LinkedIn Ads success story · Online university program

How an online university cut its cost per application by 21% by staying visible all year.

Name: Overtop Media Digital Marketing
Address: 933 Louise Ave Suite 101-18, Charlotte, NC, 28204, US
Telephone: (704) 237-0707
Price range: $$

The University of South Australia markets UniSA Online degrees to mid-career professionals. In 2021 it stopped advertising only in enrolment season and moved to an always-on LinkedIn program, with student stories at the top and practical reasons to enrol at the bottom.

Business: UniSA Online
Market: Adelaide, Australia
Goal: Degree enrolments from working professionals

Two graduates in red gowns smiling at a phone together after a ceremony

The results.

Compared with its earlier campaign-led approach, before the switch to always-on, full-funnel advertising in 2021.

21%lower cost per application
Samelead quality, with less retargeting needed

Cost per application before and after the change in strategy. Self-reported by the advertiser and published by LinkedIn; results for other businesses will differ.

The challenge.

The University of South Australia, the state’s largest university with more than 37,000 students, offers fully online undergraduate degrees through UniSA Online. Its target students are mid-career professionals, people with jobs and families deciding whether to go back to study.

It had marketed on LinkedIn since 2018, mostly in bursts timed to enrolment. Competitors did the same, so every enrolment season turned into a crowded, expensive fight for the same attention.

LinkedIn example of a promoted video post in the mobile feed with a Learn more button

What they did.

Always-on Video and Single Image Ads · A/B creative testing · Retargeting

Switched to always-on: From 2021 the university stayed visible all year instead of only in enrolment season, so prospects met the brand long before they were ready to apply.
Found people open to learning: LinkedIn targeting identified members open to education and upskilling, a signal few platforms can offer.
Emotional first, rational later: Student testimonials in Video Ads sparked interest at the top of the funnel; practical messages on flexibility and outcomes drove applications at the bottom.
Tested and retargeted: Video and single image ads were A/B tested to improve creative, and people who engaged were retargeted toward applying.

Why it worked.

Our read on the decisions behind the numbers, and what any business can take from them.

Decisions take months: Going back to study is a big decision. Being present while people think it over made the university the obvious choice when they were ready.
Warm audiences cost less: Prospects who already knew the brand needed fewer retargeting ads to apply, which is where much of the saving came from.
Real students persuade: Hearing from someone in a similar situation is more convincing than a list of course features.
Off-season is cheaper: While competitors went quiet, the university built familiarity at lower cost, then converted it when everyone else was shouting.

How we would run this play for your business.

You do not need a national budget to use the same ideas. This is how Overtop Media Digital Marketing puts them to work in our linkedin ads management.

Stay visible between peaks: We keep a steady base of brand spend running all year and add budget around your busy seasons.
Use stories, then reasons: Customer and student stories open the door; specific benefits and proof close it.
Test creative continuously: Every month we compare formats and messages and move budget to the winners.
Follow up across channels: People who engage on LinkedIn also see you in Google search and email, so interest turns into an application or a call.