For universities, the path from initial interest to enrollment rarely happens in a single interaction. Prospective students explore program pages, compare options, start applications, and revisit websites multiple times before taking the next step.
Without the ability to respond to these behaviors in real time, institutions risk losing momentum at the moments that matter most.
Herzing University set out to change that. The institution wanted to create a more responsive digital experience. One that could recognize prospective student intent, personalize website interactions, and guide visitors toward meaningful next actions such as requesting information, scheduling meetings, or completing applications.
To make this possible, Herzing partnered with Cloud for Good to implement Salesforce Marketing Cloud Personalization, enabling the university to activate behavioral insights and deliver tailored digital engagement across its recruitment ecosystem.
“What excites me most is finding students where they are and communicating with them there, instead of forcing them into a funnel we think they should follow.” – Darcy Wallace, Marketing Database Manager, Herzing University.
The Challenge: Connecting Student Behavior to the Enrollment Journey in Real Time
Herzing had already begun modernizing its technology stack, layering Salesforce capabilities to support recruitment and student engagement. But like many higher education institutions, the team faced a common friction point.
Prospective students interacted across multiple web properties and systems. Behavioral signals such as page views, clicks, and application activity were disconnected from CRM and marketing engagement data. Building a cohesive view of a prospect’s journey and acting on it quickly required too much manual effort. This made personalization difficult to scale.
The team needed a way to unify signals across systems and translate that into practical, targeted experiences that could drive measurable actions at each stage of the recruitment funnel.
The Solution: Implementing Salesforce Marketing Cloud Personalization with an Enablement-First Approach
Cloud for Good partnered with Herzing to implement Salesforce Marketing Cloud Personalization, enabling personalized content and dynamic experiences based on real-time student data.
Rather than building complex integrations for each use case, the project focused on establishing a repeatable foundation that Herzing could continue to grow and extend. That foundation was designed to address the most significant drop-off points across the prospective student lifecycle, from first anonymous visit through to completed application.
Each interaction is designed to meet students at a moment of intent and guide them toward the next step.
To support these journeys, Herzing and Cloud for Good implemented Marketing Cloud Personalization across two web domains and aligned on the data sources needed to enrich profiles and power real-time decisioning.
“From the start, Cloud for Good made it clear they were setting us up for success beyond the project. Everything was built in a way that allows us to continue growing without needing constant handholding.” – Darcy Wallace.
What Was Delivered
At its core, the project established the data-to-decision pipeline required for Salesforce Marketing Cloud Personalization. This enabled Herzing to connect intent and behavior signals to lifecycle stages and respond with relevant, timely experiences.
Key build elements included:
- MCP account setup and foundational configuration to unify profile and behavioral data
- Templates and campaigns to target potential students at the right time, with the right message, across multiple channels
- Training and post-go-live support to enable continued growth
Delivery followed an iterative methodology across Discovery, Build, and Transition phases. This approach helped Herzing validate progress, build platform fluency, and move forward with a scalable operating model.
Outcomes: Driving Real-Time Student Engagement with Salesforce Personalization
With Salesforce Marketing Cloud Personalization in place, Herzing University can now transform passive website visits into meaningful recruitment opportunities.
A unified foundation for real-time decisioning
Herzing can now bring together behavioral activity and profile context to support real-time cross-channel experiences. This positions the university to move away from disconnected signals and toward a single, actionable view of student engagement.
High-intent journeys live for critical recruitment moments
Personalized experiences are now active at the moments that matter most, helping reduce drop-off and keep prospective students moving forward.
Momentum built in, not just at go-live
Project closeout guidance emphasizes ongoing optimization, including updating templates, running A/B tests, defining and tracking campaign KPIs, and implementing a structured governance model. These practices ensure personalization strengthens over time.
A practical path to continuous optimization
With testing and enablement embedded in the implementation approach, Herzing now has a blueprint for iterating on personalized experiences. Performance insights can be used to refine messaging, targeting rules, and experiments across web properties.
This strengthens Herzing’s ability to deliver real-time student engagement across the recruitment journey.
“It was incredibly valuable to have Cloud for Good’s expertise guiding the integration. It is something we simply could not have done alone within that timeframe.” – Georgiane Berich, AVP Marketing Operations, Herzing University.
Why Salesforce Personalization Matters for Higher Education Marketing Teams
Salesforce Marketing Cloud Personalization is more than a personalization tool. For institutions competing on experience, speed of response, and relevance, it represents a core mechanism for modern higher education marketing strategies.
Institutions can translate anonymous browsing into meaningful next steps. They can reduce application abandonment through timely engagement. They can move away from generic, one-size-fits-all messaging and toward individualized student journeys. They can scale digital engagement through reusable templates, testing frameworks, and governance structures built for longevity.
For Herzing, this supports a clear strategic direction: delivering the personal touch the university is known for while extending that experience digitally and at scale.
Accelerating Personalized Engagement with Cloud for Good
Herzing’s story is about more than technology. It reflects a deliberate shift toward a more responsive student experience, one that aligns with how prospective students actually navigate their journey.
By investing in Salesforce Marketing Cloud Personalization, Herzing is building a model where prospective students are guided based on their behavior and intent, rather than pushed through a predefined path.
For institutions navigating similar challenges in higher education, this demonstrates what becomes possible when data strategy and student experience work in concert. Real-time insights can transform how universities engage, support, and convert prospective students.
Cloud for Good brings this vision to life by combining deep higher education expertise with proven Salesforce implementation practices. IP Assets such as Stratus and Cumulus accelerate data readiness and integration, enabling institutions to activate personalization strategies more efficiently and with greater confidence.
The result is a more connected recruitment experience, one that helps institutions respond faster and engage students more effectively at every stage of the journey.
Ready to create more meaningful and connected student journeys? Connect with Cloud for Good to start building personalized experiences with Salesforce Marketing Cloud Personalization.