Word of Mouth, Systematized
Turning Alumni Advocacy Into a Measurable Recruitment Engine
Community-Led Recruitment · Higher EducationClient: Master of Real Estate Development at Georgia Tech (MRED@GT)
A construction foreman turned finance analyst. An architect turned developer. MRED@GT's best recruiters were already sitting in its alumni network, living proof of exactly what the degree makes possible.
The real barrier wasn't discoverability — it was doubt. Working real-estate professionals in the Atlanta area already knew MRED@GT existed. What they needed was proof it was worth the disruption.
Georgia Tech's Master of Real Estate Development program came to MKMcGowan Studios already in a strong position: word of mouth and alumni connections were driving most new enrollment. The instinct from the program's side was to chase more visibility: more search presence, more of the marketing playbook every competing program runs. But visibility wasn't what was holding growth back. Hesitation was.
Alumni who'd already made that leap — and were willing to say exactly how hard it was and how worth it — became the foundation of a recruitment campaign. Alumni testimonials were the anchor and used as proof instead of program brochures.
Every channel here existed to put alumni proof in front of hesitant prospects, as many times and in as many places as possible.
Alumni success stories were published weekly through MRED@GT’s LinkedIn page and distributed through the program’s alumni newsletter and the undergraduate Georgia Tech Real Estate Club.
Alumni also had an easy way to spread that same proof themselves with customizable LinkedIn posts and colleague referrals ready to go.
These stories reached an existing network through a targeted LinkedIn ad campaign to Atlanta-area professionals in real estate and construction.
Campaign Strategy & Messaging
LinkedIn Strategy & Organic Content
Recruitment Campaign Strategy & Messaging ▬
LinkedIn Advertising Management
Alumni Testimonial & Content Development
Campaign Reporting & Analytics
BY THE NUMBERS
10.55% average LinkedIn engagement — 4 to 5 times the 2-3% industry benchmark
$0.73 cost per click on paid ads — 60-85% below typical LinkedIn rates
45.16% landing page click-through rate in the campaign's first month alone
835 impressions, 47 clicks, 9 reposts on one alumni story post, showcasing the kind of shareability that comes from people forwarding it, not from paid reach
The bottom line: this campaign beat what paid recruitment marketing typically costs and delivers, on every metric that could be measured.
The strategy proved alumni advocacy could be systematized without turning into expensive, generic marketing.