Recruitment Communication in a World of Electronic Contacts © 2008 Robert E. Johnson, Ph.D. ACT State Organization, Ohio 2009 Annual Conference January 27-28, 2009 Columbus, Ohio

Recruitment communication funding… Doesn’t yet reflect communication preferences of potential students…

Online financial resources are limited… Budget split between print and web: 24% on print vs. 11% on “Website and other electronic formats” Maguire Associates, 2008 Senior Admissions and Enrollment Officers survey

Budget split between print and web:

24% on print vs. 11% on “Website and other electronic formats”

Maguire Associates, 2008 Senior Admissions and Enrollment Officers survey

A missing element in the plan: “My son was really angry…” in 2007 South Dakota State University administrator Most schools don’t give “real cost” information online to students and parents Virtual financial aid estimator 15% of publics and 21% of privates Tuition calculator 22% of publics and 15% of privates Noel-Levitz 2008 recruitment practices survey Price information is of high interest 80% would use a financial aid estimator “if they could” 76% would use a tuition cost calculator “if they could” Noel-Levitz 2007 student expectations survey

Most schools don’t give “real cost” information online to students and parents

Virtual financial aid estimator

15% of publics and 21% of privates

Tuition calculator

22% of publics and 15% of privates

Noel-Levitz 2008 recruitment practices survey

Price information is of high interest

80% would use a financial aid estimator “if they could”

76% would use a tuition cost calculator “if they could”

Noel-Levitz 2007 student expectations survey

Today’s communication environment… More students prefer online communication… Print consumes far more resources than online… More students stay in “stealth” mode longer…

Can an online communication plan reduce stealth applicants? Create benefits for those who hide… “ If you identify yourself, we will do something special for you…”

Meeting 2 challenges from the start… How to communicate online during a recruitment cycle as long as 3 years… How to convert people from stealth mode to known inquiries

At the first and early visits…. 3 important goals: Create initial engagement in 3 to10 seconds Return for another visit Leave stealth mode as soon as possible

3 important goals:

Create initial engagement in 3 to10 seconds

Return for another visit

Leave stealth mode as soon as possible

Make a strong brand impact, immediately… http://www.uconn.edu/ Most front pages make no immediate statement about a particular school If a brand statement is used at all, it is usually small and difficult to see among the other content Students don’t look for a brand statement If you have a point of pride, act like it

Most front pages make no immediate statement about a particular school

If a brand statement is used at all, it is usually small and difficult to see among the other content

Students don’t look for a brand statement

If you have a point of pride, act like it

Blog content right from the start… http://www.mitadmissions.org/ MIT admissions page Blog series is featured content Students and admissions staff Includes a blog by the financial aid director MIT introduces people first

MIT admissions page

Blog series is featured content

Students and admissions staff

Includes a blog by the financial aid director

MIT introduces people first

Easy access to academic programs… http://www.dickinson.edu/academics/programs.html The stronger the student, the more they will want to find the academic programs offered At this point, give them titles rather than text about the titles This Dickinson version lets visitors get information about several programs at the same time

The stronger the student, the more they will want to find the academic programs offered

At this point, give them titles rather than text about the titles

This Dickinson version lets visitors get information about several programs at the same time

Carewords that engage visitors… http://www.kenan-flagler.unc.edu/programs/emba/index.cfm Carewords to motivate visitors in 2 to 5 seconds Advance Your Career Home – Work – School Balance Ask your future students what words and phrases are important to them Use the words on your website Build content behind the words

Carewords to motivate visitors in 2 to 5 seconds

Advance Your Career

Home – Work – School Balance

Ask your future students what words and phrases are important to them

Use the words on your website

Build content behind the words

FAQs that live and breath in video… http://admissions.richmond.edu/faq/

Campus tours to introduce your students… http://www.realviewtv.com/online/agnesscott/index.html… http://www.mtholyoke.edu/cic/tour/

Offer a benefit for an online inquiry… Give a reason to reveal identity… Make it easy to become an online inquiry to get the benefit

Short inquiry forms encourage action… http://www.blueoxmailbox.com/Display/40/126/100/RequestMoreInfo.html Direct marketers know that the longer the form, the fewer people will complete it Resist the impulse to conduct a demographic survey Ask only what is needed to send requested information No ACT or SAT No GPA No high school code

Direct marketers know that the longer the form, the fewer people will complete it

Resist the impulse to conduct a demographic survey

Ask only what is needed to send requested information

No ACT or SAT

No GPA

No high school code

Real talk about financial aid and cost… http://www.muhlenberg.edu/admissions/aid.html The cost of college is important to most families Colleges do a poor job of explaining how financial aid works Muhlenberg College tells the “real” story of how aid is awarded But they don’t offer an opportunity for individual information

The cost of college is important to most families

Colleges do a poor job of explaining how financial aid works

Muhlenberg College tells the “real” story of how aid is awarded

But they don’t offer an opportunity for individual information

Followed by an individual estimate… http://www.financialaid.utoledo.edu/estimator/

Other cost-related examples…

8 tips for an admissions essay… http://www.colby.edu/news_events/feeds/feed-item.cfm?feedname=Behind%20the%20Decision&postid=1347073

