for example, applications).

3. AI literacy and automation

AI is rapidly reshaping how marketing gets done, and higher education is no exception.

Knowing how to use AI tools responsibly can help you scale content, personalize outreach, and free up time for strategy, without losing the human touch that matters to students.

To automate content creation and personalize messages for large prospect groups:

• ChatGPT (free and paid tiers): Generates personalized emails, content outlines, and automation scripts for nurturing prospects at scale.
• Jasper AI (paid): AI writing assistant for automating higher-ed content such as program descriptions and personalized outreach, with SEO integration.
• HubSpot Breeze AI (free and paid tiers): Automates email personalization and rating leads for thousands of prospects, tailored for educational workflows.

If you want to move beyond experimentation and build real confidence with AI tools, these courses offer accessible introductions and practical use cases tailored to marketers and communications teams.

Some courses to try:

• Coursera:
  • Generative AI For Everyone: Non-technical intro to AI applications in marketing.
  • Prompt Engineering for ChatGPT (Vanderbilt University): Master AI prompting for content and personalization.
• LinkedIn Learning:
  • Generative AI for Business Leaders: Practical uses of ChatGPT, Jasper, and automation workflows.
• HubSpot Academy:
  • AI in Marketing: Free, covers Breeze AI, ChatGPT prompts, and automating email sequences.

4.  Content strategy and storytelling

Prospective students are looking for stories they can see themselves in, not just marketing messages.

Building your content strategy and storytelling skills helps you showcase real student experiences and bring your institution’s strengths to life across channels.

For crafting authentic student stories and boosting engagement with video over text:

• Canva (free and paid tiers):
  • Drag-and-drop tool for creating videos, graphics, and storyboards featuring student testimonials.
• WeVideo (free and paid tiers):
  • Cloud-based video editor for collaborative storytelling, with templates for alumni videos and virtual tours.
• Storyboard That (free and paid tiers):
  • Builds interactive storyboards for narrative planning, perfect for higher-ed video scripts and engagement.

If you’re ready to dig into frameworks and techniques behind engaging content, these courses will help you shape stories, structure campaigns, and create formats that perform well on the platforms students actually use.

Some courses to try:

• Coursera:
  • Viral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content (Wharton): Framework for authentic, shareable student stories.
  • The Strategy of Content Marketing (UC Davis): Content calendars, audience personas, and storytelling arcs.
• Meta Blueprint:
  • Create Reels: Free, Instagram Reels and TikTok best practices for student recruitment.
• Canva Design School:
  • Video Creation with Canva: Free, templates for testimonials, virtual tours, and campus stories.

5.  Personalization and CRM management

Personalization is now an expectation, not a bonus.

When you understand CRM systems and how to segment your audiences, you can send more relevant, timely communications that support students from first inquiry through to enrollment and beyond.

To deliver timely, targeted messages via CRM systems for higher application rates:

HubSpot CRM (free): Tracks prospects and automates personalized journeys, increasing applications through segmented communications.

Salesforce Education Cloud (paid): Higher-ed specific CRM for scaling personalized experiences across admissions and enrollment.

• Slate, by Technolutions (paid):
  • Admissions and enrollment teams platform offers personalization, communication workflows, event management, and application processing.

To get more from your CRM investment, it helps to see how other marketers structure journeys, workflows, and campaigns. These courses introduce CRM fundamentals and best practices tailored to marketing and admissions teams.

Some courses to try:

• LinkedIn Learning:
  • Salesforce for Marketers: Essentials of Salesforce Education Cloud for higher ed.
• HubSpot Academy:
  • HubSpot CRM Certification: Free, full training on contact management, workflows, and personalization.
  • Email Marketing Certification: Free, automated drip campaigns for prospective students.
• Salesforce Trailhead:
  • Education Cloud Basics: Free, intro to higher-ed CRM (badges, not full cert).  

6. Strategic planning and ROI measurement

Campaigns are only truly successful when they support institutional goals like enrollment growth, program launches, or retention.

Strengthening your planning and ROI skills helps you connect day-to-day activity to meaningful outcomes your leadership cares about.

For aligning efforts with enrollment goals through testing and metrics:

• Google Analytics 4/GA4 (free): Measures campaign ROI via funnel (step-by-step) analysis and A/B testing (assessing two versions) for enrollment outcomes.
• ClickUp (free and paid tiers): Project management with ROI dashboards, goal tracking, and testing workflows for strategic alignment.
• AgencyAnalytics (free and paid tiers): Custom ROI reporting and attribution tools to link marketing to enrollment growth.

If you want to deepen your understanding of how to measure impact and report it clearly, these courses walk through the techniques and models you can adapt for your university or college.

Some courses to try:

• Coursera:
  • Digital Marketing Analytics in Practice (University of Illinois): ROI modeling and multi-touch attribution.
• LinkedIn Learning:
  • Content Marketing ROI: Connecting campaigns to enrollment outcomes.
• Google Skillshop:
  
  • Google Ads – App Campaigns Certification: Testing and optimization for conversion goals.
  • Google Ads – Measurement Certification: Free, conversion tracking and ROI modeling.
• HubSpot Academy:
  
  • Inbound Marketing Certification: Free, aligning campaigns to enrollment funnel stages.
• Semrush Academy
  • PPC Fundamentals Course: Free, testing ad variants and measuring cost-per-application.  

