February greetings… and a special welcome to new January subscribers as the newsletter enters the 26th year. Enrollment marketing as we knew it pre-2020 is dead. Not every element but the mix of techniques to recruit students used in the 1990s and well past 2010 is done. That’s been happening for a few years now, but […]
COVID-19 = Budget Cuts = New Digital Magazine at Middlebury College When COVID-19 hit colleges in March one immediate result was a quest for budget reductions to offset expected revenue losses. Middlebury College was no exception. And so a decision was made to cancel a regularly scheduled edition of Middlebury’s 96 page quarterly print magazine […]
New York University boosts recruitment connections with 16 “Ask Me Anything” students on Instagram Now that it is not possible for potential new students to visit campuses they might enroll at social media connections (and digital markeitng in general) have assumed a new importance in enrollment planning. NYU takes an important social media step with […]
April. Not the happy month we were expecting. The April newsletter focuses on the impacts and adjustments from the coronavirus plague. None of us can claim to truly foresee what awaits us. Flexibility is more needed now than ever. Hoping everyone will find something helpful below. Most of all, stay safe. No travel required for […]
February greetings… Make a note this month to check how many “How did you hear about us?” options you have on your inquiry form. Not long ago I opened an inquiry form with 73 choices. That’s nuts. Here’s hoping this unreliable data isn’t used for anything serious. Just drop it from your form. (Same school […]
November. With high school student recruitment continuing in full swing we suspect more than a few schools still are planning how to adopt new recruitment steps following the change in NACAC guidelines on what new enticements are acceptable and what primary competitors are introducing. The Call for Papers for the 2020 eduWeb Digital Summit opened last week […]
September. At most colleges, first year students from high school are moved in and starting classes. A shrinking number of the total students in U.S. colleges and universities but always an important one as the competition for mostly older, online students at every level continues to grow. Improving the marketing power of your website? Find […]
Fast, Easy-to-Complete Online Admissions Application from The University of the Pacific How many of your admissions applications are completed on a smartphone? Might more people do that if it were easier to complete? The University of the Pacific first reported on the success of an online admissions application for new freshmen at the AMA Symposium […]
The Need for Website Speed… Importance Grows in 2019… 8 of 45 Higher Ed Sites are “Excellent” Now Website speed review from Unbounce… Many, perhaps most, potential students of every age first come into contact with a particular college or university by visiting the website. Visits often, but by means always, start at the home […]
Parents Content: 3 Stages in the Recruitment Cycle at Creighton University Despite the important role parents play as high school students search about for the right college to attend, few colleges and universities have created communication programs that recognize that importance. Creighton University website content is different. Creighton has created a “From Your Nest to […]
Bad Tactics Kill the Best Brand Strategy… A 6-Step Recruitment Review Yes, the little things can kill (or boost) your brand. That’s as true for colleges and universities as for any other organization striving for marketing success. In higher education marketing, this is the “branding era.” This 2017 “Five Strategies…” article is typical. Each of […]
Alumni & Students Rate Academic Programs at Concordia University, Nebraska In June a Link of the Week featured student critiques of the online education program at Western Governors University. Gerry McGovern at a higher education conference in Spain had asked: “Where are the authentic student reviews on university websites?” Almost no colleges and universities include […]