Shifting Mindset: Understanding and Marketing to Today's Graduate Students

Shifting Mindset: Understanding and Marketing to Today’s Graduate

StudentsPresented by Marcus Hanscom

Associate Director of Graduate Enrollment & MarketingUniversity of New Haven

Evaluation Keyword: mhanscom2014 CALEM, All Rights Reserved.1

About the University of New Haven

• Private, nonprofit university in West Haven, CT

• 4,900 undergraduate students

• 1,700 graduate students• Centralized graduate

admissions

2014 CALEM, All Rights Reserved.2

This session

• The Marketplace• Graduate audiences & their

needs• Lead generation &

cultivation• Tracking and measuring

your effectiveness

4

The Marketplace

2014 CALEM, All Rights Reserved.

5

Master’s Degree Trends


Data Source: National Center for Education Statisticshttp://nces.ed.gov/programs/projections/projections2021/tables/table_34.asp

1996–97

1997–98

1998–99

1999–2000

2000–01

2001–02

2002–03

2003–04

2004–05

2005–06

2006–07

2007–08

2008–09

2009–10

2010–11

2011–12

2012–13

2013–14

2014–15

2015–16

2016–17

2017–18

2018–19

2019–20

2020–21

2021–220

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

600,000

700,000

800,000

900,000

1,000,000

Total Men Women

Actual Projected

+20%2014-2021

+12%2014-2021

+17%2014-2021

6

Trickle Effect: High School Graduates


Source: National Center for Education Statisticshttp://nces.ed.gov/programs/projections/projections2021/figures/figure_08.asp

Campuses need to adapt

• Shift the culture• Allocate resources• Invest in the “product”• Enhance services for adults• Invest in expertise

2014 CALEM, All Rights Reserved. 7

8

Graduate Audiences & Their Needs

Are you poised to serve graduate and adult learners effectively?


9

Buying Decisions


Traditional Undergraduates

Adult Undergraduates or

Non-Degree Seeking

Graduate Students (Traditional)

Graduate Students (Working)

• “Rite of passage”

• B.A/B.S. mostly necessary to enter job force

• Program & Quality

• Campus Experience

• Location• Costs• Extracurriculars• Athletics• Mobile

• Necessary to advance

• Proximity to work/home

• Cost• Scheduling• Flexibility• Are generally

local or online

• Largely discretionary

• Program quality & faculty

• Job Outcomes• Campus

Location• Scholarships,

Work Opp’s• Costs• Generally mobile

• Largely discretionary for advancement

• Some career changers

• Program quality & faculty

• Proximity to work/home

• Flexibility• Scheduling• Costs/Financing• Generally local

or online

10

Why this gets complicated…

Audiences• Traditional

undergraduates• Young Professionals• Upper Level

Professionals• Adults seeking

personal enrichment• Veterans• International Students• …and more


11

Balancing Act

How is your marketing addressing these

competing priorities?

How is your campus supporting adults with

these competing priorities?


Forbes.com

Marketing Goals

• Program specific vs. institutional goals

• How will your goal be measured?– Gross revenue?– Increase targeted student

populations?– Increase quality?

• Use three-year historical data for predictive modeling/goal basis

Know your own

• Assess the demographics and needs of your prospective and current students– Age, gender, previous major…

• In an ideal world, assess by program– Easier for decentralized

admissions

A Case Study: M.S.Ed.

Age 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

M.S. Education Applicants by Age and Gender

MaleFemale

A Case Study: M.S.Ed.

Referral Source n % of nFair/Expo/Tour 15 1.6%Internet 169 18%UNH Mailing/Email 6 0.6%Newspaper Ad 3 0.3%Other 142 15%Print/Web Directory 16 1.7%Word of Mouth 506 55%Empty 63 6.8%Totals 920

M.S. Education Applicants by Referral Source and Gender

Gender % of n nFemale 71% 653Male 29% 267Total --- 920

Assignment #1

• Conduct a program demographic assessment– Age/Gender– Location (In/Out of State,

International)– Referral Source– Previous Major– …and others

• Engage faculty with the final result

Lead generation & cultivation

If you build it, they will come. Sort-of.

Selecting Channels

• Know your target audience• Ask for demographic data of users utilizing

specific media (For which targeting is limited)• Select primary channels based on goals• Integration is critical• Deliver relevant content through the correct

channels with regular frequency

21

Where are prospective graduate students?


Traditional bachelor’s graduates

Working Adults Special Populations

• Your website• Google Advertising• Directory sites (ie.

GradSchools.com, Petersons, Graduate Guide, CollegeXpress)

• SM: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest

• Graduate Fairs (Still valuable?)

