Northview International School: PPC & Paid Social

Northview approached us to do their PPC and Meta Ads to promote their 2023/24 admissions.

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Brief

Northview International School, a co-educational institution in Umm Qarn, Qatar, caters to students aged 3-18, delivering a high-quality American curriculum. Their primary objective was to significantly increase the number of contact form submissions and applications received through their Open Apply system to fill school places.

Challenges & Solutions

OpenApply Tracking

OpenApply limited conversion tracking stemmed from directing users off-site, preventing Google Tag Manager (GTM) code implementation and hindering channel/campaign attribution for enquiries and applications. While GA4 and GTM code could track on-site actions, source identification remained impossible, limiting campaign performance visibility. Embedding the enquiry form with a thank you page enabled tracking that single conversion. However, the multi-page application form couldn't be embedded, further restricting tracking capabilities.

Location Focus

As an international school aiming to reach the expat market without specific guidance, we analysed current student origins to identify key target areas, alongside local students in Qatar. We then segmented these markets into separate local and geographically targeted campaigns.

Competitive Landscape

The saturated international and local markets led to increasing competitor CPCs over time. We employed a mix of broad keywords to reach users in the early research phase and longer-tail keywords to capture those further down the funnel with potentially lower costs per click.

Our Approach

Initially, we pinpointed key advertising markets by analysing first-party data and the geographic origins of current students to refine our targeting strategy. Following this, a comprehensive keyword analysis was undertaken, exploring both broad and long-tail terms to engage users across all stages of their decision-making process. To capture high-intent traffic, we launched two search campaigns focused on core keywords with strong conversion rates and click-through rates.

Once sufficient location-based data was gathered, we implemented a Performance Max campaign, segmented by grade year and layered with audience signals including demographics, income, job titles, interests, behaviours, and our first-party data. This approach allowed us to reach users throughout the marketing funnel across Google’s ecosystem (Gmail, Maps, Search, Display, Discovery, and YouTube), enhancing brand recall and recognition, ultimately contributing to a 25% year-over-year increase in direct searches for Northview International School.

Given the competitive landscape, we conducted extensive competitor analysis using various tools to monitor our brand’s share of voice for key terms, ensuring budget allocation to areas of visibility and conversion. We continuously monitored keyword CPCs across different markets and evaluated overall campaign performance, soliciting feedback on applicant quality and acceptance rates to optimise for CPA and conversion rates.

To optimise our 2024 budget allocation, we projected trends within the education sector to identify key periods for increased investment. Our analysis indicated that August and September represent a significant window of opportunity due to heightened parental research for school placements. This understanding informed our budget to prioritise visibility and market dominance during these competitive phases.

Results

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New Users

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Sessions

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Application To Student Rate

Quote

“I recently had the pleasure of working with Talking Sticks Digital for our online advertising needs at Northview International School, and I couldn’t be more impressed with the results.

Over the past 12 months, their team has demonstrated exceptional expertise in digital marketing for the education sector. What truly sets them apart is their ability to generate leads and attract quality prospective students who are an excellent fit for our school.

Their thorough understanding of the digital landscape and their strategic approach to campaign management resulted in a significant increase in qualified inquiries and enrollments. They took the time to understand our unique value proposition and meticulously identified our ideal student profiles. It allowed them to create highly targeted campaigns that resonated with prospective families looking for precisely what Northview International School offers. Their data-driven approach meant we were connecting with genuinely interested parents and students.

The professionalism displayed by everyone at Talking Sticks Digital made the entire process smooth and transparent. Regular reporting, insightful analytics, and proactive optimization meant we knew exactly how our campaigns were performing and where improvements were being made.

I recommend Talking Sticks Digital to anyone looking to elevate their digital marketing efforts, particularly in the education sector. Their experience, professionalism, and, most importantly, their ability to drive real results make them invaluable partners.”

Keith Duffy, Marketing Manager at Northview International Shool, Qatar