Why Your CEWD Marketing Process Must Follow This Order—Or Risk Failure
- foney611
- Jul 7
- 5 min read
A Proven 4-Step Marketing Framework That Sets the Foundation for Enrollment Growth, Brand Awareness, and Program Revenue
I was discussing marketing strategy with a client who said a colleague has decided to do some search “thing” strategy to promote a particular program. I said “search engine optimization”? “SEO”? The client said “YES! That’s it!” I said that’s a tactic. What’s the strategy? She admitted she didn’t know. Turns out she said everyone is doing what she’s doing (or was doing!): messy, no direction, and throwing crap at a wall to see what sticks. Her words, not mine.
I think it’s human nature to jump straight to tactics. Why? Because getting to strategy takes a lot of work. Jumping to tactics is the easy part—the fun part. I had a Chairman who was way too involved in marketing do the same thing: let’s do some TikTok videos, let’s redo the website, let’s go viral. All with no strategy. Just shiny object syndrome that resulted in noise and frustration—and no measurable, forward momentum.
This client initially said: we decided we don’t need the audit. Let’s go right to the strategy. I replied that I can’t do that. I said I can create a strategy in a vacuum without a supporting audit but, if I did, I guarantee you it will be wrong and you’ll be disappointed in the results of my work.
I eventually convinced her that jumping right into strategy foregoing an audit is just as bad as jumping straight to tactics and foregoing strategy. Both scenarios will end in failure, waste, and frustration.
If your college’s continuing education and workforce development (CEWD) program marketing efforts feel reactive, inconsistent, or underperforming—there’s a reason. Most CEWD programs skip the foundational steps or tackle them out of order. When that happens, your marketing becomes activity without direction.
Sun Tzu, the famous Chinese general, said it best: Tactics before strategy is the noise before the defeat.
I believe the same can be said for strategy before audit.
To see measurable results—whether it’s boosting enrollment, improving employer engagement, or strengthening your regional brand awareness—you need to follow a disciplined, proven, strategic marketing sequence: audit, objectives, strategy, tactics.
Let’s walk through the proven 4-step order that separates CEWD programs that grow from those that plateau, stagnate, and inevitably decline.
Step 1: Conduct Your Marketing Audit First
Before you make any strategic marketing decisions, take inventory of what’s working—and what’s not—and ascertain what I call your “current situational analysis”.
Are your current campaigns aligned with program enrollment goals?
Is your messaging consistent across digital and print platforms?
Do you know where your leads are coming from—or why they’re dropping off?
A comprehensive marketing audit answers these questions and many others. It examines your target audience, personas, website, brand positioning, messaging, advertising, social media, email campaigns, outreach to local businesses, competition, and ROI on current efforts.
Why this step matters:
Without an audit, you’re flying blind. You may double down on underperforming tactics or ignore overlooked opportunities. Every strong strategy begins with current situational facts and analysis. It’s your baseline for moving forward.
Step 2: Set Clear Marketing Objectives
Once the audit reveals your current situational state (Point A), you must define where you want to go (Point B), i.e., objective setting. Set SMART objectives (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) that align with institutional priorities.
Examples include:
Increase enrollment in workforce certificate programs by 20% within 12 months
Build 10 new partnerships with local employers in the next two quarters
Raise community awareness of CEWD offerings by 30% via digital outreach in 6 months
Raise overall brand awareness by 20% in 9 months
Why this step matters:
Without clear, SMART objectives, marketing teams will default to “doing things” instead of achieving outcomes. Objectives give your team a target and make performance measurable. Be sure to include KPIs as well.
The most important part of the SMART objective for CEWD programs, in my opinion, is the TIME-BOUND aspect. Higher Education is notoriously slow to act sometimes. They often need what I learned is a “bias towards action” when it comes to marketing. It’s often easier, with everything else going on, to say: I need to market this program—and then move on to something else. Deadlines and due dates light a fire and force action and activity—not just endless discussion.
And, as Tony Robbins says: action is the foundational key to all success.
Step 3: Develop Your Marketing Strategy
Now it’s time to design the plan that connects where you are (audit) to where you want to be (objectives). Your marketing strategy is your blueprint to get your program from Point A to Point B.
This includes:
Audience segmentation: Who are you trying to reach (adult learners, employers, displaced workers)?
Messaging pillars: What will you say to connect emotionally and logically?
Channels: Where will you reach them (social, paid search, employer outreach)?
Brand positioning: How are you different from/better than your competitors (and from the degree side of the house)?
And much more!
Why this step matters:
A strategy creates focus. It connects the dots between goals, audience, and messaging—ensuring your marketing is coherent, not chaotic.
Step 4: Execute Tactics That Align With Strategy
Now—and only now—are you ready for tactical execution: the ads, emails, webinars, flyers, social posts, videos, and in-person events. I call it Stellar Execution. There’s no excuse for anything but!
When tactical execution flows from strategy, you avoid the common CEWD trap: doing too many things without knowing which ones are driving results. You avoid the noise before the defeat.
Why this step matters:
Tactics are tempting. But without a strategy, they’re just noise. Great tactical execution without strategy is possible, but 99% of the time ends in wasted effort and money, frustration—and that dreaded phrase: marketing doesn’t work.
The Bottom Line: Sequence Is Everything
Too many CEWD programs skip straight to tactics or try to build a strategy without understanding what’s broken and what their current situation is. Don’t skip the hard part!
Here’s the winning sequence:
Audit → Objectives → Strategy → Stellar Execution
Any other order—strategy without objectives, tactics without a strategy, objectives without an audit—is putting the cart before the horse and the noise before the inevitable defeat.
If your CEWD program is serious about growing enrollment, forging employer partnerships, boosting brand awareness, increasing revenues, and building lasting impact, trust me, start with a marketing audit. Everything else will flow like water.
Next Step for CEWD Leaders:
Download my free Marketing Audit Checklist for CEWD Programs to see how your current efforts stack up—and where your biggest growth opportunities lie.
If you’re ready to take a more strategic, data-informed approach to CEWD marketing, I encourage you to explore my e-book: “Continuing Education and Workforce Development Marketing Strategies: unleashing the power of higher education’s most undervalued asset through smart, strategic marketing”. It’s packed with frameworks, real-world examples, and actionable tools designed specifically for CEWD program leaders. https://robertfoney.gumroad.com/l/zgsvon
Lastly, if your institution needs to execute a full marketing audit, develop a tailored marketing strategy, or lead your marketing efforts without hiring a full-time marketing executive, I offer fractional CMO services exclusively for CEWD programs. Click the contact link in the top nav and let’s have a discussion.
Let’s build a smarter, more effective marketing engine—one that delivers results and elevates your program’s impact in the community.
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