The University of Arizona College of Nursing is a nationally recognized institution known for its innovative, research-driven curriculum and commitment to excellence in healthcare education. Offering programs ranging from BSN and MSN degrees to Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and PhD pathways, the school prepares students for leadership roles in nursing and healthcare.

However, the program was facing significant challenges in student recruitment due to underperforming digital campaigns managed by their previous agency. The client expressed frustration over:

• Low lead volume and high cost-per-lead (CPL) from past campaigns.
• Lack of transparency and communication from the prior agency.
• Ineffective ad placements and audience targeting, leading to wasted ad spend.

Seeking a fresh and strategic approach, the University of Arizona Nursing Program turned to Propellant Media for help in executing a highly targeted digital campaign that would generate qualified prospective student leads at scale.

Propellant Media was given the challenge of:

• Rebuilding the digital marketing strategy from the ground up, focusing on a combination of geofencing, Facebook, and Instagram advertising.
• Targeting prospective nursing students across different career stages—ranging from recent high school graduates to professionals looking to advance their careers.
• Optimizing ad spend to maximize lead volume while maintaining a cost-effective CPL.
• Creating compelling ad creatives and messaging tailored to different audience segments.

Given the competitive nature of nursing programs nationwide, we needed to stand out in the digital space while ensuring that the campaign would deliver high-quality, engaged leads ready to explore the University of Arizona’s nursing programs.

The Tactics We Deployed

To achieve these goals, Propellant Media developed a multi-channel digital strategy, combining geofencing, social media advertising, and advanced audience segmentation.

1. Geofencing Strategy: Precision Targeting at Key Locations

We deployed advanced geofencing technology to pinpoint and engage potential students based on their real-world behaviors and locations. This included:

• Geofencing Hospitals & Healthcare Facilities – Targeting working nurses and healthcare professionals who might be considering career advancement through BSN, MSN, or DNP programs.
• Geofencing Community Colleges – Capturing interest from students currently pursuing associate degrees in nursing (ADN) and looking to transfer into BSN programs.
• Geofencing Competitor Nursing Schools – Identifying potential students considering alternative programs and presenting University of Arizona as the best option.

2. Facebook & Instagram Advertising: Hyper-Targeted Social Campaigns

To maximize visibility and engagement, we launched a data-driven paid social strategy on Facebook and Instagram, focusing on:

• Custom Audience Segments – We built precise audience segments including:
  • High school seniors exploring nursing as a career.
  • Healthcare professionals seeking advanced nursing degrees.
  • Working adults interested in online and flexible nursing programs.
• Lookalike Audiences – We leveraged existing student data to create lookalike audiences and expand the reach to individuals with similar interests and behaviors.
• Engaging Creatives & Messaging – We tested multiple ad variations highlighting:
  • Arizona’s world-class nursing faculty and career outcomes.
  • The flexibility of online and hybrid degree programs.
  • The growing demand for nurses nationwide, making nursing an in-demand career path.
• Landing Page Optimization – We streamlined the lead capture process, ensuring that prospective students could easily submit inquiries without friction.

3. Real-Time Campaign Optimization: Maximizing Performance

Throughout the campaign, we closely monitored key performance indicators (KPIs) and made real-time optimizations to:

• Reallocate budgets to the best-performing audiences.
• Adjust messaging based on engagement data.
• Eliminate underperforming ad placements to improve cost-efficiency.

Results From The Campaign

In just two weeks, the campaign delivered:

• 87 high-quality leads from prospective students.
• Cost-per-lead (CPL) of just $6.00 – $9.00  – a significant improvement over previous campaigns.
• Increased engagement across Facebook & Instagram, with higher click-through rates (CTR) and lower bounce rates compared to past efforts.

By combining precision geofencing with hyper-targeted social media advertising, we helped the University of Arizona College of Nursing dramatically improve lead generation efficiency while ensuring they were reaching the right audience—individuals genuinely interested in pursuing a career in nursing.

The University of Arizona Nursing Program’s partnership with Propellant Media marked a turning point in their digital marketing strategy. By leveraging geofencing and social media advertising, we helped the client:

• Rebuild trust in digital marketing after frustrations with their previous agency.
• Enhance student recruitment efforts through advanced targeting strategies.
• Establish a scalable framework for future digital advertising campaigns.

This successful launch is just the beginning, as Propellant Media continues to refine and expand the campaign, ensuring that the University of Arizona Nursing Program continues to attract high-quality nursing candidates and strengthen its position as a leader in nursing education.