Presented at the AMA Symposium for Higher Education 2016:
The higher education market has changed significantly over the past few years. With the rise of social media, increased focus on student outcomes & ROI, and increased competition from online programs, the marketing ecosystem must evolve as well. Join us as we discuss some of the leading trends influencing higher ed marketing today, new research from LinkedIn and CarringtonCrisp that reveals what students believe about the ROI of their graduate degrees and how social media can help, and a sneak preview of changes to the LinkedIn platform that will help you better market your programs in this new connected world.
10. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
“Digital has spent a decade telling us you can
measure everything instantly and that it’s a
good thing. The reality is it’s a very bad thing.”
Peter Field, Author
Yes, we are in danger of chasing short-term metrics
#LinkedInEDU
14. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
60/40 Rule!
“The two must work together.
Investment in long-term brand
building, combined with short term
activations reap the sales benefits of
those investments.”
The optimal media mix is 60% of
budget spent on brand
#LinkedInEDU
25. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
1. Net Promoter Score: “The One Number You Need to Grow”
2. Brand Sentiment Tracking: Quality vs. Vanity Metrics
3. Multi-Touch Attribution: Go Beyond Last Click
Ideas to Rethink Measurement
#LinkedInEDU
27. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
1. Think Beyond Direct Response: The 60:40 Rule
2. Focus on Reach: Precision Targeting is Not Necessary
3. Consistency Is King: Be Consistent Across Touchpoints
4. Rethink Measurement: Invest in Long-term Advertising
What Have We Learned?
#LinkedInEDU
29. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
815
in the U.S. & Canada
What motivations & behaviors
are associated with
successful graduates?
115
in the U.S. & Canada
How is social media being
used in admissions and
career services?
#LinkedInEDU
30. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
Social media can help universities improve
quality at all points of the student journey
QUALITY
PROSPECTS STUDENT
COMMUNITY
ALUMNI
OPPORTUNITIES
#LinkedInEDU
31. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
Insight #1: Business schools have gone social
71%
use social media
98%
use social media
Admissions Career Services
Source: CarringtonCrisp Survey, 2016 – U.S. and Canada
#LinkedInEDU
33. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
Social media meets 2 important
needs for admissions
• Add another dimension to admissions
• Assess whether a candidate is a good fit
• Engage potential applicants in conversations
• Connect applicants with alumni or students
• Inform candidates about application process
Connecting
with applicants
Supplementing
Admissions Info
90%
Source: CarringtonCrisp Survey, 2016 – U.S. and Canada
#LinkedInEDU
34. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
Insight #2: The best candidates
are found on LinkedIn
What does a better
candidate look like?
• Strong fit with school culture
• CV has strong attributes
outside of studies and work
• Likely to actively contribute in
class
The best candidates are found on which networks?
88%
35%
24%
Source: CarringtonCrisp Survey, 2016 – U.S. and Canada
#LinkedInEDU
36. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
Insight #3:
The master’s degree is
still valuable
Source: LinkedIn survey, 2016, U.S. and Canada. Base: NAMER MBA and Masters Grads (n=815)
73
of graduates are very / extremely
satisfied with the impact of their
degree on their career.
%
#LinkedInEDU
37. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
The majority of grads were able
to accomplish successful outcomes
33%
16%
Aspiring
Entrepreneur
Career
Enhancer
Career
Switcher
6%
55%
SUCCESSFUL
OUTCOMES
Source: LinkedIn survey, 2016, U.S. and Canada. Base: NAMER MBA and Masters Grads (n=815)
#LinkedInEDU
38. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
Insight #4: Tangible motivations led to
more successful outcomes
• increase salary • upskill for new role
• accelerate career • start my own business
• impact communities • reached a plateau at work
Tangible Motivations
48
more grads with tangible
motivations achieved a
successful outcome
%
Source: LinkedIn survey, 2016, U.S. and Canada. Base: NAMER MBA and Masters Grads (n=815)
#LinkedInEDU
47. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
Higher Ed: Through the funnel
Plan content that educates and inspires
along with content that collects leadsUpper Funnel
Brand Messaging
Thought Leadership
Awareness
(Ungated)
Discovery
Selection
(Gated) Registration, Download
Information, Meet with an
Enrollment Counselor
Rankings, News,
Career Advice,
Courses/Degrees
Program Value,
Student Testimonials,
Blog Content
Faculty Profiles, Webinars,
On-Campus Events,
Alumni Testimonials
Bottom Funnel
Lead Focused
Direct Messaging #LinkedInEDU
50. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
Build a solid foundation1
Audit existing content and enlist content creators2
Build a healthy mix of relevant content3
4 Go visual!
4 Best Practices for Content Marketing
#LinkedInEDU
56. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
Instantly populate lead forms with
accurate, LinkedIn professional data
Improve quantity and quality of leads
through access to LinkedIn’s
professional data
Make it easy to fill out forms on
mobile or desktop with a single click
Boost
Conversion
Rates with
LinkedIn AutoFill
#LinkedInEDU
59. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
Analyze the performance of your
campaigns using Campaign Manager
rich demographic reporting to
understand who your ads resonate
with best
Campaign
Demographic
Reporting
Beyond the Click
#LinkedInEDU
65. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
Brand new self-service channel for marketers to reach professionals in
the most personalized and direct way on LinkedIn
Sponsored InMail for Self-Service
#LinkedInEDU
70. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
Better Achieve
Marketer
Objectives
Simplify Access
to Products &
Capabilities
Prove Value
Through Analytics &
Insight
Target Audiences
That Matter
Lead Gen
Forms
New Dynamic
Ads Formats
Sponsored Content
Beyond LinkedIn
Autofill
Account
Targeting
Website
Retargeting
Marketing
Automation Contact
Targeting
Contact
Targeting
Conversion
TrackingExpanded
analytics API
Campaign Insights
and
Recommendations
Campaign
Demographic
Reporting
Help Center
Revamp
Programmatic
Display
Sponsored InMail
for Self-Service
University
Pages Merge
#LinkedInEDU