Enrollment Communication through Marketing Automation - CALEM 2017

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Enrollment Communication through Marketing AutomationCALEM 2017

John Copeland

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Marketing automation is the process of planning and

executing digital conversations through the

use of cloud-based software. The tools put the focus where it should be –

your strategy.

Agenda

| • Three common mistakes• Best practice examples• Five steps to master

marketing automation

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The Research• We measured the experience

from initial inquiry to the beginning of the desired enrollment term.– Inquired beginning June 29,

2016– 68 Institutions

• 48 public• 20 private• Southeast – 18• Midwest – 15• Northeast – 20• West – 15

• 233 total touches– 201 emails– 32 Phone calls

• Most – 14; Least – 0 4

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Mistake #1: We don’t use the information we ask for.

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Mistake #2: We don’t help students make decisions.

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What you send1 Invitation to event 23%2 Invite call/appointment 20%3 Apply/deadline reminder 19%4 Academic 11%5 Phone call 7%6 Confirmation message 5%7 Newsletter 5%8 Key

reasons/institution 2%

9 Costs 2%10 Financial aid 2%11 Survey 2%12 Campus services 1%13 Info about faculty 1%14 Career opportunities 0%15 Info about alums 0%

Source: DemandEngine Secret Shopping 2016-17

What students want1 Costs2 Academic 3 Financial aid4 Career outlook5 Incentives to apply/register6 Key reasons/institution7 Student ratings8 Name/phone number of ’real’

person9 Career planning

10 Program faculty11 Alums12 Students

Source: DemandEngine ALIM 2016

Granite State College

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Our follow-up campaigns should increase the velocity of your pipeline.

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Mistake #3: Brand attributes go out the door.

Agenda

| • Three common mistakes• Best practice examples• Five steps to master

marketing automation

Start with a new paradigm … Conversation planning and marketing automation• Our job is to help students to make life-changing

decisions through education. We do this through conversations.

• Marketing automation is the process of planning and executing digital conversations through the use of cloud-based software.

• Marketing automation puts the focus on strategy … where it should be.

• Unifies inbound marketing activities as well as outbound nurturing campaigns.

• Drag and drop software allows you to deploy campaigns that incorporate student data and behavior. Request a copy of Managing the Conversation: Marketing Automation and eCRM in Three Steps.

Best practice 1: Collect the right information

Marist College gets it

Best practice 2: Embrace your brand.

There’s more to Blue:We’re for Indiana. For blue skies and healthy babies and basketball. We believe in public schools and the public good. We pursue happiness and the chance for every Hoosier to get a great education. We are teachers, nurses, pilots, scientists, farmers, and engineers. We stand up for hard work, solid values, and Sycamore trees and for you. There’s more to blue.

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Indiana State Declaratives• Indiana State College of Graduate and Professional Studies

can be trusted. • Blue is worth the investment. • Blue meets you halfway. Our programs are convenient and

our support is expansive.

Indiana State Proof Points• Proof point 1: Blue is for trust on or offline. Our

students have complete confidence in Indiana State graduate programs because Indiana State University is an accredited and nationally recognized institution.

• Proof point 2: With our legacy as a leader in keeping college affordable, Indiana State University is worth the investment of your hard-earned money and limited time.

• Proof point 3: We’re for support that is thorough and expansive.

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Best practice 3: Marketing automation helps you listen.

We’ve long spoken of marketing nirvana … delivering the right

message at the right time … with marketing automation, we can.

Triggers Filters Actions

Student is addedContact field updatedEmail is sentStudent status changeWebform eventIncoming SMSTwitter event

Field comparisonSegment membershipEmail activityWebform activityTwitter activityDate

DelaySend emailSend SMSAdd scorePost to TwitterPost to Facebook

Marketing automation enables a conversation

• Audiences by stage– Inquiries– Applicants– Admitted students– Registered students– Confirmed students

Determine your audience iterations• Sub-audiences

– Term– Major or program– Enrollment time frame– Student type

Marketing automation works when data and the message meet.

Agenda

| • Three common mistakes• Best practice examples• Five steps to master

marketing automation

Step 1: Audit and Assess

Audit and Assess• Gather every email, letter and

brochure sent to prospective and current students:– Organize and categorize every

piece– Compare it to your brand

guidelines and message– Determine if you are leading

students on a path to enrollment

– Identify how (and if) if you are using data to target messages

• It’s not a turf battle … it’s coordination!

Step 2: Review software capabilities versus how you are using it.

Checklist Can you create dynamic student segments? Do you FTP data from your SIS routinely? Do you have communication workflow capabilities? Are the functions and capabilities intuitive? Can you launch communication workflows based upon a

range of triggering events? Does your message editor enable responsive design? Are your web forms directly linked to your platform?

Step 3: Build the case.

An Inconvenient Truth

Using data, how to you find your audiences?• Interested in enrolling in Fall 2017 into a X major.• Viewed a webform but did not complete it?• Clicked a link to apply but didn’t convert?• Who haven’t completed their application? FAFSA?

Confirmed their enrollment? Registered for orientation? Logged into your learning management portal?

Define the content• Prospective student

– Majors and careers– Admission– Affordability (costs)– Financial aid– Academic advising– Campus life– Student services– Transactional matters

• Current student– Course selection– Registration– Paying the bill– Key transactional

deadlines– Process explanation– Counseling– Academic support– Child care

But content is not enough … it must be linked to your brand.

Messaging Architecture: DeclarativesA high-quality education that emphasizes practical application.

Preparing you to meet the challenges of your profession.

Create a path to attain academic growth and professional success.

Understand the greater context behind what you are learning.

Gain adaptable skills that will serve you well in today’s shifting landscape.

A variety of comprehensive programs and majors built on a liberal arts foundation.

Hands-on learning

Dedicated resources for academic and career guidance.

Attribute Benefit

Secondary messages

Messaging Architecture: Proof pointsA high-quality education that emphasizes practical application

… preparing you to meet the challenges of your profession.

Attribute Benefit

Professional advisors help each student develop a personal academic and professional plan that matches his or her skills and interests.

Proof points

Our McMath Center for Professional Excellence (CPE) provides students with unique opportunities to develop their professional skills through campus seminars, classroom experiences and student workshops.

Every student takes part in at least one internship, co-op work experience, study abroad trip or research project before they graduate.

Step 4: The right message at the right time requires and understanding of data.

Define your audiences• Every audience should have a tailored

campaign that recognizes their stage in the decision process and their unique situations and experiences.

The most common mistake holding you back …

724 Lists

, no

segmen

ts

1 List,

140

segmen

ts

Here’s what happens when you constantly import lists …1) Messages are typically ad-

hoc.2) You lose the ability to

dynamically change the conversation.

3) You risk errors by manually matching data fields.

Step 5: Use marketing automation to drive the conversation.

Campaign workflows• 30 days (6 – 10 messages

per stage)• Inquiries • Applicants• Admits

• 60 days (4 – 6 messages per stage)

• Inquiries re-engage• Applicants re-engage• Admits re-engage

Embrace the power of automation

Contact: Let’s Talk

If you would like a copy of the ALIM 2017 report, leave a business card.

John CopelandDemandEnginejohn.copeland@demandengine.comPhone: 404-445-0096