Rocky Mountain College OTD Program Recruitment Case Study
Rocky Mountain College’s Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program used a multi-stage digital advertising strategy to increase awareness, consideration, and applications among healthcare professionals and students in Montana and surrounding states. Display, YouTube, and social media campaigns worked together to move prospective students from initial awareness through inquiry.
Challenge
The recruitment challenge was engagement – moving potential candidates through the funnel from awareness to inquiry while reaching a specialized audience that included physical therapy, chiropractic, medical students, and other healthcare professionals in Montana and surrounding states.
Benefits
- Targeted Engagement
- Efficient Funnel Progression
- Daily Inquiries
Problem Statement
The campaign needed to increase awareness, consideration, and applications for Rocky Mountain College’s Occupational Therapy Doctorate program. The target audience included individuals in healthcare fields such as physical therapy, chiropractic, medical students, and professionals across Montana and surrounding states. The key challenge was moving prospective students beyond initial awareness and through a recruitment funnel that could consistently generate qualified inquiries.
A Multi-Stage OTD Recruitment Strategy
The campaign combined display, YouTube, and social media advertising in distinct awareness, consideration, and decision stages. Engagement signals – including 75% video views, website visits, and social interactions – were used to build retargeting audiences and move interested prospects toward inquiry and application.
Display Advertising Impressions
839,095 display impressions and 502 clicks built initial program visibility.
16,927 views from 21,583 impressions, plus 28 clicks.
588.43K brand-awareness impressions, 12,014 clicks, and a 2.04% CTR.
How Did We Do?
Moving Prospective Students From Awareness to Inquiry
YouTube View Rate
Social Media Campaign CTR
Video Engagement Threshold Used for Retargeting
The digital marketing strategy successfully raised awareness, drove engagement, and resulted in daily inquiries for Rocky Mountain College’s OTD program. By using phased content and retargeting, the campaign moved potential students through the recruitment funnel and supported the College’s enrollment goals.
Building a Multi-Stage OTD Recruitment Funnel
Multi-Stage Advertising Strategy
The campaign used display, YouTube, and social media advertising with distinct awareness, consideration, and decision stages. Display advertising generated 839,095 impressions and 502 clicks. YouTube generated 21,583 impressions, 16,927 views, a 78.43% view rate, and 28 clicks. The social brand-awareness phase generated 588.43K impressions, 12,014 clicks, and a 2.04% CTR among targeted healthcare audiences.
Engagement Tracking and Retargeting
The consideration phase retargeted people who watched at least 75% of the initial videos, visited the website, or interacted on social media. The decision phase then focused on a custom audience built from people who engaged with consideration content. Advanced engagement tracking helped move interested prospects through the recruitment funnel efficiently.
Multi-Stage Advertising Strategy
Used display, YouTube, and social media advertising across distinct awareness, consideration, and decision stages.
Display Advertising
Generated 839,095 impressions and 502 clicks to build initial visibility for the OTD program.
YouTube Advertising
Generated 21,583 impressions, 16,927 views, a 78.43% view rate, and 28 clicks with video content.
Brand Awareness Campaign
Reached targeted healthcare audiences with 588.43K impressions, 12,014 clicks, and a 2.04% CTR.
Consideration Campaign
Retargeted people who watched at least 75% of initial videos, visited the website, or interacted on social media.
Decision Campaign
Focused on custom audiences built from people who engaged with consideration-phase content.