The Paths of Conversion: Optimizing Search, Social, and Your Website for Optimal Engagement Tim McDonough & Mia Major www.finalsite.com
About Tim Director of Client Success at Finalsite Former director of admission in higher ed and secondary ed Frequent speaker, blogger, and consultant on social media, school marketing, online admissions trends and website strategies Twitter: @tmcdonough1973 LinkedIn: in/tmcdonough1973
What are the Paths of Conversion? Search (SEO + PPC) Social Media Email Your Website
If fixing optimizing your website is step one, then defining your personas is step zero.
Why Build Personas? Help you determine different messaging to different audiences NO ONE wants to receive content that is not relevant to them They are part of a bigger strategic initiative: They help you identify how to identify, understand, and engage your ideal student.
How to shape a persona A representation of your applicant based on research and data about your enrolled students and alumni. PERSONAS ARE SHAPED AROUND: Backgrounds, Age, Demographics Personality Goals Challenges Common objections Budgets Interests Academic strength
Example of a Persona SUSIE THE SCHOLAR Coming in as a freshman, she ll want be the president of every club, take every AP class, and graduate with a 4.0. She s not interested in sports, but she is altruistic, honest, kind and welcoming. Susie is worried about the cost of your school, so she s going to need a big scholarship in order to attend.
What other personas can you have? Prospective / current athletes Segment by sport or gender Donors Recurring New Young Accepted students Current students Segment by school/grade Possibilities are virtually endless
SPARK NOTES VERSION You always need to know who you re talking to and why.
How to Get People to Your Site from Search
Unbranded Search private schools in san francisco 83% of search query paths begin with an unbranded term More than 90% of all online experiences begin in search
Branded Search Your school name here + keyword
Keyword Research
Search Engine Optimization Strategies Your school name + what families would search for when looking for your school or a school like yours
Pay-Per-Click Ads Helps you win in unbranded searches where you might struggled Depending on experience, 30%-50% of searchers can t tell the difference between paid and organic results
Spotlight: Bancroft School The school made the switch from print to digital ads last fall, and received astounding results: Over 5,000 impressions Nearly 100 clicks 41 conversions, and an average 5.59% CTR.
How to Get People to Your Site from Social Media
The decline of organic reach in Social Media Organic reach is increasingly more difficult to come by Average organic reach for business pages is 2-6% Why? Facebook wants to show users content it thinks they want to see Also to encourage pay to play Organic reach is increasingly more difficult to come by Average organic reach for business pages is 2-6%
How can your social media be the exception? Create updates that feel like they re from family/friends Be personable! Have a real, humanized voice Use photos with faces Don t be afraid to throw in the occasional emoji Play the game Know and use the algorithms to your advantage Use paid advertising even if it s a small budget Include posts that are quick wins
Score More Traffic with Social Ads Facebook Website click ads Typical CPC is $0.50-$1.00 Can also appear on Instagram and Audience Network Install Facebook Pixel for remarketing and conversion ads Twitter Website Click Ads Utilize Twitter Cards for cleaner look that stands out LinkedIn Sponsored updates can link to website (like boosted post) Can run recruiting ads if looking to fill positions
Ads Best Practices Send user directly to page you want them to go to If possible, create custom landing page that looks great on mobile If contact/lead form, make it as short as possible The shorter, the better Studies show 90 characters or less perform best for ads and posts! Use images that have people and their faces Track ad campaigns by tagging URLs to see which perform best Target as much as possible use AB testing!
Not sure what to promote? Take a look at past posts, and see which posts already had a ton of engagement They ve already proven to be engaging so it is a good place to start Ride out the first 24 hours of organic engagement, then promote it!
Spotlight: Whitfield School Facebook likes increased by 13% and Twitter followers increased by 10% 23 goal completions as a result of the ads 2 users who viewed open house ads downloaded an application 15 assisted goal conversions from Facebook & Twitter 73% of users were brand new to the website
How to Get People to Your Site from Email
Successful emails begin with personas Segment your communications Add personalization tokens Be sure the messaging is relevant to the recipient Don t fill the email with noise (AKA athletics news in an alumni newsletter)
Other tips for optimization Keep your message targeted Include at least one image Use a video! Boosts open rates by 19%. Boosts click-through rates by 65%. Reduces unsubscribes by 26%. End every email with a CTA button!
Tips for increasing email engagement with EVERYONE! Add emojis to your subject line Have your emails come from a REAL PERSON Send content, not just general info Don t send emails to individuals who don t engage
Website Strategies for Success
The goal: Once you have them on your website, don t let them leave. No more dead end pages Relevant content Landing pages Engaging pictures and videos Testimonials Short Forms Call-to-Action buttons
Two types of website visitors HIGH COMMITMENT Ready to apply No real convincing needed Your school is their top choice More patient and forgiving with site look, feel, experience They are willing to fill out longer forms LOW-COMMITMENT Just shopping around Wanting to learn more Need help making a decision Your school is one of many options They are NOT willing to fill out longer forms
Homepage Design http://www.olgchs.org/
Landing Page Design
Calls-to-Action Use active words Think Apply Now not Application Have different CTAs for families at different stages of the funnel Apply is a much bigger commitment than Inquire Location, location, location CTAs located at the top left and bottom of pages get the most clicks
News doesn t have to just be a pop-up or a standalone thing.
Creating the Journey
Thank You! Thank you for attending our presentation. #Finalsite www.finalsite.com
About Mia Content Marketing Manager at Finalsite Inbound marketing strategist Blogger, wedding cinematographer, rookie photographer and freelance videographer Twitter: @miamajor LinkedIn: in/miamajor