• Your website• Google Advertising• SM: Largely LinkedIn,

some Twitter• Directory sites (SEO)• Corporate fairs (limited)• Online news sites• Newspapers (Selective)• Trains, buses, cars –

your local highway

• Your website• Google Advertising• SM: Varies• Specialty magazines (ie.

for vets)• Directory sites (SEO)• Audience-specific

recruitment events

Key Elements

• Your budget for generating leads

• Customized tactics by program

• Who is responsible?• What role do faculty

members play? Administrators?

Building Awareness (Print)

• Targeted mailings to search lists– Standardized tests,

corporate lists, others

• GIS-targeted mailings• Newspaper/magazine

advertising• Billboards• Printed Directories

Assignment #2

• Set up unique source landing pages on your website for print sources not already tracked– Create vanity urls (ie.

www.newhaven.edu/ctpost) for print advertising

– Use QR codes on mailings and advertisements with a unique landing page

Tips for Mailings

• Ask yourself, “If I received this in the mail…– Do I care about it and why?”– Can I get a good sense of ‘the sell?’”– Is there a way to contact someone

about it?”

• Concise pieces – postcards, bi-/tri-folds, short brochures with relevant graphics

• Variable data printing (VDP) and intelligent barcode technology

Building Awareness (In Person)

• Graduate Fairs– Track leads from all fairs

• Corporate Events– Fairs, Business After Hours,

dedicated visits

• On-Campus Events– Open Houses, Information

Sessions– Faculty-led seminars or

workshops

Building Awareness (Electronic)

• University Website• Directory Sites • Social Media (Facebook, Twitter,

LinkedIn, FourSquare, Pinterest) – Organic and paid

• Google/search engines (Paid search, display, and retargeting)

• Blogs• News websites (Organic PR and paid

ads)• Webinars• …others?

Assignment #3

• Do a lead generation audit– List all current lead sources

and costs– Identify financial goals: spend

more or less?– Are you doing some things

because “that is what we always do?”

– How many students are applying or enrolling from each source?

Engaging your prospects

Using technology to stay off the sidelines

Keys to Success

• Communication Plan (Automated)

• Relevant Messaging• Integrated, cross-channel

messaging• Regular social media

participation• Personalization whenever

and wherever possible• Track everything you can

Electronic Tools

• CRM, CRM, CRM• Our own websites &

integrated tools• Directory Sites• Social Media• Google Tools (AdWords,

Retargeting, Analytics)

Your CRM

• Automation is your friend, not your enemy

• Leverage opportunities for communication plans, call management

• Take advantage of automated reporting & dashboards

• As appropriate, customize to allow more specific tracking options

Relevant Messaging

• Students want personalization• Avoid fluff• Provide program information as

soon as possible• Clear, succinct, “What’s in it for me?”

communications• Consider appealing to emotional

needs

Initial Email Communication Interaction Rates

General 4% Program-Specific 20%

Thoughts on Email

• 48% of emails are opened on mobile devices (Hubspot.com)

• 69% of mobile users delete emails not optimized for mobile (HS)

• 33% of recipients open email based on the subject alone (Salesforce)

• Subject lines with <10 characters had a 58% open rate (SF)

Tips for emails in your CRM

• HTML designs not always best– Keep in mind personalization,

smart phones– Perception of your message

• Short, meaningful content• “Sign” with a person instead

of your office

Assignment #4

• Design an email optimized for mobile:– Single column layout– Best practice: 22px headline,

14px body font (SF)– For images, use max-width 80-

100% tags, not pixels– Avoid heavy text– Use a call to action with larger

links or buttons• Test on multiple mobile devices

from different manufacturers

Assignment #5

• Create an automated, plain text email from you in your CRM– Various functions: Welcome,

thank you, congrats

• After Completion– Compare results with your

HTML messages• Read Rate• Interaction Rate• Response Rate

Plain Text Email Results

• Plain-text counselor email:– Avg. open rate: 51%– Avg. replied: 6%

• Plain-text education advisor email:– Avg. open rate: 55.35%– Avg. replied: 6.4%

Your Website

• Are all student questions answered?

• How big of a shovel do I need?• Not just a problem “for the

marketing department”• Integration with SM• Succinct, clear messaging• Consider utilizing live chat

– Internal software license or third party provider like JetSpring

Assignment #6

• Do a website audit for your area– Can you identify top questions

you are asked and easily identify answers on your site?

– How readily can students get their answers?

– Focus your phone calls on students who need more in-depth information and support

Directory Sites

• Content– Why you?– Catalog copy or marketing

copy?

• “More info” links– Lead to your webpage? A

form? Landing pages?– Are they tracked?

• Clarify calls to action• Paid vs. unpaid listings

Assignment #7

• Complete a “directory listing audit”– What sites are you featured

on?– Does your listing answer the

right questions?– Where are students being

directed?– Who is responsible for updating

content?

Where are you sending prospective students?

• Generic page on your site?• An inquiry form?• A specific landing page for

just the leads from a particular source?

• A specific inquiry form?

Assignment #8

• Audit your inquiry form(s)– Are you asking the right

questions?– What questions are

necessary?

