E-marketing For Higher Education: Reaching Prospects, Driving Enrollments Online August 1, 2006. ….…

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E-marketing For Higher Education:Reaching Prospects, Driving Enrollments Online

August 1, 2006



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Why E-Marketing for Higher Ed?



Youth and Adults Live Online



Teens spend more time online than watching television

“Using the Web to Reach Teens”, Tim McHale, iMedia Connection, 2/19/03



87% of those 12-17 are online

“Teens and Technology”, Pew Internet and American Life Project 7/27/05



Internet penetration has reached 73% of American Adults

“Internet Penetration and Impact”, Pew Internet and American Life Project 4/26/06



Between 2002-2005: 42% growth in the number of Americans who said the Internet played a major

role as they decided about a school or a college for themselves or their children

“The Internet’s Growing Role in Life’s Major Moments”, Pew Internet and American Life Project 4/19/06



The Internet is now the number one daytime medium and the number two medium

in the home for those between 18-50.

Online Publisher’s Association & Ball State Center for Media and Design, June 2006.



The Internet Dominates the Workday

How much time did you spend on the following <media> yesterday between <daypart> Source: Online Publishers Association / MBIQ Media Consumption Study

8%

76%

20%

57%60%

84%

35%

55%

TV81%

Radio

68%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

6am-9am 9am-1pm 1pm-4:30pm

4:30pm-6pm

6pm-7pm 7pm-11pm 11pm-1am 1am-6am

Internet TV MagazinesNewspapers Radio

Internet



The Internet is now the primary news source for over 50 million Americans

Pew Internet and American Life Project



Only one in four people between 18-34 can name the

four major broadcast networks.

Advertising Age report on Burst Media study, May 15, 2006



74% of college-bound high school students report

researching colleges and universities online.

“Navigating Toward E-Recruitment: Ten Revelations About Interacting With College-Bound High School Students” , Noel-Levitz Study, 2005



81% of college students turn to search first before friends, family or

offline media.

“Expectant Parents, College Students Turn to Search”, Kevin Newcomb, ClickZ, 10/12/05



More than 55 percent of students would like to look at a site rather than read a

brochure.

“Students typically turn to Web to research colleges, universities” , LRP Publications, Enrollment Management Report, 12/1/05



72% of teens who visited a college website said they submitted an inquiry

form.

“Navigating Toward E-Recruitment: Ten Revelations About Interacting With College-Bound High School Students” , Noel-Levitz Study, 2005



Undergrad Search Process

• Web search is primary tool for information gathering– Sites that offer school rankings and selection based on user criteria (e.g.,

collegeboard.com) are very popular for those consumers who are ill-prepared for the purchase decision

– School sites are also very popular • Discover what programs and majors are offered

• Get a “feel” for the school

• Learn about costs, scholarships (hardest to find) and application process

• Collateral materials are rarely and barely reviewed– “Look at the pictures” to get a feel for the school – Unsolicited mailed materials are often thrown away without opening



Grad School Search Process

• Very pragmatic and focused in their search– More purposeful search than undergraduates – they know what they want – Graduate program web site is more important than overall school site

• Motivations for higher education are very goal-oriented– Seeking additional education for career requirements– Others seek advancement to make real, positive change in the world

• Influencers for school selection and enrollment decision– Undergraduate professors– Spouses– Colleagues



Online Media Strategy,Planning, Buying &

Management



“half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is

I don't know which half”John Wanamaker



Why Online Makes Sense

• Contextual

• Customizable

• Timely

• Optimization capabilities

• Measurable

• Accountable

• Fits media consumption trends



Pay for performance

• Old model: Cost-Per-Thousand (CPM)

• New models: pay only for what you get:– Cost-per-click (CPC)– Cost-per-lead (CPL)– Cost-per-acquisition (CPA)





