Marketing & Outreach Ideas from a fool

Christopher MillerHeartland Community College1500 W Raab RdNormal, Il 61761309-268-8855Chris.miller@heartland.edu

We are getting a report now…

Traditional Media

Traditional MediaTerrestrial Radio and Local Newspaper

GOOD Program awareness Parent demographic Marketing Dept comfort BAD No metrics

No students are thereCostly for what it is

Things I learned..Go for smaller papers, once a weekRun for about 2 weeks before start of semesterRadio same time frame. COUNTRY MUSIC station Spot Light –paper 30 second ad hitting the program -radio

Next level

• Movie Theater Trailer • Radio segment “focus on Heartland” what is going on

around town

Hosted Information Night. Student and Parent OutreachSent out fliers to all high school students Showcased all of the labs and new equipmentUsed an existing event and went full on the new programs

www.intermedia4web.com

Parents

Students Interest

• I did local school visits to talk to students interested in our programs at HCC

• Used funds to bus in technology students from local school to see our program and all of the new lab materials

• Focused on Freshmen and Sophomores• Purchased ACT data for students that indicated

HCC as a school choice. We are writing specialized letters to students interested in technology related programs

• Presented at HCC’c Developmental math class 20 minutes about math topic in the field

Reaching Faculty and Teachers

• We hosted and after hours event• Invited all guidance counselors • We wanted 40• We got 25 • Diverse group, advisors, tutors

• Showcased hands on activities

• Gave all participants complete program and course materials

• Early on in grant ran an online course about online assessment. Invited all members or school to participate. Then told them of new program.

Youtube and Pandora• To reach students you have to get to• where they are at.• Not easy, target moves.• Focus on female and male audience• Around the 18 year old range• Local geography

Things I have learnedSpotify more be more popular than Pandora?Most feedback was from PandoraAdBlock software blocks ads /banners in Youtube? Not sure if Youtube ads are “watched”

How did we do with Pandora?• Here is results from Pandora we did in Jan-Feb this year• $5000 got us 350,000 impressions• There was more inventory, so we got more impressions• Of the 350,038 launches they clicked on the link 2,093• Ad Blocking will not be counted as a contact

I heard back from my product team and they are not aware of an embedded ad product that gets around the ad blocking. If a user uses adblock, they will not receive an ad, thus it will not be counted, but when and how its implemented is based on a lot of variables, i.e. the app, browser user settings. -Paul from Pandora

Earth Day / Program Awareness

• Local station that serves 2 TAACCT school’s has ½ segment on what local companies are doing.

• Partnered with IGEN, ICC to do a complete ½ program• Focused on TAACCT grant with IGEN• Then ICC focused on their TAACCT program• Finally HCC focused on our TAACCT program

Embedded App Marketing• This was suggested to me by 14 year old on where I need to

target students. • Multiple ways to get marketing into games / apps• iAd Workbench to get into Apple market• Admob (starting point) for Google market• Third party vendor

• We used Pantagraph they called it Digital Reach

• Geotargeted• Advanced audience – we went with mobile (17-25 M/F)• Was seen in Game of Words• Will get analytics by Sept 29th.

merediths-miracles.org

Costs• El Paso Local Paper 3x4 color ad 2 week $798.80• Pontiac and Lincoln Local Paper 3x4 color ad 2 week $1488• Good Company all 3 segments $1200• Magic Radio stations 3 stations M-Sa 5a-10a 3p-7p 40 30sec ad

• 75 ads for 3 weeks $1000• WBNQ and B104 2 stations M-Sa 5a-10a 3p-7p 40 30sec ad

• 50 ads for 3 weeks $2550• IROC Radio stations 3 stations M-Sa 5a-10a 3p-7p 40 30sec ad

• 120 ads for 3 weeks $1300• Movie Theater 30 second ad $3955.00

• 7 weeks 3 theaters 3 times during the preview window• Youtube 15 second ad $3500.00

• 4 weeks 60,000 impressions• Comcast 30 second ad $4500.00

• 4 week not sure how impressions• ACT student data $267• Pandora 30 second ad $6250.00 Everywhere package, banners

• 6 week 750,000 impressions (Latest round)

Dedicated Letters to Students• Students want to feel wanted• Students feel that Community College is always there, last

choice.• My students said they would respond to a direct letter

recognizing them.• Used ACT material and got the VP and Prez on board to sign a

letter form me

Media Support• Good Company IGEN HCC ICC• Youtube 2 minute overview• Ad 15 sec Youtube• Ad 30 sec Radio• STEM Info Night postcard• Pandora Banner Ad• Embedded App marketing prospectus

Parting points• Do not waste time on newspaper or local radio• Use existing digital media faculty to help make the marketing

material• Plan run dates specific to enrollment times and go full • Use the outreach funds to make your program• Digital embedded marketing is new for all of us, do not

hesitate to get in • Bring in the students and bring in counselors show what we

have• Take the initiative (Ohhh Mike Rowe low 6 figures and needs 10k+

folks before he sniffs, and $10k will get an “Old Professor” or “Expert” to give a presentation-yeah right)

• How did it work? For us, we are seeing growth.

Are we seeing results?• I do not know• Pantagraph article

Help