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
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
Mobile & Social Consumer-Level Expectations
Authenticity & Experiences
Comscore Research 2016
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
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.)
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
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
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 | [email protected]