Tim Copeland's Blog on College & University Marketing and Enrollment Management

DemandEngine to Reveal New Research - Announces August Webinar Series

Do you like to keep up with the latest research and finding on enrollment marketing?

If so, I invite you to check out the August 'back-to-school' webinar series my company is sponsoring. We will be presenting recent research findings on:

• What prospective students want from a collegiate social networking experience
• How high school students want to be contacted by colleges and universities
• The current enrollment management practices of professional and continuing education
• Search engine results for programs in undergraduate and professional and continuing education

Other enrollment-focused sessions will include:

• How to manage student touchpoints with your institution
• Using strategy and technology to improve email marketing results
• How to optimize the fundamental recruitment marketing communication channels
• The five fundamental mistakes made by professional and continuing education marketers

The series is free for current higher education practitioners. A phone line and an Internet connection is required to participate. Go here to review the presentations and register for the webinar series.

Oops ... the King of Software Reveals a Secret - Tech Tools and Time

Over the weekend, Microsoft founder Bill Gates revealed that he recently left Facebook, after fielding too many 'friend' requests, this according to AFP. Gates, attending an event in New Delhi, told guests that he recently tried Facebook, but gave up after receiving over 10,000 requests.

Gates, who received the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development from India's president for his work with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, said technology has been "hugely beneficial" but, "All these tools of tech waste our time if we're not careful."

Given Microsoft's global brand appeal and dominance, did Mr. Gates expect less from his Facebook experience? Or, perhaps he had no expectations at all.

Social Insight for Colleges and Universities

Similarly, colleges and universities - encouraged by a rising number of higher education (ahem) social experts - too are rushing into social technologies with little idea of how their students participate, what objectives they will accomplish, and with no strategy ... well, other than 'everybody's doing it.'

I'm an unabashed advocate of social technologies within an interactive marketing framework. That is, we learn something from our prospective students during the recruitment marketing process, and act in ways that demonstrate we are listening. It's a dialogue, not the fire hose of communication most engage in today.

You Need a Social Plan

From our research at DemandEngine, many higher education institutions are applying the same enrollment marketing playbook of irrelevance to social channels with poor results.

Rather than signing up for the latest free internet tool, ask yourself the following questions:

• How you want to change your institutional relationship with students?
• What is your audience ready for?
• What are your objectives? Listening? Embracing? Supporting?
• What strategies will support it?
• Then and only then, ask what technology tools support your plan?

Note to higher education enrollment managers and marketers; social technologies are not a panacea.

Day 3, Noel-Levitz 2009 - The Future of Student Recruitment, Marketing and Retention (Panel Transcript)

 In a session entitled, The Future of Student Recruitment, Marketing, and Retention, an all-star panel addressed issues and emerging trends on enrollment management, marketing, and retention.

Panel members included: Kevin Crockett, Noel-Levitz; Doug Christiansen, Vanderbilt University; Carol Aslanian, Education Dynamics; Brenda Williams, University of New Haven, and Ken Steele, Academica Group.

Read my best effort to transcribe/paraphrase the panel discussion.

Day 3, Noel-Levitz 2009 - Is CRM for higher education a technology ... or something else? (Slide deck)

Building relationships has always been a fundamental core competency for successful recruitment and admissions. Yet with an ever increasing tool set of digital and social technologies, enrollment managers face a complex landscape to connect and engage with prospective students.

In this presentation, New Strategies for Managing Relationships: Recent Research Findings and Recommendations for Undergraduate Admissions, learn how CRM provides a road map to manage complex relationships and supports the attainment of enrollment goals. Discover how colleges and universities are (or are not) embracing the central tenants of CRM, and learn actionable best practices.

Day 2 Insight - Noel-Levitz 2009 Conference

Two down, one to go at the 2009 Noel Levitz National Conference on Student Recruitment, Marketing, and Retention.

I have write-ups on sessions by Indiana Wesleyan's Daniel Solms on the topic of relationship building , and Craig Engel from Noel-Levitz on the fundamental recruitment mistakes made by graduate and professional programs.

Day 2 - Enrollment Management Practices of Professional and Continuing Education (Slide deck)

I've uploaded my updated slide deck from today's conference presentation. Unfortunately, I'm one of those presenters that tweaks their slides until the last minute. The description is below:

New Research: Enrollment Management Practices for Professional and Continuing Education

Professional and continuing education (PCE) leaders are challenged to operate a self-sustaining operation while growing enrollments.

Yet, competition and changing expectations of students put 'build it and they will come' approaches at risk.

Enrollment management provides a well-tested paradigm to improve enrollment performance and increase student success.

From primary research, discover how PCE units approach enrollment management today and learn specific recommendations to improve enrollment performance.

Insights from Day 1 - Noel-Levitz 2009 National Conference

Day 1 is in the books (well, except for the cocktail reception) for the 2009 Noel-Levitz Conference. Despite the budget challenges and travel restrictions faced by many colleges and universities, this year’s conference has attracted over 1,250 attendees … surprising, given the difficult economic climate.

I decided to attend sessions starting with the big enrollment picture and strategy to funnel management, and social media.

Here are the highlights:

Live from San Antonio ... It's Noel-Levitz 2009

High above the mid-western United States, I'm on my way to the Noel-Levitz 2009 National Conference on Student Recruitment, Marketing, and Retention. Featuring sessions on strategic enrollment planning, technology, student success, and admissions and financial aid, this year's conference is being held in San Antonio, Texas.

I will be blogging and 'tweeting' from the event to share up-to-date insights from presenters, panelists, and keynote speakers.

I'm also presenting two presentations on CRM for Undergraduate Admissions: What it Really Means and the Enrollment Management Practices of Professional and Continuing Education.

New White Paper: The Professional and Continuing Education Enrollment Funnel

While Professional and Continuing Education (PCE) units have upped their marketing capabilities in recent years, many have taken a narrow view on the role of prospect cultivation and the need to intentionally manage the student pipeline. PCE has long been driven by lagging performance measures of gross revenues, course go/nogo decisions, and total student headcount.

In this new white paper, learn how the enrollment funnel can be a valuable tool to measure program demand and prospective student intent, improve forecasting, and align outreach marketing activities with how students' make decisions.

A very special thanks to Stephanie Platteter from the University of Minnesota-College of Continuing Education, and Steve O'Brian from the University of Washington-Extension for their significant contributions to the paper.

Download a copy of Introducing the Enrollment Funnel: A Valuable Tool for Professional and Continuing Education Outreach