7. Adaptability and trend monitoring

Digital channels, student behaviour, and technology trends shift quickly, from new social platforms to AR campus tours and micro-credentials.

Building your adaptability helps you respond to these shifts early and keep your campaigns feeling fresh and relevant.

To track quarterly shifts like new platforms or AR tours for flexible campaigns:

• Google Trends (free): Monitors search interest in higher-ed topics (for example, online degrees) for real-time adaptability.
• Exploding Topics (free and paid tiers): predicts emerging trends like micro-credentials before they peak, aiding quick pivots.
• Perplexity AI (free and paid tiers): AI research tool for scanning higher-ed trends and competitor strategies.

If you’d like to get more intentional about spotting and responding to change, these courses offer frameworks for innovation and practical ways to bring new ideas into your marketing.

Some courses to try:

• Coursera:
  • Digital Innovation in Education: Adapting to tech trends like AR campus tours.
  • Innovation Through Design: Think, Make, Break, Repeat: Agile adaptation in digital campaigns.
• LinkedIn Learning:
  • Social Media Marketing Trends (monthly series): Quick updates on TikTok, AI, and immersive tech.
• Exploding Topics Pro (free tier):
  • Trend Reports for Education: Free weekly email plus mini-course on trend spotting.

8. Compliance and ethical marketing

Trust is a critical part of your brand.

Handling student and prospect data responsibly, and communicating clearly about how it’s used, helps you protect that trust while staying on the right side of regulations in different regions.

For ensuring privacy adherence and transparent data use to build trust:

• Termly (free and paid tiers): Generates compliant privacy policies and cookie banners for FERPA/GDPR (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act/General Data Protection Regulation) in higher-ed sites.
• Envoke (paid): Canada-focused email tool with built-in CASL (Canadian Anti-Spam Law)/FERPA compliance for ethical prospect communications.
• Salesforce Education Cloud (paid): Includes ethical AI guidelines and data security for transparent student handling.

If you’re ready to deepen your understanding of privacy, consent, and ethical marketing practices, these courses provide a solid grounding you can apply to everyday campaigns and governance.

Some courses to try:

• Coursera:
  • Introduction to Privacy and Data Protection: GDPR and ethical data practices.
• LinkedIn Learning:
  • Marketing Ethics and Compliance: FERPA, CAN-SPAM, and transparency in higher ed.
• IAPP (International Association of Privacy Professionals):
  • Data Privacy for Marketers: Free intro module on FERPA/GDPR.  

9. Collaboration and communication

Digital marketing in higher education is a team sport.

The more effectively you can collaborate with admissions, academics, IT, and others, the more consistent and impactful your campaigns become across the entire institution.

For partnering with admissions and academics on unified campus campaigns:

• Slack (free and paid tiers): Real-time messaging and channels for cross-departmental updates and feedback.
• Microsoft Teams (free and paid tiers): Video calls, file sharing, and integration for hybrid higher-ed team alignment.
• Trello (free and paid tiers): Visual boards for task collaboration on campaigns across departments.

If you’re looking to strengthen cross-campus collaboration, these courses build the soft and practical skills to manage stakeholders, align expectations, and keep projects moving.

Some courses to try:

• Coursera:
  • Successful Negotiation: Essential Strategies and Skills: For stakeholder alignment.
  • Inspiring Leadership through Emotional Intelligence: Building trust across admissions and faculty.
• LinkedIn Learning:
  • Project Management Foundations: Using Trello, Slack, and Teams for campaign coordination.
• Microsoft Learn:
  • Microsoft Teams Essentials: Free, collaboration for hybrid higher-ed teams.
• HubSpot Academy:
  • Inbound Sales Certification: Free, teaches cross-department handoffs (from marketing through to admissions).

10. Creative problem-solving

Budgets are tight across higher education, but expectations rarely shrink.

Building your creative problem-solving skills helps you find smart, low-cost ways to get results whether you’re repurposing existing content or using free tools to achieve big results without big spending.

For low-cost tactics like repurposing videos or free tools to maximize impact:

• Canva (free and paid tiers): Quick graphics and video repurposing for budget-friendly student content.
• ChatGPT (free and paid tiers): Brainstorms ideas and repurposes assets for zero-budget creative wins.
• Lumen5 (free and paid tiers): Turns blog posts into videos, enabling low-cost storytelling from existing content.

If you’d like fresh ways to think through constraints and get more from what you already have, these courses offer practical techniques for creativity under pressure.

Some courses to try:

• Coursera:
  • Creative Thinking: Techniques and Tools for Success: Ideation under constraints.
  • Design Thinking for Innovation: Solving enrollment challenges with zero-budget tools.
• Lumen5 Academy:
  • Turn Blogs into Videos: Free, repurposing content with AI in 5 minutes.
• Canva Design School:
  • Marketing with Canva: Free, templates for social, email, and print.

Build a learning culture, not just a to-do list

When professional development is part of your team culture, it stops being a chore—and becomes a motivator.

Create opportunities for team members to share what they’re learning or host short “show and tell” sessions, highlight useful articles in your team chat, or start a shared doc of great resources.

The more you learn together, the more adaptable your team becomes.

---

How do you stay sharp?

What tools, content, or habits help you stay on top of the latest in digital marketing at your college or university? Share your strategies—we’d love to feature more voices from the higher ed community.