Reconceiving Marketing, Design and Delivery of Graduate Programs a 21st Century Approach for 21st...

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Design and Delivery of Graduate Programs: A 21st Century Approach for 21st Century Students

John J. Donohue, Ph.D.Clay Gillespie

Synergis Education


Synergis

Elevate the core strengths of respected institutions, to help increase their

capability to grow and serve high quality students.

Keys to Success:

Nimble

Institutions come to Synergis with goals that often include: expanding program offerings, growing enrollment, diversifying delivery models (to online and blended), extending reach and access to non-traditional students, enhancing institutional reputation and increasing revenue

Scalable and tailored

Synergis helps institutions by developing scalable programs with a focused strategy, providing a pathway to integrating new and improved learning modalities and removing barriers to growth and expansion.

Industry leading talent

The Synergis team combines over 80 years of higher education experience, with notable expertise in adult education, learning technologies, instructional design, college administration and finance.


John Donohue

John J. Donohue, Ph.D. Executive Vice President for Partner Development and In-Account Growth • Almost 28 years in higher education• Ph.D. in anthropology from Stony Brook University, and has

served as tenured professor, dean, vice president, provost and acting president.

• An expert on curricular design and program development• Has worked at a variety of colleges and universities that were

committed to curricular innovation and the design of programs targeted to serve the needs of non-traditional learners.

• He has also has served as a consultant for chief executive officers in higher education, providing analyses of program costs and benefits and creating analytic tools that assist institutions to support organizational missions, while simultaneously improving operational return on investment.


Clay Gillespie

Clay GillespiePresident & Chief Marketing Officer

• 20 years of progressive and innovative marketing experience to institutions of higher learning across the country.

• Served as Senior Vice President of Marketing at Career Education Corporation (CECO), Chief Marketing Officer for both ECPI University and Orbis Education.

• Has launched, shaped and guided multiple high profile brands across numerous industries, including Postsecondary Education, Finance, Pharmaceutical, Sports and Entertainment, and e-Commerce.

• He is recognized for delivering strong bottom-line performance through effective adaptation to rapid changes in consumer behavior, technology, and new media.


CONSIDERATIONS

Overview

Students in graduate programs are increasingly “non-traditional” in their characteristics, seeking enhanced access, relevance and transparency from graduate programs.

Enrollment growth has tapered overall, but online continues to grow.

Increased competition has driven higher marketing acquisition costs.

Rapid changes in consumer behavior have been influenced by innovations in technology (e.g.; social media, mobile, etc.).


A 21ST CENTURY MARKET

The 21st Century Market

• Between 2008 and 2018 the number of jobs requiring a master’s degree will increase by about 18% during this time period and those requiring a doctoral degree by about 17%

Council of Graduate Schools and Educational Testing Service. (2010). The Path Forward: The Future of Graduate Education in the United States. Report from the Commission on the Future of Graduate Education in the United States. Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service. p 17

• 83.0% of all first-time graduate students in fall 2013 were enrolled in programs leading to a master’s degree or a graduate certificate, while 17% of all first-time graduate students were enrolled in doctoral programs.

Allum, J. (2014). Graduate enrollment and degrees: 2003 to 2013. Washington, DC: Council of Graduate Schools.

• The broad fields of education, business, and health sciences enrolled the largest numbers of graduate students.


WITH 21ST CENTURY STUDENTS

21st Century Students

“Traditional” students declining, more “nontraditional” students are appearing on the horizon.

They are older, engage in work, family, and school activities at the same time, and view graduate education as a means of changing or improving their employability.

Council of Graduate Schools and Educational Testing Service. (2010). The Path Forward: The Future of Graduate Education in the United States. Report from the Commission on the Future of Graduate Education in the United States. Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service.


WHAT THEY WANT

21st Century Programs Key Points

Access• Flexibility in policies • Procedures• Delivery

Relevance• Connection to concrete

career pathways Transparency• Clarity in processes, rationale,

and outcomes


To maximize share-of-voice for graduate program enrollment:• Adapt to the way consumers absorb media today,

o by implementing an integrated marketing approach across the entire student lifecycle,

o incorporating a balance of Push and Pull mediums,

o with an emphasis on digital marketing.

Marketing Overview

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50%

100%

150%

200%

38%

75%

113%

175%

Google CPC In...

Industry Trends

10

Marketing Costs are on the Rise

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In the wake of significant increased competition, Education marketing costs have soared throughout the industry.

Source: Google Education Industry Report, 2014

– Google’s average cost-per-click for education terms have increased more than 365% in three years.

