Imagine this: A student, eager to explore colleges, sits at their laptop on a Sunday afternoon. They’re scrolling through school websites while checking TikTok on their phone. Suddenly, they land on a virtual tour of a university. Within minutes, they’re exploring the campus, walking through the quad, and peeking into classrooms—all from their home.
This isn’t just a hypothetical situation. Virtual tours have become a game-changer in higher education marketing. Institutions that leverage them effectively can increase engagement, inquiries, applications, and ultimately, enrollments.
Meritto’s Higher Education CRM ensures that virtual tours don’t just attract students—they convert them. Here’s how.
Virtual Tours: A Powerful Tool for Enrollment Growth
Traditional college visits are valuable but not always accessible. Many students and families can’t travel due to distance, financial constraints, or time limitations. Virtual tours eliminate these barriers.
📌 Fact: Students spend an average of 8+ minutes engaging with a virtual tour, four times longer than they typically spend on a college website.
🔹 With the right CRM in education, these tours can do more than just showcase campus beauty—they can drive real enrollment results.
1. Increasing Awareness: Get in Front of More Students
Before students apply, they need to know your institution exists. Virtual tours, when integrated into a strategic enrollment management system, expand reach and put your school in front of more prospective students.
How Meritto’s CRM in education sector helps:
- Embed virtual tours directly into admission portals, emails, and social media campaigns.
- Track how many students engage with the tour and capture their details for follow-ups.
- Promote virtual tours across multiple digital channels to ensure maximum visibility.
🔹 Example:
A student clicks on an email with a virtual tour link. Meritto’s CRM in education industry tracks this interaction, enabling the admission team to send a personalized follow-up email with scholarship details and next steps.
📌 Result: More students discover your institution, leading to a larger inquiry pool.
2. Boosting Inquiries: Turning Virtual Visitors into Leads
Not all students who explore a virtual tour will inquire about admissions—unless prompted to. With Meritto’s enrollment management system, institutions can turn passive viewers into engaged prospects.
Data Insights:
- 64% of students who inquired via a virtual tour were new leads.
- Virtual tours in email campaigns increased inquiry rates by 21%.
- Students who inquired via a virtual tour were 3.9x more likely to schedule a campus visit.
How Meritto’s CRM in education helps:
- AI-powered lead capture tools prompt students to submit their contact details seamlessly.
- Automated chatbots answer real-time questions and guide students to the application process.
- Personalized email sequences keep students engaged after their initial tour interaction.
📌 Result: More inquiries, stronger engagement, and a higher chance of conversion.
3. Driving More Applications: From Interest to Action
Virtual tours are not just for early engagement. They play a critical role in the application stage.
📊 Fact: 35% of students take their first virtual tour just before or during the application process.
How Meritto’s CRM in education industry helps:
- Sends automated reminders to students who viewed a virtual tour but haven’t applied yet.
- Uses AI-driven insights to personalize outreach based on program interest and tour interactions.
- Provides faculty and student testimonials linked directly to programs of interest.
Example: A student interested in engineering watches a virtual tour of the department. Meritto’s CRM in education automatically sends them an email with:
- Faculty Q&A sessions
- Alumni success stories
- Upcoming deadlines and scholarships
📌 Result: Students feel more connected and confident in applying, leading to increased applications.
4. Increasing Yield: Converting Admitted Students into Enrolled Students
Getting admitted students to commit is the final step. Virtual tours can reassure them about their decision and provide a last push toward enrollment.
📊 Fact: Students who inquire via a virtual tour have an 81% deposit-to-enroll rate.
How Meritto’s CRM in education sector helps:
- Sends automated invitations to virtual yield events (admitted student Q&As, live campus chats).
- Offers a customized student dashboard where admitted students can rewatch campus tours, access FAQs, and connect with future classmates.
- Uses AI-powered nudges to remind students about missing enrollment steps.
📌 Result: Higher commitment rates and reduced melt.
5. Enhancing Financial Aid Conversations
For many families, affordability is a major factor in choosing a college. A well-integrated virtual tour can highlight financial aid options in a compelling way.
How Meritto’s CRM in education industry helps:
- Displays interactive financial aid estimators during the virtual tour.
- Automates follow-up emails with personalized scholarship recommendations.
- Provides a real-time chatbot to answer financial aid questions instantly.
📌 Result: Students and parents feel more confident about financial planning, making enrollment decisions easier.
6. Data-Driven Optimization: Making Every Virtual Tour Count
A virtual tour isn’t just a tool—it’s a data goldmine. Every interaction provides insights into student behavior and interest.
How Meritto’s CRM in education sector helps:
- Tracks which parts of the tour students engage with the most.
- Identifies drop-off points to optimize future content.
- Provides predictive analytics to help enrollment teams focus on the most interested prospects.
🔹 Example:
If students spend more time on residence halls and student clubs, marketing teams can enhance messaging around campus life in follow-up communications.
📌 Result: Smarter marketing strategies and higher conversion rates.
Final Thoughts: Virtual Tours + CRM = Higher Enrollments
Virtual tours aren’t just a digital gimmick—they’re a powerful enrollment driver.
With Meritto’s CRM in education, institutions can:
- Expand reach and get in front of more students
- Capture high-quality leads and boost inquiries
- Convert interest into applications with AI-powered engagement
- Increase yield rates by keeping admitted students engaged
- Optimize strategies using real-time behavioral data
💡 Ready to turn virtual tour visitors into enrolled students? Discover how Meritto’s CRM in education industry can help today! 🚀 Schedule a demo today.
