Why Every CEWD Program Should Start the Summer With a Marketing Audit

Summer’s just getting started, but Fall will be here before you know it, and as a Continuing Education and Workforce Development (CEWD) leader, you’re probably already thinking ahead to the fall enrollment cycle. But before you jump into summer campaigns to be top-of-mind to get adult learners to enroll for the fall, there’s one essential, critical—yet often overlooked—first step in that process: conducting a summer marketing audit.

🎯 What Is a Marketing Audit?

A marketing audit is a comprehensive review of all your current marketing efforts, assets, and data. It looks at:

• Messaging and branding — Are they consistent and resonating?

• Campaign performance — What’s working, what isn’t, and why?

• Audience targeting — Are you targeting and reaching the right people on the right channels?

• Budgets and resource allocation — Where are you spending, and what ROI are you getting?

• Competitive positioning — How does your CEWD program compare to other local options?

• Compliance and accessibility — Do your materials meet institutional standards and legal requirements?

In short, it’s a top-to-bottom analysis of your marketing so you know exactly what’s moving the sales and marketing needle, what’s filling your funnels—and what’s not.

🔍 Why It’s Critical Right Now

As the fall semester approaches, competition for students and employer partnerships will intensify. Being top-of-mind, being first in the mind of sought-after prospects is critical. A marketing audit provides the clarity you need to optimize existing strategies before you spend a dime on new ads or materials. Specifically, an audit helps you:

✅ Identify Quick Wins

Audits often reveal simple fixes that can boost impact immediately—such as rewriting a headline, refining your call to action, or cleaning up your program page layouts.

✅ Stop Wasting Your Budget

Your audit will show which platforms and messages aren’t converting. Instead of throwing money at underperforming tactics, you can reallocate funds toward channels that produce a better ROI. And most CEWD programs don’t have large budgets to begin with! You can’t afford to waste precious dollars on tactics that don’t hit your KPIs or deliver appropriate ROI.

✅ Strengthen Employer Partnerships

If employer engagement and workforce development training opportunities are in your KPIs, an audit will highlight the content, messaging, and touchpoints that have (or haven’t) moved these relationships forward.

✅ Align Marketing with Strategic Priorities

Your audit can surface whether your marketing aligns with broader institutional goals — like increasing enrollment in targeted industries, reaching underrepresented populations, building brand awareness and thought leadership, or launching new credentials.

📈 Getting Started: The Steps of a Marketing Audit

Here’s a simple, proven process you can use:

• Inventory Your Assets — Gather all websites, brochures, emails, social media posts, paid media, and past campaigns into one place.

• Review the Data — Pull key metrics like website traffic, lead conversions, open rates, click-through rates, and cost-per-lead.

• Assess Consistency and Clarity — Check messaging for consistency, accessibility compliance, and branding standards.

• Identify Gaps and Opportunities — Are you reaching all targeted audiences? Are you telling the right story? Where can you improve?

• Develop an Action Plan — Prioritize quick wins and long-term opportunities that will have the most impact this fall and beyond.

💡 The Bottom Line

A marketing audit is more than a box to check — it’s your strategic foundation for the semester ahead. Without one, you’re making guesses and potentially wasting resources. With one, you’ll and the summer and enter the fall confident, prepared, and ready to deliver the growth your CEWD programs deserve.

Ready to jump-start your marketing audit?

Contact me for a free 30-min audit consult. Download my CEWD Marketing Audit Checklist and book a free consult on my website to get started today.

CEWD_Marketing_Audit_Checklist.pdf

Download PDF • 5.42MB

Looking for some fun summer reading?

Download my Amazon e-book: Continuing Education and Workforce Development Marketing Strategies here.

If you want to do your marketing strategy correctly, it’s a great, battle-tested, blueprint and idea guide to make sure that you’re top-of-mind with adult learners and employers come the fall—and beyond!