Driving more registrations for Springboard through localised search and social campaigns

Challenges.

Springboard was ready to grow its digital performance, but there were operational and marketing challenges to navigate alongside campaign delivery.

Existing online lead forms did not capture enough detail about potential learners, limiting Springboard’s ability to understand which courses people were interested in, how best to contact them and how to deliver meaningful, tailored follow‑up, which affected conversion rates.

Springboard’s broad and diverse course offering added another layer of complexity. With programmes at different levels, subjects and locations, campaigns had to focus budgets on the most relevant, high‑intent keywords, avoid spreading spend too thinly across many course types, and bid intelligently around peak demand periods such as key enrolment times and post‑exam results. Balancing precision targeting, budget efficiency and course diversity was critical to achieving sustained growth in high‑quality student leads.

Localised campaigns around core locations

LOCALiQ developed a localised search and social strategy that focused on Springboard’s physical footprint, with particular emphasis on Sunderland and surrounding areas. Paid social activity was tailored to parents, school leavers aged 18–24, college and university audiences and other relevant demographics within these locations, ensuring that ads reached people who could realistically attend Springboard’s centres and training sites.

Structured search campaigns and refined keyword strategy

For paid search, LOCALiQ built carefully structured campaigns and ad groups aligned to Springboard’s key course and apprenticeship areas, using geo‑specific keywords to connect with people actively searching for training options nearby. Ad groups were organised so that ad copy closely matched user intent, improving relevance and encouraging more learners and parents to click through when they were exploring courses and apprenticeships in the region.

Smarter budget allocation based on course demand

Recognising the breadth of Springboard’s curriculum, LOCALiQ monitored demand patterns across different subjects and time periods and used these insights to inform bidding and budget decisions. Budgets and bids were weighted towards priority programmes and peak enrolment windows, helping to reduce wasted spend and ensuring more investment went into searches and audiences most likely to generate strong, high‑intent leads.

Improving lead quality with optimised forms

To strengthen follow‑up, LOCALiQ and Springboard reviewed and refined the online lead forms used across campaigns so they captured more practical, decision‑ready information. The updated forms asked about course interests and preferred contact methods, giving Springboard’s team the context needed to respond quickly, personalise communications and move more enquiries towards applications.

Continuous optimisation supported by close collaboration

Because Springboard’s course offer and learner interest can change throughout the year, LOCALiQ built continuous optimisation into the campaign approach from the outset. Performance data from both search and social was reviewed regularly, with targeting, messaging and bids adjusted in line with course changes, emerging demand and what was performing best, supported by transparent, collaborative communication between teams so everyone understood the rationale behind each optimisation.

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Services provided

• Localised paid search campaigns for courses and apprenticeships
• Geotargeted paid social campaigns to parents, school leavers, college and university audiences
• Keyword strategy and campaign structuring aligned to multiple course areas
• Lead form review and optimisation to improve follow-up quality
• Ongoing campaign monitoring and bid optimisation based on course demand

Key results

• Springboard generated 1,121 leads from search and social, marking a 30% year-on-year increase from 858 and creating more opportunities to connect with prospective learners through its campaigns.
• Paid search delivered 867 leads, a 28% year-on-year increase from 679, helping attract more high-intent enquiries from people actively looking for relevant training and education opportunities.
• The campaign achieved 193,615 paid search impressions, up 10% year-on-year from 176,110, increasing Springboard’s visibility among local audiences and helping more prospective learners discover its courses.
• A strong 3.8% click-through rate across activity showed the messaging was relevant to the target audience, supporting efficient traffic generation and stronger campaign engagement overall.