The document outlines strategies for digital advertising tailored to the recruitment of MBA programs, focusing on user personas, ad creative, and various channels such as display, social media, and search engine advertising. It highlights the importance of a comprehensive marketing automation plan and the use of analytics to measure ROI and enhance reporting. Case studies from universities demonstrate successful digital marketing efforts and their impact on inquiries, applications, and enrollment increases.

1. PRESENTERS:
Ann
Oleson,
CEO
Jay
Kelly,
President
Digital Advertising: Rethinking
Practices for Recruitment
EMBAC National Conference 2016

2. Your Presenters
2

3. 3

4. Inbound Marketing
CONVERT DELIGHT
Search Engine
Optimization
(SEO)
Inbound
Content Offers
Social Media
Paid
Advertising
ATTRACT
Calls-to-Action
(CTAs)
Landing
Pages
Forms
Retargeting
Amplification
Content
Strategy
Ongoing
Engagement
User
Experience
(UX)
Measurement
STRANGERS VISITORS STUDENTS PROMOTERS
3

5. What’s New & Next
5

6. Google Premier Partner
Agency Criteria
• Multiple team members are Google AdWords Certified
• Meet higher ad spend requirements across accounts
• Demonstrate agency performance by delivering strong client and agency growth
Benefits
• Education: Product trainings/updates, community membership and executive
business trainings
• Support: Early access to betas, dedicated Google account manager, performance
reporting, phone/email support,
• Growth: Sales/pitch collateral, business strategy consulting, client event support
• Rewards: Promotional offers, agency competitions, Annual Partners Summit
The Premier Google Partner badge shows that we’re
recognized as a leading agency for developing and
maintaining successful online advertising campaigns
for businesses.

7. Overview
7
AUDIENCE MESSAGE
CHANNELS
1. The Digital Advertising Funnel
2. BenchmarkData
3. Strategy & Budget
4. New & Next
5. Stories/Case Studies

8. 8
The Digital Advertising Funnel

9. 9
Digital Advertising Funnel

10. Sample Monthly Plan
Implement a digital advertising strategy to target users actively searching for
MBA programs, users that fit into the target demographic and behavioral profile
and users who have previously visited landing and program pages (remarketing).
• Display Advertising
• Contextual / Behavioral
• Geofencing / IP Targeting
• Specific websites
• Social Media Advertising
• Facebook / Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Search Engine Advertising
• Google AdWords
• Bing Ads
• Retargeting / List Targeting
• Display ads
• Social Media Platforms
10
Digital Advertising

11. 11
Benchmark Data

12. Google Search Trends: MBA
12
Industry Data

13. Google Search Trends: MBA
13
Industry Data

14. Moz Search Trends: MBA
14
Industry Data

15. Lead Generation Trends: MBA
15
Industry Data
Conversion Rate Cost Per Lead
Search 6.89% $386.44
Display 0.59% $533.31
Remarketing 4.21% $102.40
Facebook 1.12% $111.25
LinkedIn 5.35% $162.00
Gmail 0.10% $650.76
*This is Converge Consulting aggregated client data from 15+ MBA, Executive MBA, Evening
MBA and Part-­time MBA programs across the US. This is benchmark data from many
different types of schools in size and format.

16. 16
Strategy & Budget

17. Strategy: Display Advertising
Channels: The Trade Desk, Google Display Network, Gmail Sponsored Promotions
Reach your target audience through contextual and behavioral targeting or target
specific companies and schools via geofencing or IP targeting.
Suggested monthly ad spend: 10-15%
17
Digital Advertising
Targeting and ad examples:
YOUR
AD
HERE
YOUR
AD
HERE

18. Example: Gmail Sponsored Promotions
18
Digital Advertising
Ad collapsed on mobile:
Expanded ad:
Targeting examples:

19. Example: Gmail Sponsored Promotions
19
Digital Advertising
Example of results:

20. Strategy: Social Media Advertising
Channels: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter
Reach your target audience based on demographics such as job title, industry,
seniority, educational background and interests.
Suggested monthly ad spend: 25-35%
20
Digital Advertising

21. Example: Social Media Advertising
21
Digital Advertising

22. Example: Social Media Advertising
22
Digital Advertising
Example of results:

23. Strategy: Search Engine Advertising
Channels: Google AdWords, Bing Ads
Reach users on Google who are specifically searching for ‘evening mba’ and ‘mba
programs’ in the SF Bay area.
Ø Suggested monthly ad spend: 45-55%
Digital Advertising
Keyword and ad
examples:
23

