Yakima Valley College Achieved Record-Breaking Engagement Rates
When Yakima Valley College approached Mogul Media Consulting in January 2025, they faced a challenge familiar to many community colleges: how to effectively reach prospective students across multiple demographics with a limited marketing budget.
CHALLENGE
THE
YVC needed to accomplish something extraordinary:
Increase Running Start program enrollment
Establish market leadership in innovative educational opportunities
Achieve industry-leading cost efficiency
Build brand awareness among new demographic segments
The odds seemed stacked against them. Higher education marketing is notoriously expensive, with the average PPC conversion rate for the higher education industry being just 1.7%, and professional and online education units spend an average of $800,970 each year on digital advertising. But what happened next would completely redefine what's possible in educational marketing.
Yakima Valley College’s marketing success stemmed from a bold, audience-first strategy that prioritized precision, platform-native creativity, and performance-driven agility. By segmenting their outreach into two distinct campaigns—Running Start for high school students and Academic Pathways for working adults—they ensured that messaging was relevant and resonant. The team broke away from traditional higher ed marketing norms by leveraging underutilized platforms like Snapchat and Spotify, crafting content specifically for each channel’s native format. This mobile-first, data-responsive approach allowed YVC to maximize engagement, minimize costs, and achieve record-breaking results—all while setting a new benchmark for what’s possible in community college marketing.
OUR
APPROACH
Dual-Campaign Precision
Yakima Valley College’s decision to split its marketing into two distinct campaigns—Running Start and Academic Pathways—allowed for hyper-targeted messaging. This segmentation ensured that high school students and working adults received content tailored to their unique motivations and life stages. The result was not only higher engagement but also a more efficient use of budget, with each dollar working harder within its intended audience.
Platform-Native Innovation
Performance-Driven Optimization
Rather than defaulting to traditional platforms, YVC embraced a bold four-platform strategy: Google, Meta, Spotify, and Snapchat. Each platform was chosen for its alignment with specific audience behaviors. Snapchat’s mobile-first design captured the attention of younger users, while Spotify’s audio ads reached professionals during high-focus moments. This approach shattered industry norms and proved that platform-native content drives superior engagement.
YVC’s campaign was not static—it evolved in real time. By continuously analyzing performance metrics, the team reallocated resources to the best-performing channels and creatives. This agile strategy led to a 282% ROI and a 12.3% conversion rate, far surpassing industry benchmarks. It demonstrated that real-time responsiveness is not just a luxury—it’s a necessity in modern educational marketing.
RESULTS
THE
Overall Click-Through Rate (CTR): 14.91% (Industry average: 0.5–1.5%)
Average Cost-Per-Click (CPC): $0.32 (Industry average: $0.85–$6.23)
Target Audience Capture: 56.5% (Industry average: 30–40%)
Conversion Rate: 12.3% (Industry average: 1.7%)
STATS SHOW
WE DELIVER IMPACT
%
Target Audience Capture
56.5%
Conversion Rate
12.3%
Average CPC
$0.32
OUR
STORY
In late 2024, Yakima Valley College faced a daunting challenge: how to drive enrollment and brand awareness on a shoestring budget. Partnering with Mogul Media Consulting, they launched a bold, data-driven campaign that defied conventional wisdom. Instead of casting a wide net, they focused on two distinct audiences—high school students and working adults—crafting tailored messages and selecting platforms that aligned with each group’s digital behavior. Snapchat and Spotify, often overlooked in higher ed marketing, became secret weapons in their arsenal.
What followed was nothing short of revolutionary. With a 14.91% click-through rate and a 282% ROI, YVC didn’t just meet its goals—it redefined what’s possible for community colleges. Their success proved that with the right strategy, even modest budgets can yield industry-shaking results. The campaign’s legacy is more than numbers; it’s a blueprint for how educational institutions can thrive in a digital-first world by embracing innovation, agility, and audience-first thinking.
WORK
GALLERY
