The document outlines 7 ways for higher education institutions to delight future students. It discusses: 1) enhancing the mobile experience by optimizing for mobile and touchscreens; 2) reducing roadblocks in the enrollment process; 3) telling more authentic stories about people rather than just programs; 4) prioritizing an engaging campus visit experience; 5) closing the deal by asking for enrollment and showing students their value; 6) paving the path to student success with proactive support plans; and 7) getting recruitment teams delighted by focusing on their strengths. The presentation provides research and examples to support implementing these 7 strategies.

1. Reimagine the Experience
7 Ways to Delight Your Future Students
Brian Wm. Niles | Founder & Chief Evangelist

2. Introductions
3 Critical Trends
7 Ways to Delight Your Students
Some Resources
Setting Expectations

3. Introductions

4. Campuswide CRM for Higher Education
Recruitment. Retention. Advancement

5. 11 Years. Undergraduate & Graduate
17 Years. 450 Colleges & Universities
Author. “Overthrowing Dead Culture”
Albright (B.S.) & UPenn GSE (M.S. Ed.)
Husband & Father

6. Sarah
Haddonfield High
School Junior
And completely
embarrassed by her dad

7. Julius
Graduate of the
University of
South Florida
(Fan of the Wawa)

8. Lord Spencer
The Corgi

9. Get You to Think.
Help Your Institution/Program Change.
Takeaway a Couple of Ideas.
My Goals Today

10. (Relatively) Little Grad Admiss Research
Ruffalo Noel Levitz, Council on
Graduate Schools & GMAC, etc.
A Research Comment

11. The Four-Year Advantage
Consumer Marketing Research
You Are All Adult Consumers
But …

12. Funding a Graduate Degree
Your Website is Important
Desire to Visit Campus
Expectation of Responsiveness
Reliance on “the buzz”
What We Do Know

13. Critical Trends
3

14. Mobile & Social
Consumer-Level Expectations
Authenticity & Experiences

15. 1Mobile & Social

16. Comscore
Research 2016

19. 70

20. 20

21. Oh, look. A Butterfly!

22. Get the Fundamentals Right First

23. 9
If a student has a
connection with
nine students after
being admitted,
they are 93% more
likely to enroll.
TargetX Schools App, 2015

24. Images of Campus (instagram)
Frequent News (twitter)
“Real” Experiences (youtube)
Live Engagement (periscope)

25. Email is
Still King
Admissions is still a highly
transaction-oriented
process that is best
handled with email.

26. 2Consumer-Level
Expectations

27. Toister Performance
Solutions 2015
Email Response
Time Survey

28. 3Authenticity &
Experiences

29. You All Look The Same.

30. Just ask a high school
Junior or Senior.

31. What are you doing to make
them care about you?
What are they taking away?

32. 7 Ways to Delight
Your Students

33. Delight

34. Increased Retention
Lower Replacement Costs
Increased Positive WOM
Reduced Recruitment Effort

35. Enhance the
Mobile Experience.
1

36. Responsive Design is Only
Part of the Answer
Optimize for Smaller Screens
(buttons, forms, etc.)

37. 67

38. Gen Xers Grew Up Digital
Millennials Grew Up Online
Homelands Growing Up Touch

39. Gen Xers Grew Up w/Keyboard
Millennials Grew Up w/Mouse
Homelands Growing Up w/Fingers
(what’s next?)

40. Test Your Site
For Yourself
Fill Out Your
Online Forms
Receive Your
Emails

41. Reduce the
Roadblocks.
2

43. You control only one part of
the enrollment funnel.
Admit or Deny

44. If You Have Too Few
Inquiries … check your forms
Application … too many requirements
Enrollees … outcomes & value

45. If You Have Too Many
Inquiries … get focused
Applications … (seriously?)
Enrollees … check your NTR

46. Tell More
(Authentic) Stories.
3

47. Marketing to Millennials 101
Cut out the Hype

48. Marketing to Millennials 101
(and their Gen X parents)
Cut out the Hype

49. Stories not Stats.
People not Programs.
Mike Sexton, Vice President of Enrollment, Santa Clara University

50. The most authentic thing about
your institution are the people
that go/work there are the
stories they “share.”

51. Power Tip
Change Your Pronouns
(it’s not about you, it’s about them)

52. Prioritize the Campus
Visit Experience.
4

53. Among the Top 10 Most
Effective Graduate Practices
Hosting Campus Visits
Ruffalo Noel Levitz Graduate & Adult Learners Research, 2012 & 2015

54. Recruiting Should Drive Visits
Visits Should Cater to the Visitor

55. Get The Basics Right

56. Basics Step 1
Confirmation. Campus Signage.
Visitor Parking. Visitor’s Center.
Clean Bathrooms.

57. Basics Step 2
Know the visitor.
Customize the visit.
Set the expectations.
Share real stories.

58. Basics Step 3
Make it memorable.
Highlight a signature moment.
Help them picture themselves there.

59. What’s Next?
Utilizing Technology
Mass Customization
Graduate Ambassador Training

60. Close The Deal.
5

61. Sales
Marketing
Customers
Revenue

62. Do you value their enrollment?
Did you show them that you do?

63. Sales 101
Ask for the sale.

64. Pave the Path
to Student Success.
6

65. Recruit the right student.

66. The customer is always right.
Harry Gordon Selfridge, Sr.

67. Share what was learned
when you recruited them.

68. Build proactive plans
(don’t wait until they are
stopping out or leaving)

69. Reactive Action Plan Examples
Student isn’t attending class.
Campus card not being using.
Hasn’t registered for next term.
Requesting transcripts.

70. Proactive Action Plan Examples
Purchase your books.
Meet with your graduate advisor.
Attend campus activities.
Are you happy?

71. Get Your Team
Delighted!
7

73. Do you have the right people?
Are they in the right seats?
Do you know their strengths?
Do you know their plans & desires?
Are they having any fun?

74. Enhance the Mobile Experience
Reduce the Roadblocks
Tell More (Authentic) Stories
Prioritize the Campus Visit Experience
Close the Deal
Pave the Path to Student Success
Get Your Team Delighted
The 7 Ways

75. Some Resources

76. RNL 2015 Adult Learner Marketing and
Recruitment Practices Benchmark Report
RNL 2012 Marketing and Student Recruitment
Practices for Graduate Programs
Chegg/TargetX Social Admissions Report
Render Experiences “The Rant”
Bob Johnson Consulting Email Newsletter
Strengths Finder 2.0
Fast Company Daily Email Newsletter

77. Questions
(and answers I’ll make up on the fly)

78. Brian Wm. Niles | @brianwmniles | niles@targetx.com