24. Example: Search Engine Advertising
Digital Advertising
24

25. Strategy: Retargeting / List Targeting
Channels: Display Ads, Social Media Advertising
Target users who have visited your website or landing page but haven’t converted
into a lead yet. Also, target prospects with admissions related messaging to
encourage users to take the next step and apply.
Suggested monthly ad spend: 10-15%
25
Digital Advertising

26. Example: Retargeting / List Targeting
26
Digital Advertising

27. Sample Monthly Ad Spend
27
Digital Advertising
Digital Advertising Strategy Lower Visibility Higher Visibility
Display Advertising (10-15%) $500 $1,000
Social Media Advertising (25-35%) $2,500 $3,500
Search Engine Advertising (44-55%) $5,000 $15,000
Retargeting (10-15%) $1,000 $2,000
Total $9,000 $21,500

28. 28

29. Recommendations
Start with a discovery session that provides the foundation to develop sound
strategy and personas:
29
Discovery

30. Who is your ideal student?
User personas are fictional representations of your target audience. They
give your campaigns focus and build consensus around what an ideal
student looks like for your institution.
30
Personas

31. What messages matter most?
Deliverthe right message on the right channel at the right time with a
message matrix. This strategy document identifies key differentiators and
how to present them across channels.
31
Message Matrix

32. How do we show value?
Develop ad creative that showcases key competitive advantages.
AD CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT:
• Develop key messaging based on landing page content
• Develop initial design mockups for team to review
• Design and development of all variations and size specs
• Resizing of imagery for social channels
• Develop ongoing ad creative as needed
32
Ad Creative

33. Landing Pages
How do we increase
conversions?
Create landing pages specific to each
specific program that showcase benefits,
requirements, potential employment
opportunities and career outcomes.
Take a user-first approach with targeted
and segmented messaging. Lead with
user experience (UX) and generate
landing pages that will help you turn
strangers into visitors, visitors into leads
and leads into promoters.

34. Landing Pages
Design + Development
• Interview admissions team for
information on program and target
audience
• Develop and implement landing page
content
• Develop and implement landing page
wireframe and design
• Implement various tracking,
retargeting and conversion pixels
• Integrate with CRM and/or setup
internal lead notification emails

35. Landing Pages
Best Practice: Create a conversion-centered design that is responsive

36. 36
Communication Workflow
Someone inquired. Now what?
Develop a multi-touch point lead nurturing strategy for 30-60 days. Use a mix of
email and phone calls that hit on competitive advantages, address common barriers
to help convert more prospects to enrollments.

37. 37
Emails
Best Practices
• Optimized for mobile
view, easy to skim
• Compelling subject line
• Engaging visuals
(graphics and photos)

38. 38
Emails
4 Emails to Send After Inquiry:
• Meet Your Person: Introduce an advisor to reach directly with questions.
• Here’s How You Apply: A how-to, webinar or guide to walk them through the
application process.
• What’s Holding You Back: Messaging to address barriers and how your
institution will help them move past them.
• Alumni & Faculty Stories: Share testimonials, research and publications so they
can see themselves as a part of your community.

39. 39
Webinars

40. 40
Webinars

41. Communication Workflow
41
Best Practice: Ensure ongoing communications with prospects and streamline
recruitment with a comprehensive marketing automation plan. There are many
tools out there that serve as add-ons to your CRM.

42. 42
Google Analytics
What is the ROI?
• Recommendations for improvement
to enhance reporting
• Set up of Google Analytics for
reporting on AdWords
• Set up of goals on action-based
forms for the program including:
inquiry form, application form,
campus visits, etc.
• Set up of dashboard to report on
inquiry generation program and
digital advertising

43. 43
Data Reporting
Examples of Insights:
Dallas, 4
Irving, 3
Plano, 3Fort Worth,
2
New
Jersey, 1
Texas
1
Garland, 1
Houston, 1
McKinney,
1
Rowlett, 1
San
Antonio
1
Lavon
1
CITY

45. 45
New & Next
Ivy Exec
Invitation only business community with over 730K+ members, growing by 10 to 12,000
new professionals per month. 90% of members are interested in professional
development and learning about education potions to advance their careers.
Community consists of:
• 18% C-Suite Executives
• 25% VP/EVP/SCP Level
• 25% Director Level
• 22% Associate Director/Senior Manager/Manager Level
IvyExec offers digital solutions including hosting/promoting online events, targeted
email campaigns, newsletter placements, display ads, content promotion and
dedicated landing pages.

