Strategic Marketing for a Flagship Master’s Programme

Background

Tallinn University, a leading public university in Estonia, engaged EduEnable to support international student recruitment for its flagship Master’s Programme in Education Leadership and Innovation. Although the programme had a strong academic profile and thematic relevance, international outreach activities were fragmented and application volumes had stagnated. The university also sought support in preparing the first-year outreach strategy for a newly launched micro-degree under the same thematic umbrella. 

Challenges

The university aimed to improve international application numbers while reaching a more clearly defined target profile. At the outset, the programme lacked a coherent public-facing value proposition and had limited presence in relevant student-facing channels. Application drop-offs between early interest and submission were poorly tracked. Alumni engagement in outreach was minimal. Marketing efforts were largely ad hoc, and coordination between academic, marketing, and admissions units was limited. 

A structured, research-informed approach was needed to position the programme more clearly, improve applicant journey performance, and build capacity for ongoing outreach. 

EduEnable’s Approach

EduEnable delivered a full-cycle engagement in three phases:

Programme and Funnel Analysis

We audited the programme’s digital presence, marketing materials, and applicant journey. The review identified unclear messaging, limited alumni visibility, inconsistent engagement across channels, and significant drop-off before application submission. These findings formed the basis for the strategy design. 

Strategy Development

We developed a comprehensive three-year marketing strategy for the programme, structured around three pillars: 

• Content and positioning, with clearer value messaging and improved visibility of alumni and outcomes; 

• Community and peer engagement, including storytelling, online events, and recognition activities; 

• Funnel optimisation, including lead tracking, application process communication, and response timelines. 

A tailored outreach approach was also designed for the new micro-degree, focusing on low-barrier campaign formats and audience targeting suited to shorter-format learners. 

Implementation and Support

EduEnable supported implementation through campaign planning and execution, covering social media outreach, email workflows, webinars, and lead analysis. We also delivered customised training and guidance to internal teams, supporting process coordination, content planning, and platform usage. 

Outcomes

The strategy was implemented in time for the 2024 admissions cycle. The programme recorded a significant increase in leads and international applications, as well as improved alignment between applicant profiles and programme objectives. Alumni and students began contributing to outreach, and content engagement increased across channels. 

In the subsequent admissions cycle, applications continued to grow. Interview conversion and offer acceptance improved, and the applicant pool expanded geographically. These results confirmed the value of a long-term strategic approach to higher education marketing, where visibility, targeting, and institutional coordination require sustained attention beyond a single intake cycle. 

The university now has a structured outreach framework, improved internal capacity, and the tools to track and refine recruitment over time.