Development, Acquisition

& Retention Lifecycle

•SEM/SEO•Email List Rental

•Online Media

CaptureConvert•Admissions

Build

DriveRetain• Loyalty and cross sell

•Retention Program

•Micro-site•Landing Pages

Online Marketing Strategy

•Leads



Media ConsiderationsTarget

Method of Buy Media

CPM/Slotting/Sponsorships

Affiliate/CPS

CPCCPL

E-mail/NewslettersBanners/Rich Media

White Paper/ContentStreaming Audio/Video

Search/Product Listings

Registered User

Profiled User

Geographic

Content/Keyword

Category Buy

Network Buy



Media types

• “Banners”: awareness, response

• Search: response, capture critical moment

• Email: follow-up, maintain contact

• “Alternative”: awareness, “buzz,” viral, relationship-building



PropertiesVehicles and creative specsDeployment scheduleSelection justification

Media Plan

Strategy

GoalsTarget audienceBudgetMetricsIntegration Tactics

Media PlacementBuyingTrafficking

Data CollectionTrackingReporting

Data Analysis

DailyWeeklyMonthly

Optimization

RecommendationsScale-up or phase outIdentify viable channels

Online Media Process



What is the Critical Moment?

Critical Moment

Tim

ing

Targeting

Where targeting and timing intersect.

The Critical Moment is when a prospect is actively seeking your offerings or information about your offerings



eMarketer, 2003

Less than 9% of consumers go more than three pages deep into an average search.

First Three Pages of Listings are Critical



Best Approach Combines Two Elements

• How do I build my search presence and tap into all of the Critical Moment opportunities search engines and other resources provide? Answer: Search Marketing

• Group of activities that boosts an organization’s presence and ranking in the major search engines using both paid and natural listings

Paid Search Listings

and Inclusion

TraditionalSearch EngineOptimization

+



Sponsored or paid link (1-10% CTR)

Traditional or “natural” search results(90-99% CTR)



Universe Of Opportunities



Media Selection: What Teens Do Online



Undergraduate

Be where the teens are!



Social Networking/Chat Sites College Research Sites

http://www.youtube.com/

http://www.student.com/homepage.php

http://www.finaid.org/

http://www.princetonreview.com/home.asp

http://www.petersons.com/

http://www.nextstepmagazine.com/NSMPages/home.aspx



Teen Lifestyle/Interest Sites

http://www.ccs.com/

http://www.teenmag.com/

http://www.spankmag.com/

http://www.teenmusic.com/default.asp

http://www.teenwire.com/

http://www.cyberteens.com/index.html

http://www.ym.com/index.jsp

http://www.ellegirl.com/;jsessionid=F5F48EE70A8DDF9DBA0D2FA42205A03A.worker1

http://www.teenpeople.com/teenpeople/0,22298,,00.shtml

http://www.teenvogue.com/


are needed to see this picture.College Lifestyle/Interest Sites

http://www.collegeview.com/index.html

http://www.gocollege.com/main.shtml

http://www.anycollege.net/index.cfm

http://www.campusblues.com/index.asp

http://www.student.com/homepage.php

http://www.collegeanduniversity.net/?AffID=1

http://www.collegeprowler.com/index.asp



Graduate

Be where the professionals are!



Graduate Research Sites

Graduate Sites Job Search Sites


are needed to see this picture.Local Media


are needed to see this picture.Ad Networks Search Engines



Final Selection Process

Performance ClauseInnovation Relevance

Geo-TargetingCost

RFP Results / Site’s Proposals

Recommended Media Plan



Campaign Ideas

building brand,

targeting response for graduate and undergraduate prospects



Methodology• Build awareness through targeted media

– Undergraduate: University in general (experience!)– Graduate: Individual programs first

• Drive response– Call to action: click or visit– MEASURE & OPTIMIZE (ongoing)

• Build brand– Brand experience sites for UG and G

• The site IS the brand

• Capture qualified leads– Triage on sites & through ads

• Maintain contact through process, build brand– Email– Direct mail



Undergraduate

• Build awareness in target areas• Emphasize overall brand experience• Enhance with innovative marketing• Extend through brand experience sites• Capture interest• Follow along through process in order to

be there when “trigger” (critical moment) events happen



Graduate

• Market programs first, then university• Be where the triggers are

– Job searches– School searches– Newspapers

• Start online, build awareness through radio and print

• Be part of the process



Case Studies



UMBC Lead Generation Campaign

Objective:To generate qualified prospective student leads for the UMBC Training Centers various programs using pay per click advertising.