Industry Trends

11

Growth of Distance Education Student Population


Source: Babson Survey Research Group, 2014

School YearStudents Taking at Least

One Online Course % of Total Enrollment

2002 1,602,970

2003 1,971,397

2004 2,329,783

2005 3,180,050

2006 3,488,381

2007 3,938,111

2008 4,606,353

2009 5,579,022

2010 6,142,280

2011 6,714,792

2012 7,126,549

2013 7,390,231

70.7% of all active, degree-granting institutions that are open to the public have some distance offerings. - IPEDS, 2014

Industry Trends

12

Distance Education Enrollment Change (2012 to 2013)


Source: Babson Survey Research Group, 2014

– The year-over-year growth in distance enrollments was uneven based on institutional type. Public institutions

grew by 4.6%. Private not-for-

profit institutions grew 12.6% (on a lower base).

Private for-profit institutions decreased by -7.9%.

Industry Trends

13

Adapting to Changes in Consumer Media Habits


Source: eMarketer, Sep 2014

There is still a significant gap between where advertisers’ spend their budgets and where consumers spend their time – at least in some mediums.

Industry Trends

14

Adapting to Cross-Platform / Multi-Screen Behavior


On average, consumers spend 4.4 hours of their daily leisure time in front of screens.

77% of the time consumers watch TV is with a second screen – smartphone, PC, or tablet.

– Google Consumer Behavior Study

Integrated Marketing Strategy

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Offline MediaDigital Display

AdvertisingSocial Media Search

MarketingEducation

PortalsBrand

Website

Inquiry Capture

Optimization

EnrollmentFunnel

Optimization

Push

• TV• Radio• Social Media• Online Display –

Behavioral / Retargeting

• Mobile Media• Targeted DM /

Email

Pull

• Paid Search• Secondary Search

Portals• Mobile Search• CPL Media• Local Online

Directories

Optimization

• Microsite Optimization

• Live Chat• Call Center -

Speed to Contact• Contact

Management Optimization



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Online Display: 1:1 Targeting

• Rather than traditional CPM buys, deliver 1-to-1 messaging to prospects who are more likely to enroll based on three targeting methods:– Predictive targeting– Cookie-based

behavioral, contextual, remarketing

– Social Media - advanced segmentation and look-a-like modeling in Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter


Push Pull Optimize


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Online Display: Geo-Fencing

• Geo-Fencing combines target audience profile with pinpoint geo-targeting and search behavior to better optimize our display ads – right person, right place, and right time.

• Target prospective students down to their exact locations (e.g. Hospitals, Community Colleges).

Push Pull Optimize


Example: Community colleges



SEM: Paid / Sponsored Search Push Pull Optimize

• Paid search within Google and Bing is a critical part of your integrated marketing approach.

• SiteLinks, Location Extensions, Call Extensions, Review Extensions, etc. – will maximize share-of-voice among prospects who are actively researching schools.

– Open Houses– Live Chat– Refer a Friend– Military Benefits– Schedule an

Appointment

– Locations– Tuition Guide– Career Guide– Program

Pages

Site Links

Call Extensions Location

Extensions



SEO: Search Engine Optimization Push Pull Optimize

• Organic rankings within a search engine are also important to achieve a multiple listing strategy for programmatic terms.

• There are three primary tactics to optimize organic rankings:

1. Site Optimization (On-Page)

2. Content Creation

3. Link Building (Off-Page)



SEM: Online Directory Advertising Push Pull Optimize

• 92% of consumers use online local search directories when researching products or services, particularly late in the purchase lifecycle.

• Universal Business Listings (UBLs) will push accurate data to most online directories and GPS systems.

• Performance campaigns with SuperPages.com, CitySearch.com, etc. generates more high quality leads.


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Landing Page / Microsite Optimization

• Your brand website and microsites should be responsive and adapt to the specific screen prospects are using.

• This is critical to site conversion optimization and to maintain a high QS within the search engines.

Push PullOptimiz

e



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Live Chat

• Live Chat is a way to engage prospective students in an active, yet less threatening way, who may not otherwise complete an inquiry form on your brand website or microsites.

Push PullOptimiz

e



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Enrollment Funnel Optimization Push PullOptimiz

e


Contact

Appointment

Start

Cost: $100 Conv: 16%Cost: $650

Conv: 70%Cost: $893 Conv: 65%

Cost: $1,374

Conv: 52%Cost: $2,642

Inquiry Brochure

Financial Aid Brochure

Appointment Reminder

Welcome Kit

Alumni Re-engagement

Drop-In Campaign

• OBTM• SMS• Email• DM

Reconceiving Marketing, Design and Delivery of Graduate Programs a 21st Century Approach for 21st...

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