I recently wrote a white paper for DemandEngine forecasting 10 enrollment marketing predictions for 2010. Here's an excerpt and you can download a full copy of the paper below:
While most colleges and universities avoided deep enrollment marketing cuts in the current fiscal year, downward budget pressure is most likely unavoidable in FY2011.
As one industry veteran recently stated, “colleges and universities are used to routinely pulling out all the stops to attract prospective students,” regardless of the cost or irritation to these students. Despite an abundance of interactive technologies, many enrollment professionals are applying the same basic playbook that’s existed for the last 20 years: load up the funnel with direct mail search programs and travel, and then blast, blast, blast. A ‘pulling out all the stops’ approach is really a code phrase for ‘I don’t know what really works.’
In 2010, we expect that simple economics combined with media proliferation will force enrollment professionals to change their stripes. Effectively combining and applying strategy, measurement, and technology will be necessary for enrollment managers to compete for students as well as institutional resources. Looking into our crystal ball, our ten enrollment marketing predictions for 2010 include:
1. Reduced Budgets Shine the Light on Marketing Inefficiencies
2. Lazy Marketing Communications are Out … Students Expect More
3. Higher Education CRM Will Begin to Take Hold
4. Yet, Many CRM Initiatives Will Fail
5. Institutions Will Move to Manage Enrollment Holistically
6. Professional and Continuing Education Will Discover the Benefits of Price Discrimination
7. Social SPAM Will Emerge …
8. … And The Bloom Will Come off the Social Rose
9. Email and Search Engine Marketing will Finally Become Foundational Channels
10. The Enrollment Funnel Still Matters
Download the a full copy of Ten Enrollment Marketing Predictions for 2010
