January… A Happy New Year to everyone. COVID-19 will continue to plague higher education for the next two or three months but things will improve as spring advances and summer arrives. That said, marketing as we knew it pre-2020 will not return. The marketing imperative of increasing inquiries to fill a funnel is dead. Focus […]
December… We continue to cope with negative COVID-19 impact as higher education prepares for a Spring semester that faces the same challenges as in the Fall. But at last, with the gradual availability of vaccines, we can see the proverbial tunnel light that will brighten prospects for Fall 2021. To track the movement of colleges […]
November… Last day to vote tomorrow here in the U.S. Meanwhile, a most unusual recruitment season unfolds as admissions folk work on alternatives to traditional techniques that are not possible in a COVID-19 world. Some of those were past their shelf life anyway. Look below for a recommendation on 3 firms to check for help […]
October. The COVID-19 academic year moves forward in fits and starts. Some schools are doing relatively well. Others are not doing well at all. Hoping for more successes than failures between now and the Thanksgiving pause. One thing seems more certain: spring semester will be more like fall than the fondly remembered “normal.” And to […]
September. Most colleges and universities across the U.S. are open… in one form or another. Results re COVID-19 are mixed, with outbreaks at some schools forcing an abandonment of face-to-face classes. Enrollment results are mixed, with some increases and (probably) more decreases. Higher education life, marketing included, is far from settled and we move into […]
August. And the fall future for colleges and universities is a bit clearer now than at the start of the month. More schools abandoning on campus class plans. Others announcing initial online opens followed by fact-to-face classes. Many still planning to have everyone back. Sports leagues are closing down. Power 5 conferences still deciding. On […]
July. And the fall future for colleges and universities isn’t any clearer now than it was when June began. Robert Kelchen, associate professor of higher education at Seton Hall University, wrote this on July 1: “Unfortunately, I’m convinced that this month will be one of the worst months that American higher education has experienced in a […]
June. “Understandable uncertainty continues as colleges and universities begin to announce an “intent” to open in the fall, replete with caveats. The definition of “open” remains flexible. No early word yet on May 1 enrollment deposits from the majority of schools that did not extend until June 1. Those reports should start soon.” Those sentences […]
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 […]
Hello in March. Any day now the southern Michigan snow will vanish. Spring is upon us. So far, the coronavirus is not. Join 810+ higher education professionals on the Top Tasks: Higher Education Website Content group at LinkedIn. Check my last post to see higher education’s best task-oriented alumni relations site. Request membership at https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8478858. No travel required […]
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 […]
January. And the proverbial “Happy New Year” to everyone as 2020 begins. Planning your 2020 conference events? The Call for Papers for the 2020 eduWeb Digital Summit is open until January 15. The 2020 event is August 3-5 at Utah’s Snowbird Resort. See the proposal details. Improving the marketing power of your website? Believe in “continuous […]