Growing Brand & Enrollment through Social Media: Tips for Community Colleges

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1 Growing Brand & Enrollment through Social Media: Tips for Community Colleges Mike Barzacchini, Director, Marketing Services Harper College, Palatine, Illinois Today s Goals: 1. Show how social media can help grow enrollment. 2. Discuss how social media can advance your brand. 3. Share practical tips and examples on ways to integrate social media into your campaigns. 1

2 SOCIAL POLL #1: Who s leading social media efforts on your campus? Marketing, communications, public relations Registration, admissions, financial aid Student services, advising, student activities Foundation, community relations, alumni relations Multiple departments Other Why Social Matters 2

3 More people pay less attention to more media than ever before. Mike Barzacchini 3

4 The Audience Decides 44% of direct mail is never opened. 86% of people skip through television commercials. 84% of 25 to 34 year olds have clicked out of a website because of an irrelevant or intrusive ad. The cost per lead in outbound marketing is more than for inbound marketing Source: Mashable.com / The new age of inbound marketing is about providing added value and earning customer loyalty instead of simply pounding a message into consumers heads and hoping it will stick. Source: Mashable.com / 4

5 Social media, done well, adds value and grows lasting relationships. 5 Keys to Social Media Success 5

Employees 35% Community 25% New Students 25% Current Students* 10% Community

6 1. Know Your Audience Who s using your social channels? Facebook 50% Current Students 25% New Students 15% Employees 35% Community 25% New Students 25% Current Students* 10% Community 15% Peers 2. Identify Your Purpose Is the content you are posting advancing the goals you want to achieve? 6

7 3. Integrate Social Works Best When It Works Together. 4. Share Content That Gets Shared Trends" Jobs and Careers" NEW!! Deadlines" Events and Experiences" Video" 7

8 5. Adopt a Mothership Strategy Twitter YouTube Facebook LinkedIn SOCIAL POLL #2: Which Social Media Channel Do You Use Most Often To Market Your Institution? Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn Blogs Other Not Currently Using Social Media to Market Our Institution 8

9 3 Case Studies Case Study #1: No Time. No Money. But We Have An Event! 9

10 Integrating Facebook, Twitter and PR to Promote Events Integrating Facebook, Twitter and PR to Promote Events Tactics: Facebook, Twitter and PR. Outcome: 40+ RSVPs, 27 attendees. 10

11 TIP: When planning to use PR tactics, remember social PR Why It Works New adult transfer program. Highly targeted audience. Sense of urgency - Tight deadline

12 Promoting Regular Events with Social Media Example: Health Careers Open Houses RSVPs via Facebook Twitter Web Do we need social media to promote a health careers open house? Maybe not. But the awareness and brand outcomes are valuable. Case Study #2: Promoting Live Chat with Twitter and Facebook 12

Chat is a Social Medium And Other Social Media will Drive Traffic to Chat Promote Chat Using Facebook Promote Chat Using Twitter Chat usage continues to grow at Harper College, up approximately

13 Chat is a Social Medium And Other Social Media will Drive Traffic to Chat Promote Chat Using Facebook Promote Chat Using Twitter Chat usage continues to grow at Harper College, up approximately 40% in one year, helped by social media integration. Along with Chat, , Q&A, and Surveys can all be social. Consider broadening your definition of social media and remember to integrate. 13

14 Case Study #3: Launching a Comprehensive Enrollment Campaign with Integrated Social Media 14

Build awareness and trust among the FTIC and Young Adult

15 Primary goals: Increase awareness of and benefits of taking summer classes Generate leads and convert to enrollments Build awareness and trust among the FTIC and Young Adult market by securing selfgenerated video testimonials via contest 15

Highlights: Email campaign reached 17,000+ people (opens; 30.

16 Primary message: Use summer to further your education toward a specific personal, academic or professional goal: What are you doing this summer? Highlights: campaign reached 17,000+ people (opens; 30.25% average rate), who then engaged (clicked links) 2,500+ times (9.57% average CTR). Transfer university online advertising was viewed 183,000 times (impressions) and engaged 200+ people (clicks, CTR =.11%). 16

Online advertising (Google, Facebook) was viewed 31,000,000 times and engaged viewers 13,700 times (clicks).

17 Highlights: YouTube presence and video competition engaged 17,000+ people (2300% increase vs. 2010) via promotional video and 13 student-developed response videos (333% increase vs. 2010) on YouTube. Online advertising (Google, Facebook) was viewed 31,000,000 times and engaged viewers 13,700 times (clicks). Additional campaign components On campus, local movie theatres, local newspaper insert. Highlights: Summary: Campaign generated 500 leads, 175 enrollments, and 881 credit hours. Each lead tracked through enrollment with data collected/reported by Marketing Services Center and Registration Office. 17

18 Why It Works Redesigned entire summer campaign with social media (YouTube) as its foundation. Highly targeted and active audience. Compelling offer (Scholarships budgeted as part of the marketing campaign). 35 One More Idea 18

19 Are You Blogging? No matter what, the very first piece of social media real estate I d start with is a blog. Chris Brogan Founder, New Marketing Labs Killer Content Blogs White Papers Podcasts Vodcasts Advantages: Build brand Establish credibility Improve search Feed other social channels 19

20 University of Phoenix White Papers and Articles 20

21 Strategy Idea: Make Your Blog or Article Library Your Mothership Develop articles or posts on targeted, relevant copies. Social-cast this content out through your other social media channels and campaigns. How to start? Develop an 8-12 month content calendar Enlist co-writers (staff, colleagues, faculty) Plan your initiatives from the blog or white paper out to other social and traditional channels A Few Final Thoughts People share, read and generally engage more with any type of content when it s surfaced through friends and people they know and trust. Malorie Lucich Facebook Spokesperson 21

22 Focus On What Works Targeted audience. Defined goal. Relevant offer or content. Sense of urgency. Integrate: Social w/social; social w/traditional. Mothership strategy. SOCIAL POLL #3: What would you like to try next with social media? Start or revive our institution s blog Evaluate the audiences of our active social channels More closely integrate two or more social channels Develop a mothership strategy Develop a content calendar 22

23 Resources Mashable.com -- Social news, trends and how to articles Hubspot.com -- Expert info about social media and integration MarketingExperiments.com -- Thorough and practical research about social media, , landing pages... MarketingProfs.com -- Leading trade for marketing professionals, covering social media and much more Bob Johnson s higher ed marketing blog ( Ragan.com ( news and ideas for communicators) Bit.ly (shorten URLs, generate QR codes HootSuite (schedule Twitter -- and now -- Facebook posts) Questions? Stay In Touch! Mike Barzacchini mbarzacc@harpercollege.edu Twitter: twitter.com/mikebarzacchini Google+: bit.ly/barzacchini_plus LinkedIn: linkd.in/barzacchini 23

How to Tie PR to Sales. Gaetan Akinrolabu Director of Social Media for KCSA Strategic

How to Tie PR to Sales. Gaetan Akinrolabu Director of Social Media for KCSA Strategic How to Tie PR to Sales Gaetan Akinrolabu Director of Social Media for KCSA Strategic Communications @GaetanAkin Lead Generation: Exclusivity and Leadership 2 Trust, Acceptance, Desire To generate brand