Building and Leading a Data-Informed Strategic Marketing Plan
GRADUATE RECRUITMENT STRATEGIC MARKETING PLAN
SCOPE
17 graduate programs
TIMELINE
2023–Present (annual plan with monthly KPI review)
ROLE
Strategy owner and marketing lead
RESULTS
+72% applications
+50% submissions
+20% leads YOY
+239% event attendance
Overview
To bring focus and intention to graduate recruitment marketing, I developed and led an annual strategic marketing plan designed to replace reactive execution with data-informed decision making.
The plan guides priorities, campaign development, and measurement, and serves as a shared framework for leadership reporting and day-to-day marketing decisions.
THE PROBLEM
Before formalizing a strategy, marketing efforts were largely reactive. Work was driven by immediate needs and ad hoc requests rather than shared priorities, clear goals, or measurable outcomes. While individual tactics were successful, the overall approach felt fragmented, more like “throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks” than building toward sustained impact.
This lack of structure created real risks:
Burnout from constant execution without clarity
Difficulty explaining why certain work mattered
Limited ability to learn from performance and improve over time
I saw an opportunity to move from output-focused marketing to intentional, goal-driven strategy.
THE STRATEGY
Rather than attempting to build a perfect plan all at once, I approached strategy as a system that could evolve as data, understanding, and capacity improved.
The plan was built in stages over three years, each layer intentionally building on the last.
2023-2024
UNDERSTANDING OUR AUDIENCE
Conducted audience research through an accepted student questionnaire
Developed personas to guide messaging decisions
Clarified core messaging using StoryBrand principles
Began positioning the organization as a trusted educational resource through high-value content
2024-2025
STRUCTURING THE SYSTEM
Re-mapped the student journey from inquiry through alumni
Introduced monthly analytics reviews to evaluate messaging performance
Established OKRs to measure progress
Increased personalization and refined tone to better match audience expectations
2025-2026
LETTING THE DATA LEAD
Shifted toward custom journey mapping based on thematic areas
Introduced thematic content planning tied to the academic cycle
Established monthly KPI reviews to guide decisions before launching new initiatives
Each year, I intentionally scoped goals based on what could be meaningfully accomplished as a one-person team, balancing ambition with sustainability.
THE EXECUTION
This strategy is not a static document. It actively informs:
Campaign planning and prioritization
Content development across channels
Monthly performance reviews and adjustments
To prevent the plan from “living on a shelf,” I tied it directly to measurable OKRs and reviewed progress monthly. This created a feedback loop where performance data informed future decisions, rather than being used only for reporting.
The strategy also serves as a reporting framework for leadership, allowing results to be communicated clearly and intentionally, instead of retroactively assembled.
While marketing is one of several factors influencing enrollment, long-term outcomes show strong growth. Key results include:
Improving application completion and yield
Expanding top-of-funnel reach
Increasing participation at recruitment events
THE RESULTS
increase in total applications over 6 years
72%
increase in application submission rate
50%
YOY increase in qualifed leads
20%
increase in event attendance
239%
This shift fundamentally changed how I work. What once felt like executing necessary tasks became intentional marketing leadership: connecting goals, audience needs, and execution into a cohesive system.
It also created tangible value beyond my role: leadership now has a clear framework for understanding and communicating marketing efforts, reducing ambiguity and reactive decision-making.
KEY TAKEAWAY
Creating content for content’s sake can only get you so far. Sustainable impact comes from clear goals, thoughtful prioritization, and the discipline to let strategy, not urgency, lead the work.
Impact Beyond Metrics