Open days are one of the biggest opportunities in the student recruitment calendar — but too often, the engagement stops at the event doors. Whether visitors filled out a form, clicked “interested” on Facebook, or simply landed on your event page, they’ve already shown intent. The question is: how do you turn that interest into actual enrolments?
Here’s how paid social retargeting can bridge that gap — and how to make it work effectively for your institution.
1. Capture intent signals early
The key to successful retargeting starts before the open day even begins. Make sure your event sign-up forms, website, and tracking pixels (Meta, Google, TikTok) are all set up properly.
This allows you to create custom audiences of people who:
- Visited your open day page
- Watched your promotional video
- Engaged with your event post
- Submitted an RSVP
These signals become your warmest audience — people who already know your brand and have taken an interest in studying with you.
2. Segment by behaviour
Not all visitors are equal. Someone who watched 10 seconds of your ad isn’t the same as someone who registered and attended in person.
Break your retargeting into segments such as:
- Viewed the page but didn’t register – show a reminder to “Take the next step.”
- Registered but didn’t attend – use FOMO messaging like “You missed an amazing day — but there’s still time to apply.”
- Attended – focus on conversion with copy like “Loved what you saw? Secure your place today.”
Personalisation here massively boosts conversion rates.
3. Use authentic creative
Forget glossy stock photos — retargeting works best when it feels real.
Show actual clips from the open day, student ambassadors greeting visitors, or short testimonials filmed on the day.
These visuals create an instant emotional connection and remind audiences of the positive experience they already had.
4. Keep momentum post-event
The window between an open day and enrolment is short. The longer you wait, the colder your audience gets.
Launch your retargeting campaigns within 24–48 hours after the event while excitement is still fresh.
Highlight next steps: application deadlines, taster sessions, or links to explore courses they showed interest in.
5. Track and measure everything
Use GA4 or your student dashboard to track what happens after someone clicks your ad:
- Are they visiting course pages?
- Are they submitting applications?
- Which audience segment converts best?
By connecting your ad data to key conversion events, you’ll know exactly what’s working — and can allocate budget more intelligently next time.
Final Thought
Open days don’t end when the lights go out — they evolve into one of your most powerful retargeting opportunities.
With the right structure, creative, and data tracking, you can transform fleeting event interest into long-term enrolments.
At Enrolify, we help education providers turn awareness into action with smart, data-driven paid social strategies.