Target:

As the program courses are offered at the UMBC training center a geographical range of roughly 90 miles was targeted.

The UMBC training center target audience for this campaign was individuals looking for high quality affordable courses in the biotechnology and information technology fields.



Search Strategy:

By targeting keyword terms related to program of study and courses the University targeted prospective students at the critical moment a prospective student is looking for a course or degree program.

Example Keyword terms: biotechnology program biotechnology training biotechnology program

Create unique ad copy that can induce a user querying a selected keyword term to take action and click on the university’s ad

Example ad copy:




SEM Strategy:

Lastly an action oriented landing page was created to educate the prospective student with keyword term relevant copy; while continually presenting them a lead capture contact form.

Example landing page:

UMBC SEM Campaign



Campaign Results:The campaign duration range is from 6/17/05 through present day..

During this campaign:

•The program has driven 15,771 clicks to the UMBC site.

•1039 leads of prospective students have been generated, with a overall conversion rate 6.59%.

•The average Cost Per Click (CPC) for the campaign is $1.60.

Campaign Click vs. Cost

Seasonal low period cut budget for peak season.


•The average Cost Per Action (CPA) for the campaign is $24.32.



University of Baltimore Lead Generation Campaign

Objective:To generate qualified prospective student leads for the University of Baltimore’s online programs.

Target:

As the program courses are offered online, an international presence was established in the search engines.

The University’s target audience for this campaign was individuals from 24-35 years old who do not have time to attend traditional courses.

SEM Strategy:

By focusing on keyword terms related to program of study and courses the University targeted prospects at the critical moment a prospective student is seeking a course or degree program.



SEM Strategy:


Example keyword terms:

online mbadistance learning mbamasters degree online

Create unique ad copy that can induce a user querying a selected keyword term to take action and click on the University’s ad

Example ad copy:

By focusing on keyword terms related to program of study and courses the University targeted prospects at the critical moment a prospective student is seeking a course or degree program.




SEM Strategy:Lastly an action oriented landing page was created to educate the prospective student with keyword term relevant copy; while continually presenting them a lead capture contact form.

Example landing page:




SEO Strategy

To achieve a Higher position in major search engines listings a series of 50 keyword targeted content pages were developed to be interlinked with the existing University of Baltimore online pages.

The 50 content pages , along with a SEO site assessment created a foundation of increasing traffic through out the twelve month campaign

Example Content Page:




SEM / SEO Campaign Results:The campaign duration was from 11/01/04 through 12/31/05.

During this campaign:

•37242 clicks were driven to the UB Online site.

•3500 forms were completed by visitors driven to the UB Online site with a conversion rate of 2.8%.

•The average Cost Per Action (CPA) was $36.93

CPC Campaign Click vs. Cost:

Seasonal low period cut budget for peak season.



Nurture Your Prospects

• Develop a prospect nurturing program

• Applications can be a long sales cycle

• Keep in front of your prospective students

• Send relevant email communications

• Monitor all metrics, i.e opens, clicks, etc



Inst

an

t Trig

ge

red

Em

ail

to p

rosp

ect

Instantly Triggered Email to Prospect



Second Touch Email

Fol

low

Up

Em

ail



Third Touch – For Non Responders

Thi

rd T

ouch

– R

espa

rk in

tere

st



Web as fulfillment• Personalization doubled

response rates at Northface University!



Thank you.

[email protected]@blueskyfactory.com

Documents

E-marketing For Higher Education: Reaching Prospects, Driving Enrollments Online August 1, 2006. ….…