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of parents prefer phone calls with 58% more likely to consider a school that communicates through the phone of students prefer phone calls WHY THIS MATTERS Provide opportunities for parents to communicate with your school through the phone. COMMUNICATIONS 38% 49% WHY THIS MATTERS Target the majority of your online advertising to students. DIGITAL ADS of parents click on ads in search results or social media of students click on ads in search results or social media 31% 19% WHY THIS MATTERS Email valuable content to parents that encourages them to share with their kids. EMAIL of parents forward emails from schools they’re considering to their children of students save emails from schools they’re considering 83% 40% WHY THIS MATTERS Cross-promote content across social networks, but keep in mind that parents use social differently than their kids. TOP FIVE SOCIAL NETWORKS SOCIAL MEDIA Facebook YouTube Google+ Twitter Instagram Facebook YouTube Instagram Twitter Snapchat 1 2 3 4 5 71% 45% 78% 50% of parents view college websites on mobile of students view college websites on mobile of parents own smartphones of students own smartphones WHY THIS MATTERS Develop mobile-friendly content (videos, articles, images, etc.) to personalize the user experience for parents and students on the go. MOBILE 64% 55% of parents surveyed viewed a website within the last 7 days of students surveyed viewed a website within the last 7 days WHY THIS MATTERS Create fresh and valuable website content at least once a week to incentivize your visitors to return often. VISIT FREQUENCY Academic Programs Cost Scholarships Cost Academic Programs Financial Aid 1 2 3 WHY THIS MATTERS Customize or personalize the experience to deliver the right content to the right user. CONTENT TOP THREE CONTENT NEEDS 77 % 69% .edu of parents claim college websites most influential of students claim college websites most influential WHY THIS MATTERS Focus all your efforts on your website since it’s the #1 most influential part of the decision-making process for both parents and students. INFLUENCERS HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS IN MAY 2014 PARENTS OF THOSE SENIORS Parents Students A prospective university student does not select a school in a silo. A myriad of influences impact the final decision. As you develop the digital strategy for your university, one influencer in particular may deserve more thought than others: the parent. According to Noel-Levitz’s 2014 E-Expectations Report, 77% of high school seniors report that their parents have the most influence on their enrollment decision. With that much influence, marketers would be remiss to ignore the needs and desires of those parents. Are you doing everything it takes to communicate your benefits, differentiators, and values to the number one influencer? The Mom & Dad Influence How Parents' Online Behavior Will Impact Your Higher Ed Strategy Visit us at bostonInteractive.com or call us 617.241.7977 Get a Free Consultation © 2015 Boston Interactive ®, 529 Main Street, Suite 212, Charlestown, MA 02129 | 617.241.7977 Source: https://www.noellevitz.com/
