Reimagine the Experience 7 Ways to Delight Your Future Students

Brian Wm. Niles | Founder & Chief Evangelist

Introductions3 Critical Trends

7 Ways to Delight Your StudentsSome Resources

Setting Expectations

Introductions

Campuswide CRM for Higher Education Recruitment. Retention. Advancement

11 Years. Undergraduate & Graduate17 Years. 450 Colleges & UniversitiesAuthor. “Overthrowing Dead Culture”

Albright (B.S.) & UPenn GSE (M.S. Ed.)Husband & Father

SarahHaddonfield High

School Junior

And completely embarrassed by her dad

JuliusGraduate of the

University of South Florida

(Fan of the Wawa)

Lord SpencerThe Corgi

Get You to Think.Help Your Institution/Program Change.

Takeaway a Couple of Ideas.

My Goals Today

(Relatively) Little Grad Admiss Research Ruffalo Noel Levitz, Council on

Graduate Schools & GMAC, etc.

A Research Comment

The Four-Year AdvantageConsumer Marketing ResearchYou Are All Adult Consumers

But …

Funding a Graduate DegreeYour Website is Important

Desire to Visit CampusExpectation of Responsiveness

Reliance on “the buzz”

What We Do Know

Critical Trends3

Mobile & Social Consumer-Level Expectations

Authenticity & Experiences

1Mobile & Social

Comscore Research 2016

70

20

Oh, look. A Butterfly!

Get the Fundamentals Right First

9If a student has a connection with

nine students after being admitted,

they are 93% more likely to enroll.TargetX Schools App, 2015

Images of Campus (instagram) Frequent News (twitter)

“Real” Experiences (youtube) Live Engagement (periscope)

Email isStill King Admissions is still a highly

transaction-oriented process that is best handled with email.

2Consumer-Level Expectations

Toister Performance Solutions 2015 Email Response

Time Survey

3Authenticity & Experiences

You All Look The Same.

Just ask a high school Junior or Senior.

What are you doing to make them care about you?

What are they taking away?

7 Ways to Delight Your Students

Delight

Increased Retention Lower Replacement Costs Increased Positive WOM

Reduced Recruitment Effort

Enhance the Mobile Experience.1

Responsive Design is Only Part of the Answer

Optimize for Smaller Screens (buttons, forms, etc.)

67

Gen Xers Grew Up Digital Millennials Grew Up Online

Homelands Growing Up Touch

Gen Xers Grew Up w/Keyboard Millennials Grew Up w/Mouse

Homelands Growing Up w/Fingers

(what’s next?)

Test Your Site For Yourself

Fill Out Your Online Forms

Receive Your Emails

Reduce the Roadblocks.2

You control only one part of the enrollment funnel.

Admit or Deny

If You Have Too Few Inquiries … check your forms

Application … too many requirements Enrollees … outcomes & value

If You Have Too Many Inquiries … get focused

Applications … (seriously?) Enrollees … check your NTR

Tell More (Authentic) Stories.3

Marketing to Millennials 101

Cut out the Hype

Marketing to Millennials 101 (and their Gen X parents)

Cut out the Hype

Stories not Stats. People not Programs.

Mike Sexton, Vice President of Enrollment, Santa Clara University

The most authentic thing about your institution are the people

that go/work there are the stories they “share.”

Power Tip Change Your Pronouns

(it’s not about you, it’s about them)

Prioritize the Campus Visit Experience.4

Among the Top 10 Most Effective Graduate Practices Hosting Campus Visits

Ruffalo Noel Levitz Graduate & Adult Learners Research, 2012 & 2015

Recruiting Should Drive Visits Visits Should Cater to the Visitor

Get The Basics Right

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

Clean Bathrooms.

Basics Step 2 Know the visitor.

Customize the visit. Set the expectations.

Share real stories.

Basics Step 3 Make it memorable.

Highlight a signature moment. Help them picture themselves there.

What’s Next? Utilizing Technology Mass Customization

Graduate Ambassador Training

Close The Deal.5

Sales Marketing Customers Revenue

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

Sales 101 Ask for the sale.

Pave the Path to Student Success.6

Recruit the right student.

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

Share what was learned when you recruited them.

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

Reactive Action Plan Examples

Student isn’t attending class. Campus card not being using. Hasn’t registered for next term.

Requesting transcripts.

Proactive Action Plan Examples

Purchase your books. Meet with your graduate advisor.

Attend campus activities. Are you happy?

Get Your Team Delighted!7

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?

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

Some Resources

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

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

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