The document outlines Babson College's approach to developing a digital marketing strategy, addressing previous challenges such as a poorly organized website and a lack of institutional strategy. It emphasizes the importance of internal and external relationship building, governance, and prioritizing content strategies to align with institutional goals. Key lessons include the necessity of hiring the right team quickly, continuous check-ins with stakeholders, and focusing on education and training in digital marketing efforts.

1. Building a Digital Marketing Strategy from Scratch: A Babson College StoryGene BeginDigital Marketing DirectorBabson College

2. Babson CollegeSmall, private college 14 miles west of Boston#1 in entrepreneurship for 18 and 15 consecutive yearsApproximately 2000 undergraduate and 1300 graduate students, representing more than 74 countriesUndergraduate program (top 20 in business)Graduate program - MBA and MS degrees (top 40 in business)Executive education program (top 10 U.S. and top 15 in the world for custom programs)Babson Global, which works with corporate, university, government, and foundation partners to advance entrepreneurship education and Entrepreneurial Thought and Action® worldwide

3. Building a Digital Marketing Strategy from Scratch

4. The Babson InterwebsAs of March 2011Black hole of a website redesign projectSiloed business units, with no institutional strategyNot the best relationship between IT and MarketingWeb resources across campus within business units and ITTraditional web support modelThrow it over the wall and we’ll put it up

5. “Content monkeys”Approaches for Building a Digital Marketing Strategy from Scratch

6. Entrepreneurial Thought & Action (ETA)ETA uses “effectual” logic that is based on asking the following four questions:Who am I? (My identity as shaped by culture and context, skills, and abilities)What do I know? (My knowledge and training)Whom do I know? (My professional and social network)How do I bring these 3 elements into a network of participants who can co-create an opportunity?Source: Babson College Strategy , Version 2.1 ( May 2009)

7. Be a Politician…Assess the current campus landscapeResource needsBusiness unit goalsBuild relationshipsInternal (staff, faculty, students)External (alumni, governance)…but too much of a politicianDeliver on the campaign promise!

8. Listen, Learn & EngageBenchmarkLearn from not only the best, but those who have shared their mistakesListen to your peersCampus experts#highered peersIndustry expertsBring the experts to campus#edugurusummit

9. Building a Digital Marketing Strategy from Scratch

10. Where Does Digital Marketing Strategy Fit In?* As defined by Mark Greenfield, eduGuruSummit, March 2011

11. GraduateUgradAdvancementExecutive EducationGoal Planning? Who is Our Preferred Audience?Granting Organizations & Foundations AlumniGovernanceHR DevelopersWorkingprofessionalsParentsFaculty, Centers,and InstitutesPolicy MakersEducators/Academic InstitutionsStudents (Prospective & Current)GuidancecounselorsEmployers

12. Develop 3-Year Business PlanOUR PLANYear 1: Laying the FoundationTeam, Governance, Process AND EducationYear 2: Advocacy MarketingBetter alumni engagement => more participation => better student experience => better alumni engagementYear 3: The True Mobile Marketing ExperienceThe next era of mobile marketing, live-social, geo-location and QR code marketing

13. Year 1: Resource and Goal AlignmentBuild out team to meet business unit needs AND institutional needsHybrid, hybrid, hybridDevelopment resourcesBusiness unit goalsTeam experience1 director, 5 digital marketing specialists1 Senior DMM focused on Institutional web support (CSS and UI)1 DMCM focused on UG web support and Institutional community management (SM)1 Interactive Media Specialist focused on Executive Education web support (development)1 DMCM for Alumni & Friends Network (content curator)1 DMCM for Graduate School (TBH)LESSON LEARNED:Hire quicker.But still hire right.

14. Establish Governance ModelTrue Web Governance *Establishes authority and accountabilityDefines the role of the campus units as it relates to the web and establishes how they will support web effortsInvolves senior leadership* As defined by Mark Greenfield, eduGuruSummit, March 2011

15. Babson Governance ModelWEBSITESOCIAL MEDIALESSON LEARNED:Clearly and continuously articulate roles & responsibilities.

16. Distributed Governance Model for Informational Website MaintenancePermissionsSuper Authors Digital Marketing and IT A&D teams (10 – 12 individuals)

17. Access to alter home page, web parts and all parts of templates Authors 5 – 10 individuals

18. To be treated as power users; individuals to be determined by digital marketing team

19. Access to edit web parts by subsite, in addition to the editing accessing outlined belowEditors 60 to 70 staff

20. Access to edit content area by subsite level

21. Also, 200 faculty have access to edit so they can update their bio LESSON LEARNED:Continuous check-ins with business unit contacts on responsibility due to turnover

22. Digital Marketing Governance Support ModelOnline ticketing web support system for short-term needsOnline project tracking for longer projects and integrated creative production plansCross-functional support

23. Content StrategyAudit - Go be that politician across campusAssess - Asset type and channelPrioritize - Strategy and goalsBuild - 6 month planDevelopCreative production, curation and re-imaginationLESSON LEARNED:There’s more content on your campus than you can ever imagine … or re-imagine!After 3 months, check in and start audit cycle again

24. FOCUS!

25. FOCUS!Develop goals, tactics, and ACHIEVABLE measurementsPrioritize the aspects of your digital marketing mix that…A. Align to the institutional strategyB. Need the most helpFor us:B. Website redesignA1. Social media strategy, branding and guidelinesA2. First steps of the mobile mixLESSON LEARNED: Focus on education and training first