Add a quarterly online magazine… http://magazine.uchicago.edu/ Start sending whenever an inquiry is made, continue until declined Track interest in stories included in the magazine as ongoing research to future content Include links to main website Add a blog for readers

Start sending whenever an inquiry is made, continue until declined

Track interest in stories included in the magazine as ongoing research to future content

Include links to main website

Add a blog for readers

After an online inquiry… Regular contact is critical… At least once a month

Viewbook…Online, interactive, video… http://www.law.northwestern.edu/admissions/viewbook/index1.html Sound and video Not just a “message from the dean” Students tell stories about their experience Faculty are highlighted Alumni are included Visible link to application

Sound and video

Not just a “message from the dean”

Students tell stories about their experience

Faculty are highlighted

Alumni are included

Visible link to application

Integrating website and social networks… Boundaries between official websites and the social network world are eroding Plan a pro-active approach to this change and develop two-way passages between each world for contacts useful throughout the recruitment cycle

Boundaries between official websites and the social network world are eroding

Plan a pro-active approach to this change and develop two-way passages between each world for contacts useful throughout the recruitment cycle

Engaging on Facebook & MySpace… http://www.facebook.com/osu

A note on email impact today… Email remains highly popular if the content in the email is of interest to the person receiving it. Send email after a person makes an inquiry Tell them you are going to do it and how often you will do it Always include links in email to online content Your own website Social networking sites with content about you Set analytics software to measure popularity of topics you include in your email Adjust email content based in part on analytics measurement results

Email remains highly popular if the content in the email is of interest to the person receiving it.

Send email after a person makes an inquiry

Tell them you are going to do it and how often you will do it

Always include links in email to online content

Your own website

Social networking sites with content about you

Set analytics software to measure popularity of topics you include in your email

Adjust email content based in part on analytics measurement results

Consistent, frequent email contact… May 2006………………………January 2008

Focus the email to work for you… Email does more than send facts to inquiry pool Every Colgate email links to student blogs Every email links to other website locations December included videos of recent campus events Email includes “Send to a friend” link and opportunity to subscribe

Email does more than send facts to inquiry pool

Every Colgate email links to student blogs

Every email links to other website locations

December included videos of recent campus events

Email includes “Send to a friend” link and opportunity to subscribe

Final conversion steps… Personal IM & text contacts… Telephone contact… Special website features

IM, text messaging, telephone… http://www.mckendree.edu/prospective/admissions/IM_the_admission_staff.aspx Ask permission Always a good idea to offer options Phone IM Communicate as needed by admitted students Reserve for admitted students if capacity requires that

Ask permission

Always a good idea to offer options

Phone

IM

Communicate as needed by admitted students

Reserve for admitted students if capacity requires that

Online enrollment deposit… http://www.admissions.umich.edu/admitted/edr/

Orientation info for students & parents…

Selecting a roommate online… http://tulane.roommateclick.com/index.asp

The summary…

Repeating 7 key elements… More people prefer online communications Technology is changing and requires new resources to adapt communication plans Special customer-centric features increase initial engagement Create benefits for stealth explorers to register Plan frequent online follow-up Video plays a more important role Use analytics to measure success and make changes to what isn’t working

More people prefer online communications

Technology is changing and requires new resources to adapt communication plans

Special customer-centric features increase initial engagement

Create benefits for stealth explorers to register

Plan frequent online follow-up

Video plays a more important role

Use analytics to measure success and make changes to what isn’t working

Useful sources of information…

3 industry specific research reports… Interactive Marketing Channels to Watch in 2008 http://www.enrollmentmarketing.org/highereducation/2008/02/interactive-mar.html Reviews enrollment management attitudes and concerns about adopting new technologies and outlines steps to a new strategy. 2008 E-Recruiting Practices report https://www.noellevitz.com Reports survey responses on recruitment practices and budgets. Also read the related 2007 report on what students prefer online. Senior Admissions and Enrollment Officers: Experiences and Attitudes http:// www.maguireassoc.com/resource/archives_papers.html Survey reporting major pressures faced by enrollment leaders, including resources for new technologies

Interactive Marketing Channels to Watch in 2008

http://www.enrollmentmarketing.org/highereducation/2008/02/interactive-mar.html

Reviews enrollment management attitudes and concerns about adopting new technologies and outlines steps to a new strategy.

2008 E-Recruiting Practices report

https://www.noellevitz.com

Reports survey responses on recruitment practices and budgets.

Also read the related 2007 report on what students prefer online.

Senior Admissions and Enrollment Officers: Experiences and Attitudes

http:// www.maguireassoc.com/resource/archives_papers.html

Survey reporting major pressures faced by enrollment leaders, including resources for new technologies

For general background… http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/247/report_display.asp Writing, Technology and Teens Teens and Social Media

Writing, Technology and Teens

Teens and Social Media

Thank You! Bob Johnson, Ph.D. President and Senior Consultant Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 226 Chauncey Court Marshall, MI 49068 248.766.6425 [email_address] Customer Carewords Research for Online Marketing Success: http://www.bobjohnsonconsulting.com/customercarewords.html