A key part of the enrollment process for the non-traditional students is knowing where, when and how to reach them. Efficiently generating quality leads is the first step you need to master when trying to reach enrollment goals for your programs.
The non-traditional student is very different from the traditional student and the efforts necessary to peak their interest also varies greatly.
In this month’s #breakthru webinar we will be taking you through best practices on how to reach the non-traditional audience in the digital environment.
During this hour webinar you will learn where to place your time and money, what your campaigns need to do to stand out, how to evaluate success, and how to optimize and improve upon your efforts in reaching the non-traditional student.
Presented by: Lauren Ramey, Manager, Search Analysts and Jennifer Esaray, Digital Marketing Consultant
3. The “Non-Traditional” Student
+ Today “non-traditional” students surpass the 18-to-22-
year-olds who have traditionally entered college directly
from high school.
+ Roughly 36% of undergraduates in 2008 were 25 years
old or older, and 46% were enrolled part time; 43% held
part-time positions.
+ According to statistics from the US Department of
Education, the enrollment rates of older students are
expected to grow faster than those of traditional students
over the next ten years.
Slide 3
6. How do you reach the
“non-traditional student”?
7. Approach
Slide 7
+ There are several key
components to take into
consideration for a
successful digital
marketing campaign:
- Media Mix
- Messaging
- UX: Microsite & Follow-up
Campaign Goal:
Increase awareness of Brand &
generate qualified leads
Media Mix
UX
Messaging
9. How do they get there?
Slide 9
9 in 10 enrolled
students have used the
Internet to research
higher education
institutions.
1 in 10 prospective
students now search
exclusively online for
classes and programs.
11. Google & Yahoo! Bing Search
+ Reach an engaged
audience who is
actively seeking
information
+ Among the highest
L2A & L2E
Slide 11
PaidOrganic
12. Remarketing
+ Remarketing Lists for Search Ads (RLSA)
+ Keyword-based campaign that reaches people who have previously visited
your site when they’re searching on Google
+ Requires a minimum user pool of 1000 users
+ Remarketing on Google Display Network
+ Continue to keep your school top-of-mind among prospects who have
already expressed interest in your school & program
+ Requires a minimum user pool of 100 users
Slide 11
13. Paid Social
Facebook & LinkedIn
+ LinkedIn
+ Dedicated channel to reach the
professional audience
+ Target based on relevant career paths
and professional groups
+ Recommended for specific disciplines
+ Facebook
+ Comprehensive targeting settings to
reach potential prospects with the right
message
+ Examples of targeting options include:
location, age, education level,
employment industry
Slide 13
15. Email
+ Vendor Selection
- List buys, publisher direct email blasts
+ Audience Segmentation & Creative
+ Testing plan
Slide 15
Blast1 User List
No action
Blast 2 w/ alt.
subject line
(Week 2)
Blast 3 alt. drop
day w/ top subject
line (Week 3)
Open & click
Blast 2 w/ alt. copy
(Week 2)
Blast 3 alt. drop
day w/ top copy
(Week 3)
Convert
17. Messaging: Microsite & Ads
Slide 17
+ Highlight program offerings & differentiators in microsite
& ad copy
+ Application deadlines
+ Rankings
+ Program duration
+ Format
+ Graduate entrance exam waivers
+ Modified ad copy to connect with prospects
+ e.g. programs and courses are offered at in-state tuition
for out-of-state prospects
18. Adult Students Want Quality
Slide 18
Traditional
Colleges
Community
Colleges
For Profit
Schools
Share of Brand
Queries
-1%
+4%
+11%
YOY Change
+ Brand searches on for-profit
schools was flat YOY, while
searches for traditional
universities and their online
programs are on the rise.
21. Choosing the right subdomain
Slide 21
+ Most often, it is a best practice to set up the microsite on
your school’s .edu subdomain. There are two reasons for
this tactic:
+ Using .edu sites get preferential treatment with the
search engines and in turn helps the microsite rank
higher in the paid search results
+ This makes for a good user experience as the prospective
student does not think they are providing information to
a third party site
24. Full Funnel Approach
Slide 24
Decision
Brand + Program
Brand + Format
Consideration
Program + Location
Program + Format
Awareness
Program
25. How are you getting your
leads?
Slide 25
+ Determining your lead delivery helps plan out the next
steps for following up on your prospects
+ Real-time emails
+ Nightly/Weekly CSVs
+ CRM Integration
We’ve identified who is a “non-traditional” students. As previously mentioned, the demographic profile of students at US colleges and universities has changed dramatically in recent decades. Adult learners are continue to increase and are expected to grow faster than traditional students.
Adults are recognizing this need and many are planning to enroll and go back to school, growing the adult non-traditional market faster than the traditional undergraduate market.
According to the Adult Higher Education Consumer: Fall 2013 & Grad Change 2013, currently 40% of all college students are older than 25 and that number is only expected to grow, the rise in enrollment of students 25 and older is projected to be nearly double that of younger students through 2020, 31% of adults plan to attend school in the next 3 years, but only 15% actually enroll each year
The adult students want flexibility – they need online programs
With their full-time jobs or family commitments, adult students are asking for online classes. Currently online enrollments account for 33% of total higher education enrollments and is expected to grow.
Cost is still the largest concern for this group.
Non-traditional students are more than twice as likely to be low-income as traditional students, With decreasing public funds for higher education, affordability will be a significant piece of the challenge facing these student groups, so that must be addressed, Students need effective financial advising, easier access to financial aid, the ability to earn college credits from outside-college learning, and academic and other support services to help them successfully complete their coursework
As adult student enrollments continue to grow, the competition for online programs are rapidly responding to the opportunity to reach the adult learners.
Increased number of companies developing technology to make it easier for colleges and universities to get content online
2013 saw the greatest annual increase in online courses and degree programs to date
Oversupply of programs makes it difficult to achieve aggressive sustainable growth
66% of CAOs agree that online education is critical to the long-term strategy of their institution
Introduction of MOOCs means every university needs an online strategy to compete
Now that the “non-traditional” student has been defined, the question starts with thinking about where the adult learner begins their research for what school and program they want to pursue.
Once an adult learner decides that they are interested in enrolling, they begin their search by checking various channels. From talking with family/friends, school websites to search engines. 1 in 10 prospective students search exclusively online for classes and programs. With that being said, when putting together a marketing campaign it is important to consider an effective media channel.
Now that the “non-traditional” student has been defined, the question starts with thinking about where the adult learner begins their research for what school and program they want to pursue.
Drive quality leads for specified online programs.
Drive quality leads for specified online programs.
Increase prospect pool for programs by utilizing the social platforms.
Reach prospects as they are browsing/ researching relevant content across the web. Based on your Brand awareness and program set, Display advertising can be a great addition to your marketing plan.
In addition to vendor selection, developing a launch strategy including audience segmentation and testing plan are key to a success Email Marketing campaign.
Nearly 50% occurs 2+ months out from the time of conversion.
Grow brand awareness for school’s offerings & unique set of online learning opportunities
The recommended follow up process would ideally be have an automated email sent out after a form is submitted with a clear call to action & next steps. Also, a phone call within 1 hour of the submitted lead. When choosing additional lead follow-up material, make sure it is a highly segmented multi-channel communication plan with variable data print pieces. The best case result with these, would qualify 75% of the time. However, without any follow-up in place, it is highly doubtful the lead will qualify or move toward an enrollment.