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Stealth ApplicantsThe Wave of the Future

Shari Gibbons, Chief Marketing Officer Sabrina Taylor, Director of Marketing

Woodbury University

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Agenda1. The new enrollment funnel

2. Stealth applicants: who, what, where, and do they convert?

3. Strategies to attract & engage stealth applicants• Social media, student bloggers, & responsive design• Online reviews - the new referrals

4. Questions/Resources

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About Woodbury University

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Traditional funnel New funnel

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Increase in Stealth Applicants

Fall 2011 Fall 2012 Fall 2013 Fall 2014 Fall 20150%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

% of total applications

37%

54%

71%

71%

61%

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Do stealth applicants convert?

ApplyYourself Common App Referal Office Visit High School Visit

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

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Stealth Applicants1. 62% WU F15 application pool2. 56% WU F15 enrollments

a. 26% enrollment decision based on online researchb. 10% enrollment decision based on social media

3. 76% Online Applicants (1,283/1,461 apps) generated via digital campaigns started or completed the application process the first day they visited our site.

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College Research

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College Research

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Search Engines

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Strategies to Attract & Engage1. Increase Enrollments Using• Paid Search & Display Ads• Social Media• Student Bloggers• Online Reviews = The New Referrals

2. Engage with Responsive Design3. Content Parameters• Say Something Interesting, Relevant, and/or Engaging! • Be Informative and Entertaining!

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Paid Search & Display Ads ResultsType Conversions

Online Application 1,461

Live Chat 1,472

App PDF 475

Phone Click 107

Email Link Click 296

Contact Us 469

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Top 7

YoutubeFacebookSnapchatInstagramTwitterGoogle+Pinterest

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FacebookJanuary 2009

76,656+ followers

Posting frequency:

1-2 posts per day

TwitterMay 2009

2,997+ followers

Posting frequency:

3-6 posts per day

InstagramFebruary 2014

3,846+ followers

Posting frequency:

2-3 posts per day

LinkedINOctober 2014

9,911+ followers

Posting frequency:

5 posts per week

Pinterest January 2015

2,415+ followers

Posting frequency:

5 posts per week

We have created a community of over 95,000 students, alumni, faculty and staff who regularly engage on social media

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80% of our Fall 2015 stealth applicants

followed us on at least 1 social media platform

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Student Bloggers & Social Media Ambassadors

Problem: We want to engage with them, but they don’t want to engage with us.

Solution: User generated content!

User-generated content is 35% more memorable and 50% more trusted than other types of media and information. -Ipsos MediaCT 2014

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56% of our Fall 2015 stealth applicants followed or read our blogs (blogs launched late September 2014)

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Alejandra Villar: Psychology, Class of 2017

“Reading about students’ experiences about Woodbury had an influence on my decision to apply to Woodbury because it was easier to visualize myself as a student on campus.”

“I enjoyed reading student created content more than the University’s. It was easier to connect and relate to student material. Though the University’s content is great, I think that student created content is more impactful or influential to current and prospective students.”

Jocelyn Garcia: Interdisciplinary Studies, Class of 2019

“We want to hear what the students say about their experience. It provides a more realistic point of view.”

“Student bloggers help a future student understand what it’s like studying, living or even eating at Woodbury from a personal point of view.”

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Mobile Optimization

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Online Reviews

Result: average increase of .23

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I love Woodbury. I’m a third-year Game Art & Design student with a focus on Game Art, and this program fits me perfectly. It mixes art with the design of games and programming (not too much programming thank goodness). Most universities focus on one or the other, but you get the whole experience here--and it’s what it’s gonna be like in the video game industry. The professors are very knowledgeable and helpful, and have good links to professionals in the field. Overall, for the experience I want, I wouldn’t go anywhere else.

Athletics: We do not have a sports team at this time. We have an on campus gym which is perhaps the size of a small Starbucks and basketball courts that double sometimes as a soccer field for those who want to play on the concrete because we don’t have enough grass to even play catch on.

Health & Safety: The only foreseeable issue a resident or student with a very late at night class might have is a surprise run in with wild deer, mountain lions or a pack of coyotes. Other than that, the campus is pretty well guarded and watched by both security as well as the students who mostly travel with another peer or are very alert to their surroundings.

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What are the main take-away points?

Are these points important and relevant to you?

What are you going to with this knowledge?

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