46. 46
New & Next
Webinar Promotion
Professional development is a key interest of the MBA target audiences. We suggest
hosting and promoting webinars that hit on high interest professional development
topics as a way to initially draw interest from your target audience.

47. 47
New & Next
Content Promotion
Promoting content, rather than your program specifically, can be a great way to initially
engage your target audience. Sharing alumni success stories or thought leadership
pieces on professional development can generate engagement.

48. CASE STUDY | DIGITAL ADVERTISING
The Universityof Missouri Trulaske ExecMBA Program partneredwith Converge to
explore new and innovative methods of engaging and recruiting qualified prospects
through digital marketing.
University of Missouri
PERSONAS, MESSAGING, LANDING PAGES
• Crafted user personas to drive messaging, landing page copy, ad design and audience targeting strategy
• Designed and developed a conversion-centered landing page design that was integrated with CRM to better
understand engagement of leads
DIGITAL ADVERTISING
• Targeted users based on their demographics and behaviors on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and display networks
• Implemented Search Engine Marketing (SEM) efforts to reach high-intent users
• Executed retargeting strategies to reach users engaged landing page and website visitors
• Promoted events, webinars and admissions deadlines to prospects and high-engaged users
“The Converge team's digital advertising expertise and responsiveness is impressive,
to say the least. They brought fresh ideas to our conversations, and those ideas have
helped us generate results with new leads”
- Caitlin Way, Director of Admissions and Marketing, University of Missouri Trulaske execMBA Program
STRATEGY

49. YEAR OVER YEAR INCREASES
11% increase in inquiries
25% increase in applications
10% increase in enrollment
RESULTS
COHORT WAS MORE QUALIFIED
12% more leadership experience
7% increase in advanced degree holders
7% increase in average salary
CASE STUDY | DIGITAL ADVERTISING
University of Missouri

50. CASE STUDY | DIGITAL ADVERTISING
The UT Dallas Executive MBA program wantedto recruit the best and the
brightest EMBA studentsto engage in their program. Theyhad not previously
focused on digital in the past and had a goal to bring in a class of 35 students
in the Fall 2016 intake, with a secondary goal of increasingthe high number
of qualityinquiries and applications.
University of Texas at Dallas
Through comprehensive discoveryand
collaboration, we developeda message
matrix with three distinct themes based
aroundthe program’s core value props –
Be C-Suite Effective, TailoredProgram,
Global Reach. We targeted the Dallas-Fort
Worth technology belt with a multi-
channel focus to reach students at each
point of the recruitmentfunnel.
STRATEGY
151 leads through 4 months
$250 average CPL
9 completed applications in month of June
RESULTS

51. UCLA Anderson Schoolof Management chose to partner with Converge to
develop a digital advertising strategy that would drive well-qualified leads to
their highly rankedExecutive MBA program.
“The UCLA Anderson Executive MBA Program has worked with Converge
Consulting since 2014 in creating and executing cutting edge digital and an
inbound marketing strategy. Converge has done a superb job, produced results that
are impressive and are quick to respond to requests.”
- Sylvia Haas, Executive Director, UCLA Anderson School of Management
STRATEGY
The landing page and digital ads for UCLA Anderson’s top-ranked EMBA program were developed to resonate with a
highly qualified group of professionals looking for career advancement. Ad messaging calls out how the program is
formatted for professionals with highly demanding careers, allowingstudents to fit education into their lives with flexible
weekend courses.
CASE STUDY | DIGITAL ADVERTISING
UCLA Anderson School of Business

52. 200 program leads in 9 months
$80 per lead
$5.50 cost per click
6.88% total conversion rate
RESULTS
CASE STUDY | DIGITAL ADVERTISING
UCLA Anderson School of Business

54. 54
Resource: Free eBook
Questions to Ask
• Does the agency have certifications,
partnerships or awards?
• Can the agency provide case
studies and references?
• Does the agency have experience in
your vertical?
• How often is the agency reviewing
and optimizing campaigns?
Download it here:
http://inbound.convergeconsulting.
org/choosing-a-ppc-partner