Shoestring Marketing Budgets: Maximizing Your Marketing Impact

Colleges and universities often face the challenge of making every dollar count in their marketing budgets.

For higher ed marketers, working with limited marketing budgets can be one of the most frustrating aspects of the job. 

Most of us enrollment marketers are highly motivated people with a drive to continually up our game and our results. 

We want to launch even more innovative campaigns, invest in all the latest digital tools, and increase our education brand’s visibility—constantly improving in every area we can. 

Unfortunately, this drive for greater marketing performance and success often clashes with the harsh reality of insufficient resources. 

On a more personal level, the pressure to deliver results with less can lead to feelings of inadequacy, stress, and a constant struggle to balance creativity with financial constraints.

Yet, despite these challenges, there are those who not only survive but thrive in this environment. 

Patrick Stone, Director of Strategic Communications and Marketing at Cape Cod Community College, is one such marketer. 

In a recent episode of The Higher Ed Marketer, Stone shared how he and his small team have learned to turn budgetary constraints into a catalyst for creativity and strategic thinking. 

By focusing on what truly matters and making every dollar work harder, Stone’s approach offers hope and practical advice for those feeling the squeeze of tight marketing budgets.

Strategic Budget Utilization: Making Every Penny Count

Patrick Stone’s approach to budgeting is both strategic and refreshingly candid. 

Recognizing that budget constraints are a common theme across community colleges, Stone emphasizes the importance of thoroughly reviewing and reassessing expenditures each year.

We always hear that we don’t have any money, but what are we actually spending it on? 

[When] you pull apart the layers you see, “Oh! There’s a lot in here that maybe we can trim. Maybe we can re-strategize a lot of it.”

[If we’re not careful], we can fall into that cycle of communications folks and budget managers where we’re “setting and forgetting” from year to year. 

I like the idea of reviewing the budget and reviewing what we’re spending and try to make every penny count. 

Later, Patrick shared how Cape Cod Community College had reviewed their spending and reallocated funds to use them more effectively.

Instead of continuing traditional advertising methods with diminishing returns, Stone’s team redirected those ad funds to hire an in-house graphic designer. 

This move not only reduced costs but also enhanced the college’s visual communication strategy, which is crucial in today’s competitive educational landscape.

Harnessing the Power of Authenticity with Marketing Budgets

One of the standout themes in Stone’s strategy is the emphasis on authenticity. 

Cape Cod Community College leans heavily into student-generated content, using tools like Instagram takeovers and cell phone-shot videos for their campaigns. 

Stone believes that today’s audiences, especially younger generations, value genuine content over polished, high-budget productions.

From an authenticity standpoint, [tight marketing budgets] allow us to look [critically] at the actual messages going out and [think strategically on] what do we need to spend money on.

We’re in this sort of cool place in higher ed marketing now where authenticity doesn’t cost an awful lot of money. 

[Now you can do it with a] self-shot on a cell phone, leaning on students to do Instagram takeovers and do your TV spots. This is not like it used to be! 

I remember losing out on a video award years ago when we were doing TV advertising. We had up for an award from the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations, and whoever spent the most money would win that award. [Back then, they were using] $2 million, Hollywood-grade cameras. 

Now, [that same quality is being done] on a cell phone, and it’s completely done by students! That’s a budget savings for us if we think about that. 

Now, we do Instagram takeovers at our college or social media advertising, and that doesn’t cost an awful lot of money. It allows us to put that money someplace else while keeping the message really authentic.

Like Patrick says, it is an incredible moment in history for us marketers to live in a time where you can produce such high-quality content on a shoestring budget.

It’s important for us to be mindful as we struggle with our tight marketing budgets that authenticity resonates more with prospective students than a Hollywood-grade video ever could.

Zig When Others Zag: The Importance of Fresh Ideas

Stone’s commitment to avoiding complacency is a recurring theme throughout his marketing strategy. 

Rather than relying on last year’s tactics, his team is constantly reassessing what works and what doesn’t. 

This mindset is especially critical in a rapidly changing environment where digital tools and platforms evolve quickly.

“We’ve got to keep it fresh,” Stone emphasizes. “Even if something worked last year, it doesn’t mean it will this year. It’s about constantly tweaking and improving.”

This philosophy was put to the test during the COVID-19 pandemic when Cape Cod Community College chose to take a bold, unconventional approach to its messaging. 

Instead of following the empathetic, cautious tone many institutions adopted, Stone’s team decided to go in the opposite direction with a more assertive, “boots-on-the-ground” campaign. 

The result? Sustained enrollment and positive responses, proving that sometimes, taking risks pays off.

Prioritizing Visual Communication: Perception Is Reality

Stone also underscores the importance of visual communication in shaping the perception of the college. 

With limited marketing budgets, community colleges can’t always compete with larger institutions on sheer spending power. 

But they can control how they present themselves.

Visual communication is so important to the work of the higher ed marketing professional. 

Yet it’s always the first thing to get back burned, outsourced, or deprioritized. 

Patrick cautions against reducing graphic design to templates. 

I think this is an important point. Graphic design can get complicated, and as higher ed marketers, we’re constantly churning out new copy and design. 

While It’s tempting to cut corners and simply tweak an existing template, Patrick encourages marketers to be more thoughtful.

What you look like is a complicated, time-consuming process. What you look like matters!

Perception is reality. 

So, we put a lot of stake into being thoughtful about the way we design, the way we visually communicate our student stories on social media. 

We’re up against some of the biggest and most well-funded institutions in the world.  

They’re always going to have tens of millions more dollars than us to spend. 

But they can’t out visually communicate us! 

We can do it if we just prioritize it, put the effort into it, and make sure we’re doing it right.

It’s about giving student stories the design priority they deserve.

We know how good our students are and how awesome their stories are. 

We have to visually communicate [these stories in a way] that looks good. We have to look good. 

If we don’t, you immediately [fall into] that trope of community college stereotypes.

If you don’t prioritize your visual communication, [the reaction will be] “Yeah, they really do look like a community college.”

But when you step up and put effort into it, [you can compete with even the big guys]. 

We put effort into our photography, graphic design, and advertising because it’s not a budget issue.

It’s a prioritization and strategy issue.

This focus on aesthetics isn’t just about looking good; it’s about ensuring that the college’s value and quality are reflected in every piece of communication. 

Tight Marketing Budgets Are a Blessing in Disguise

Patrick’s approach to marketing at Cape Cod Community College offers valuable lessons for any institution grappling with budget constraints. 

By focusing on authenticity, strategic budgeting, and continuous innovation, his team has managed to elevate the college’s profile and drive meaningful engagement with students. 

As higher education continues to navigate an increasingly competitive landscape, these insights serve as a powerful reminder that creativity and strategic thinking can often accomplish more than a hefty budget ever could.

Listen to our full interview with Patrick Stone to get even more insights into:

• A deep dive into higher ed budgeting
• Transforming prospective student connections
• Tools that will help with student retention

Creative Services for All Marketing Budgets

At Caylor Solutions, we know what it’s like to work—and get results!—on a shoestring budget. We don’t just preach it, we do it every day! 

To get that high quality visual communication that Patrick was talking about at a price your school can afford, you should check out our creative services. 

Working together, we’ll craft the creative assets and content you need for your marketing strategies, each piece tailored to resonate with your target audiences. 

From branding, messaging, design, layout, or copywriting, we can help you fill the gaps in your marketing team to get you the results you need while staying on-budget and on-time.

Contact us today to see how we can help you on your next viewbook, travel piece, brochure, and more!

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Featured image via capecod.edu