1. 5 things you must consider for adata driven marketing strategy October 23, 2012 Agenda Google Analytics Using data to drive your strategy Information overload Length of Admissions cycles Attribution Modeling

2. IntroductionWhat drives your decision making? Creativity, Experience, Processes, Budgets, Gut Feeling Its what weve always done. +Information Confidential - Beacon Technologies2 3. 1. Google Analytics The underlying platform that allows your organization to collect information from your digital experience and organize it in a fashion you can use for decision making. Confidential - Beacon Insights Technologies 3 4. 1. Google Analytics Two competing forces in higher education: Division/Separation of data ownership Necessity for session information to remain intactApplicationSites Admissions.EDUAthletics CollegesConfidential - Beacon Technologies 4 5. 1. Google Analytics Why is single session information important? Determine which sources are driving most effective traffic for various purposes Determine which actions on the website are most effective for driving various conversions Minimize skewed KPIs such as Page Depth, time on site, bounce ratesConfidential - Beacon Technologies5 6. 1. Google Analytics What do I want visitors to do once they get to my website? How do I lead visitors to what I want them to do?Information SolutionCreativity ChallengeBudgetConfidential - Beacon Technologies6 7. 1. Google Analytics What are some common Goals to track? Accessing admissions requirements page Downloading an admissions information packet Signing up for email list Site registration or creation of account Calling the admissions department Contact us submissions Downloading financial aid information, Research scholarships & grants Register for an admissions/campus event (open house) Starting an application Completion and submission of an applicationConfidential - Beacon Technologies 7 8. 2. Using Data to Drive Your Strategy Your website is a platform for conveying your value within your market space. You introduce your product, your price, and your promotion (if any) in an attempt to increase perceived value. What website analytics will do:Measures how effectively your website is at conveying your selectedmessage. What website analytics wont do:Understand the psychology behind the actions.Confidential - Beacon Technologies8 9. 1. Using Data to Drive Your Strategy Two major types of information we should utilize: 1. Quantitative: Helps answers the What happened 2. Qualitative: Helps answers the Why it happenedConfidential - Beacon Technologies 9 10. 2. Using Data to Drive Your Strategy Before ever starting a PPC campaign, sending a direct mail, scheduling admissions events, or tailoring your marketing message, understanding the current perception of your target audience will allow you to sculpt your marketing message to specifically target their underlying needs. News and PRFriendsAlumniParents Your website Social Media Marketing campaignsConfidential - Beacon Technologies10 11. 2. Using Data to Drive Your Strategy Getting to the root cause of the whys? How does your audience think of your organization in relation to their next selection? Did this perception change for the good/bad after attending an admissions event? What do students/parents consider most important in their decision making process? Do they consider student experience or post-grad opportunities more important? At what point in life do you first recall hearing about your organization and how has your perception changed over time? What in their minds separates your organization from others?Confidential - Beacon Technologies 11 12. 2. Using Data to Drive Your Strategy What are the steps I need to take? Identify weak performing areas on the website Gather your marketing team and start asking questions Dont answer your questions, just figure out what are the right typesof questions to ask. Evaluate historical marketing campaigns to see what components of those worked and which didnt Determine segmentations Develop hypothesesConfidential - Beacon Technologies12 13. 2. Using Data to Drive Your Strategy How do I organize the information to be meaningful? Tally your responses Create averages by your segments Use pivot tables to view it from various angles Trends and patterns will emerge Confidential - Beacon Technologies 13 14. 2. Using Data to Drive Your Strategy Use the data to prove/disprove your hypothesis and learn new insights. This information will help you shape the marketing message that gets amplified through your website and campaigns. The right message Confidential - Beacon Technologies 14 15. 3. Information Overload Theres too much information! Qualitative From the beginning of recorded time until Website Analytics 2003, humans created five billion gigabytes of information (five exabytes). Last year, Webmaster tools the same amount of information was Google Insights created every two days. Admissions DataDave Turek, Executive in charge of CRM DataSupercomputer development for IBM Offline Campaign data Competitive Information Industry InformationConfidential - Beacon Technologies 15 16. 3. Information Overload Breakdown of time spent across data collection points Confidential - Beacon Technologies 16 17. 4. Length of Admissions Cycle The decision to not only attend college but in determining which college begins early in high school. Opinions are formed over an extended period of time which may be take years. How do I measure the success of marketing if I wont see potential results for years?Confidential - Beacon Technologies17 18. 4. Length of Admissions Cycle Set proper expectations for efforts for each stage Understand the variances in needs for prospects in differentstagesConfidential - Beacon Technologies 18 19. 5. Attribution Modeling Most people in your target audience will be accessing your website from multiple devices. (home computer, mobile device, tablet, work computer, etc) Most people in your audience wont accomplish everything in one visit. Most people in your audience wont come back to your website the exact same way they previously came. This creates a fragmented experience through the admissions cycle by breaking the user into different sources, mediums, and devices.Confidential - Beacon Technologies 19 20. 5. Attribution Modeling What source actually gets credit for the conversion? First Click? Last Click?Confidential - Beacon Technologies20 21. 5. Attribution Modeling Measuring assist value versus first or last click value:Confidential - Beacon Technologies 21 22. 5. Attribution Modeling How do I know which efforts are effective? KPIs by phase in admissions cycle Centralized conversion database Import your offline goals into your website analytics platform Split/control testing with geographic regions Custom VariablesConfidential - Beacon Technologies22 23. Summary 1. Make sure you are getting clean and reliable analytics 2. Fully understand current brand perceptions 3. Contrast brand perceptions to what you want to convey 4. Segment your admissions cycle 5. Deploy marketing campaigns 6. Measure impacts 7. OptimizeData InformationCollection 8. Repeat Actions InsightsConfidential - Beacon Technologies23 24. Questions? Need Help or Have Questions with any of these data considerations?Contact Us:Brad Henry: bhenry@beacontec.comRick Boccard: rboccard@beacontec.comFollow us:Twitter: @beacontecFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/beacontechnologiesBlog: http://blog.beacontechnologies.comURL: http://www.beacontec.com Confidential - Beacon Technologies 24