Vodcasting for Student Recruitment

Stephanie JudgeChris Potts

What’s vodcasting?

• A video podcast is the online delivery of video on demand (VOD) content.

• Consumers can subscribe using a PC or mobile multimedia device.

A growing presence.

On December 16, 2006, Time Magazine named its Person of the Year as "You",

referring to independent content creators on the web, video podcasters in particular.

(The magazine featured a flexiblemirror on the cover.)

Why use video?

Millennials have grown up in the Reality TV age.

reality = entertainment

How does this relate to recruiting?

9% of students have downloaded a school’s podcast or video podcast

54% said they “would if they could”

(Noel-Levitz “E-Expectations, Class of 2007”)

It’s a way to break through the clutter.

They’re watching.

76% of young adults ages 18-29 watch or download videos online

31% watch or download some type of video daily

(2007 Pew Online Video Study)

They’re sharing.

73% watch video with others

67% send video links to others

76% receive links from others

(2007 Pew Online Video Study)

To be effective…

It has to be real.

It has to be entertaining.

It has to be relevant.

A Case Study

Butler University

College of Business Administration

Butler University• Private liberal arts university in Indianapolis

• Five colleges: Liberal Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, College of Education, Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Fine Arts

• Approximately 4,200 students

• Ranked 4th in 2008 Master’s Midwest category by US News & World Report

The College of Business Administration

• AACSB-accredited

• 600 undergraduate students; day program

• 250 MBAs; part-time, evening program

This case study will focus on the

undergraduate program.

The usual.• Departmental viewbook

• Personalized follow-up with admits

• Fall “Business Day” to generate applications

• Spring “Business Scholars” to yield high-achievers

And then it all changed.

Real Life. Real Business.

• Curriculum redesign began in 2003

• Adoption of “real life, real business” theme

• Experiential curriculum

• Students DO business, not just study it

We began building practice fields.

Practice fields• Career mentor, two required internships

• Freshman Business Experience class

• Sophomores start and run their own businesses

• Real projects/cases with local companies

• $22 million grant from Lilly Endowment to run consulting business and enhance curriculum

The Recruiting Dilemma

How to show and demonstrate an experiential curriculum

Flat viewbooks can’t demonstrate

experiences.

Communication Objectives

• Earlier departmental communication with prospects and parents (fall vs. spring)

• Show the experience and demonstrate the differentiation

Communication Strategy

Tell the story through the eyes of two first year students as they experience the new

curriculum, particularly the Freshman Business Experience course.

The Concept• 12 videos, 2-3 minutes in length

• New video released each Friday on web, iTunes, YouTube (for portability and sharing)

• Combination of handheld camcorders and professional filming (MediaSauce)

• Announced weekly via web and email

Target audience

• Primary: high school seniors with an interest in business at Butler and their parents (2500 prospects)

• Secondary: high school guidance counselors

Timing

• Fall release: to generate applications and campus visits

• Spring promotion: for yield

Meet Jana and Rob.

Two very different students.

Video Themes

• Move-in day

• Welcome Week

• First day of classes

• Get Real Weekend, teamwork

Video Themes

• High ropes challenge course

• Visiting corporate sponsor

• Shadowing interns

• Downtown Indianapolis

Video Themes

• Campus Life

• Business plan competition

• Winners of the competition

• The transformation

Calls to Action • Open e-mail

• Watch video

• Arrange campus visit

• Apply to Butler*

• Forward to a friend*on web, in emails, at end of each video

Let’s take a look at the web interface and

videos.

Email Campaign • Weekly email to prospects, guidance counselors

• Inbox graphic with click to view

• Most popular subject line (MADE: I want to be a Butler student)

• Asked Butler students/faculty/alumni to forward to friends/family/high school

Postcard

• Postcard mailed to prospects, guidance counselors

• Distributed at campus recruiting events

• Distributed during Admissions visits

Additional Promotion• Butler, CBA, Admissions website

• Alumni e-newsletter

• Articles in local press: Indianapolis Star, Indianapolis Business Journal

• Butler newspapers: The Collegian, Dawgnet

Spring Yield

• POD QUIZ: Answer series of questions about pods; top respondents received Butler sweatshirt (approx. 25)

• Online chat with Jana/Rob in late spring

On move-in day, what did Jana’s brother say made the Butler move great?

How many student organizations can you choose from at Butler?

What Indianapolis based company did Jana’s class partner with to learn about business first hand?

Email Metrics

• Emails sent per week: 2500

• Average open rate: 20%

• Average click through rate: 17.2%

(Source: ExactTarget)

Metrics in Perspective• Education industry open rate: 34% (ours was 20%)

• Education industry click through rate: 5.7% (ours was 17%)

(Source: Bronto 2007)

Web Metrics• Total visitors (Sept-Dec): 1933• Total unique visitors (Sept-Dec): 1518 (visitors who returned to the site)• Average view time: 10.9 minutes • On average, visitors clicked on 4.26 pages (out of the five options provided)

from the web interface(Source: NetTracker)

Was it successful?

Communication Objectives

• Earlier departmental communication with prospects and parents (fall vs spring)

• Show the experience and demonstrate the differentiation

Was it successful?• Anecdotal evidence from admits (especially parents): YES• Applications to the University: record high• Applications to the College remained flat• One piece of the recruiting mix; hard to gauge the effect

Would we do it again?

Added blogs• Online journals by Jana/Rob (one-way communication)

• The story continues as Jana/Rob start and run their own businesses this year

• 63% of students surveyed indicate that they “Would like to read a blog written by a current student” (Noel-Levitz “E-Expectations, Class of 2007”)

Other changes this year• Improved web interface – more simple

• Google Analytics to better track web results

• Improved inbox graphics and subject lines

• Sending to 11,000 prospects (business + exploratory) vs. 2500 last year

Current Metrics

After five email sends:

• Average open rate: 12.1%

• Average click through rate: 18.8%

• Note larger, less qualified list

(Source: Delivra)

Lessons learned• Expensive: financially plus time involvement

• Difficult to pinpoint exact results; a communications tool to supplement the mix

• Incorrectly assumed we could generate applications directly from the vod site and measure as an indication of effectiveness

To follow along with Jana and Rob:

www.butler.edu/reallife