• Check accessibility on mobile• After Completion

– SHORTEN your inquiry form as much as possible

Assignment #9

• Create a landing page on your website or with your CRM to collect leads from online sources– Page content must reflect the

content of your ad or listing– Do not send students to a generic

page

• After Completion– Evaluate analytics for the page;

evaluate tracked leads if available

Social Media

• What is your voice?• Echo your brand, mission• Communicating should

reflect your service, campus experience

• What is your brand message?

Types of Content (According to MH)

• Direct self promotion– Events, admissions

information, grad fair attendance

• Indirect self promotion– University, faculty, or student

news; alumni success; event photos

• “Altruistic” self promotion– Grad school, financial aid tips;

job postings

Content “Leeching”

Finding Content

• Alerts and searches for content– Google Alerts– Create searches on Twitter

related to programs, industry, your institution, and more

• Check your Facebook news feed and your followers’ pages

• Be open to creativity• Enlist student help

Assignment #10

• Create a Google Alert for relevant institution or program information– Use your “institution name” to get

exact search results– Can set up alerts to be as updates

happen, daily, or weekly

• Set up a saved search on #Twitter for program information– Search for existing hashtags that

have regular usage including regular “digests”

Social Media Advertising

• Demographic targeting• Cost effective, CPM or CPC

models• Mobile optimized• Newsfeed vs. sidebar ads• Available primarily for

Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn

• Be mindful of audience

Relevant Google Tools

• Google AdWords– Demographic targeted

advertising within search

• Google Display– Display ads within a network of

segmented sites

• Google Retargeting– Display ads targeted based on

previous site visit

Retargeting

Measuring and utilizing results

They came, we talked, but I have no idea what happened!

Measuring Results

• CRM System Results– Email Results (Open rate,

interactions)– Personalized portal results

• Source Coding (Referrals)– Create definitions/guide

• Program form/landing page results & funnel status

• Google Analytics (or other software)

Google Analytics

• Great for assessing website effectiveness

• Learn what content works• Determine how students get to

your content and which content is generating the most leads

• Be mindful of where you are sending students– If sending to external sites, can

affect your Analytics efforts

Campaign Tracking

• Google URL Builder– Other tools are available– Ease of use for beginners and

advanced users

• Use for web ads, landing pages, social media links, blog posts, etc.

URL Builder

Campaign Tracking Results

Assignment #11

• Use the URL builder to create a tracking URL– Try it with a social media ad or email– Assess the results in GA after two weeks;

a month; two months

• Advanced option: create two ads that link to two different pages on your website– Use two separate unique tracking URL’s– Evaluate which pages/ads have better

results• Bounce rate, time on site, pages per

visit, etc.

Tips on Tracking

• Minimize options on how students get to your site– Tracking does little good if you

have too much to track

• Use vanity URL’s for ease of use or hidden tracking URL’s

• Use short inquiry forms if directing students there first

• All tracking involves a grain of salt

Utilizing Results

• Allocation of financial and human resources

• Development of new channels/expansion of current ones

• Strategic advertising timing• Strategic planning for

links/awareness• Restructure/rewrite existing

content

The “Informed” ROI Process

Assess Incoming/Current Students

Lead Generation

Funnel Management/Marke

ting/Recruitment

Tracking

A Starting ROI Argument

• Avg. Rev/Student x # enrolled from source = Estimated Total Revenue/Source– Can simplify numbers by funnel

status– Determine the “value” of a

given inquiryor applicant

• Compare revenue to annual spend per source– Is your return worth the

investment?

ROI Example

Directory Listing• Avg. Total Revenue/student

= $20,000• Students enrolled = 10• Total revenue from source=

$200,000• Annual Directory spend:

$33,000• ROI: 506%

**Remember this is using a gross revenue figure.

College Fairs• Avg. Total

Revenue/student = $20,000

• Students enrolled = 2• Total revenue from

source= $40,000• Annual Travel Spend:

$30,000• ROI: 33%

Assignment #11

• Assign revenue to lead sources and determine estimated ROI– Gross revenue is a start– Determine average

revenue/student• Can be most helpful at

program level– Can compare to other sources

by percentage return on the dollar

Final Thoughts

• None of this happens overnight

• Need commitment of human (and in some cases, financial) resources

• Involve faculty if not already doing so

• Be adaptable

Thank you.Questions?

Evaluation Keyword: mhanscom

Marcus [email protected]

203.932.7277Twitter: @MarcusHanscom

Resources

• Hubspot:– http://

blog.hubspot.com/marketing/optimize-email-mobile-list

• Salesforce:– http://

blogs.salesforce.com/company/2013/07/email-marketing-stats.html

http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/optimize-email-mobile-list



http://blogs.salesforce.com/company/2013/07/email-marketing-stats.html




Documents

Shifting Mindset: Understanding and Marketing to Today's Graduate Students