Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) offers Graduate Apprenticeships designed to bridge the gap between education and employment by helping businesses upskill their workforce.
To expand enrolments, GCU needed a highly efficient lead generation strategy that would engage decision-makers while minimising acquisition costs.
Despite LinkedIn being a key channel for targeting professional audiences, the phasing-out of some key ad formats (Conversation ads and InMail) meant that GCU needed to quickly adapt to new ad formats while maintaining lead quality and cost efficiency.
GCU partnered with Curated to refine their digital strategy, optimise content, and implement a performance-driven paid media campaign.
Here’s how we did it
Discovery and Insights Development
Curated conducted in-depth research to map out GCU’s target audience, identifying key decision-makers across HR, learning & development, and senior leadership roles. We analysed search intent, LinkedIn audience insights, and engagement metrics to refine messaging and ensure campaigns reached high-value prospects.
By understanding the specific challenges businesses face in upskilling employees, we developed a content and ad strategy that positioned GCU’s Graduate Apprenticeship programs as a direct solution to workforce development needs.
Creative and Media Planning
With insights in place, we designed a campaign structure that prioritised high-performing ad formats. Given the shift away from LinkedIn conversation ads, we tested and optimised image ads in conjunction with LinkedIn's in-platform lead generation forms. These proved really effective in terms of driving high quality leads and engagement from our target audiences.
The creative assets focused on:
• The benefits of Graduate Apprenticeships for business growth
• Clear messaging tailored to HR professionals and C-suite executives
• Strong calls to action to drive high-intent leads
Paid Media Optimisation
We continuously refined GCU's LinkedIn campaigns based on performance data by:
• Segmenting audiences by job role, industry, member groups and member skills
• A/B testing a range of different creatives and messaging
• Adjusting bids dynamically to prioritise high-value prospects
We successfully lowered cost per lead whils significantly increasing the percentage of Senior decision-makers in the conversion pool.
SEO and Content Strategy
Alongside paid media, we optimised GCU’s content strategy to improve organic reach. We developed landing pages with high-converting copy, ensuring seamless alignment between ad messaging and user experience.
By optimising for high-intent keywords, GCU’s programs gained better visibility in organic search, helping attract decision-makers researching upskilling opportunities.