07-29-2025
In higher education, we often talk about delivering the right message at the right time. But personalization at scale can easily cross the line from helpful to invasive. That’s where progressive profiling comes in.
At the Daniels School of Business, the Marketing & Communications team implemented a progressive profiling strategy to gradually collect meaningful data from prospective students. Instead of asking for everything upfront, we build a profile over time based on behavior, interactions and responses. This allows us to personalize communication in a way that feels like a service, not surveillance.
Why does this matter? For one, it respects a student’s attention and privacy. By asking only what’s relevant at each stage of their admissions journey, we reduce form fatigue and improve engagement. This data-driven segmentation allows us to tailor our outreach and support students more effectively.
We bring this strategy to life using tools like Salesforce Marketing Cloud, leveraging automation and dynamic content to scale personalization without sacrificing authenticity. Campaigns for international students, military applicants or those expressing interest in specific programs are just a few examples of how we’re using insights to connect more meaningfully.
My colleague James Cox and I recently spoke about this smarter approach to student engagement on The Application Podcast, and I’ll be sharing this work in more depth at two upcoming conferences: eduWeb Summit this summer and the Digital Collegium Annual Conference this fall. In both sessions, I will explore practical implementation strategies and real results from our student engagement efforts.
Progressive profiling isn’t solely about technology. We also prioritize collaboration across marketing, admissions, and recruitment teams to ensure we align efforts and maintain data consistency. By collecting the right data at the right time and using it wisely, we’re turning student insights into decisions that strengthen relationships and drive results.
For institutions looking to begin, the best advice I have is to start small. Choose one form, one email journey or one audience segment to experiment with. You don’t need to do everything at once to make a meaningful impact. This Ping Identity blog post provides a good overview of progressive profiling, and if you’re seeking deep knowledge of personalization in email, read Litmus’ 2025 state of email report.
The beauty of progressive profiling is its flexibility. Whether you’re a part of a large team with access to advanced CRM tools or operating with more limited resources, the core principles remain the same: collect insights gradually, be intentional with your timing and prioritize building trust with your audience. This is a scalable strategy that can be built over time.
As we continue to navigate how to engage a new generation of students, strategies like progressive profiling offer a great path forward – one where we listen more, assume less and create communications that truly meet people where they are.
Kelsey Smith is a seasoned Marketing Cloud administrator at the Mitch Daniels School of Business, where she brings her expertise to the forefront of digital communications. She plays a pivotal role in managing email communications and collaborates closely with the Salesforce team, integrating marketing strategies and data-driven insights to optimize outreach efforts. Smith earned her MBA at East Carolina University and prior to joining Purdue held marketing and technical specialist roles at iFit and Tinuiti.
