Their Language! Now You're Speaking
Transcript of Their Language! Now You're Speaking
Now You're Speaking Their Language!
Today’s Presenter
Will PatchSenior Enrollment Insights Leader, Higher Ed
Sources
> Feedback from over 30,000 students> 2021 Niche Senior Survey> Niche Enrollment Funnel Analyses> Niche and National Student
Clearinghouse data> Previews:
> Class of 2022 Fall Senior Survey> 2021 College Searching Parent Survey
Framework for today:
Relevance
Provide Relevance Over Personalization
Personalization:“The act or process of making a general statement, work, etc., into one that is particular to an individual”
Relevance:“The condition of being relevant, or connected with the matter at hand”
dictionary.com
Why relevance?
Personalized, but not relevant
Hi Will,
Pumpco bike pumps are ideal to fix your flat and get you back on the road fast in Indiana!
Relevant, but not personalized
Get your bike on the road fast with a Pumpco pump!
Personalized and relevant
Hey Will,
Winter is coming. Did you know that we also have indoor bike trainers for those Indiana winters? Let me know if Pumpco can help you stay fit this winter!
7%The share of Class of 2022 students who said that communications from colleges felt very personalized and relevant.
It was 17% for the class of 2021.
Source: Class of 2022 Fall Senior Survey
Amplify Awareness
Say what?!
> They haven’t requested information and might not even know who you are
> Opt-in and qualify them, don’t annoy them> Earn trust and attention> Don’t propose on the first date
Prospects
Referrals
Lookalikes and Cross-Interest Prospects
Prospect Full Funnel Conversion Rates
Source: Niche Enrollment Funnel Analyses
0.3%of prospects overall
1.1%of Niche Cross-Interest Prospects
#Goals
> Build awareness and qualify interest> CTA should be inquiring/engaging> Customize introduction to sourcing> Teach and excite, don’t rush to take high value actions
> Don’t propose on the first date
Entice Engagement
Say what?!
> Consider how they engaged> Inquiry form (Where?)
> New inquiries vs engaged prospects> Segment> Build relationships> Be smart about pushing conversions> Bring in parents
Inquiries
Inquiry Full Funnel Conversion Rates
Source: Niche Enrollment Funnel Analyses
1.6%of inquiries overall
2.3%of recruiting activity inquiries
4.1%of inbound marketing inquiries
11.0%of Niche Qualified Inquiries
Visit Trends2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016
0 28% 15% 7% 6% 5% 5%1 21% 18% 15% 15% 14% 15%2 19% 20% 20% 20% 19% 19%3 13% 16% 19% 20% 20% 18%4 6% 9% 11% 12% 12% 12%5+ 12% 22% 27% 27% 30% 32%
Rethink Snap Back to In-Person
> Class of 2022 say they are very likely to…> Visit a campus (45%)> Meet with colleges that visit their school (35%)> Attend a college fair (27%)
Parent Preference Preview
Avg Rank Ranking #1 Ranking top 2
Graduation rate 2.08 28% 70%
Job placement rate 2.16 33% 62%
Acceptance rate 2.77 27% 38%
Retention 2.99 12% 31%
#Goals
> Respond to their entry engagement> Don’t just tell them you’re safe and diverse, show it> Adjust visit expectations> Address costs head-on> Don’t tell them to apply, make them want to
Advance Applicants
Say what?!
> Incomplete comm flow> What’s next?> Stealth apps are high intent inquiries
> Catch them up!> This is the final entry point
Application Trends
2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 20161 11% 15% 14% 14% 14% 12%2 10% 12% 12% 13% 12% 12%3 11% 12% 12% 13% 13% 12%4 9% 10% 11% 12% 11% 11%5+ 59% 51% 52% 48% 50% 53%
Applicants are a layover
> Self-serve hub for materials if possible> Provide timeline for decisions> If they are waitlisted or denied, provide pathways
Two Fronts
> Relational and digital> Leverage remarketing to stay top-of-mind
#Goals
> Treat stealth apps differently> Softer apps need more relational recruiting> Be sticky - Be a connector
> Students> Faculty> Arts and athletics
Ascend Acceptances
Say what?!
> They’re in, but there’s a lot to do> They have options, don’t take it for granted> Address any final fears
Acceptance Trends
2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 20161 16% 20% 19% 21% 19% 17%2 14% 16% 16% 18% 18% 17%3 14% 15% 15% 16% 16% 17%4 12% 12% 12% 12% 13% 12%5+ 44% 37% 36% 31% 32% 35%
#Goals
> Create community> Know how they want contacted> Address must-haves and pain points> Have honest conversations about next steps and how to say
yes or no
Excite Enrollments
Say what?!
> Keep in touch> Connect and build community> Excite them about the coming semester and years
#Goals
> Build a robust plan for preventing melt> Address concerns without forcing them to ask> Very little automation
Submit Questions in Your Chat Window
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By supporting over 27 million students and families, Niche is changing how colleges and universities connect with students and build their future classes.
We enable our more than 2,000 partners to build genuine connections that nurture interest into visits, applications, and enrollment.
About Niche...
Verified Enrollment Report: 4-Year Colleges
HS Class of 2020
Enrolled students were active on Niche.
Enrolled students expressed interest in
their school on Niche.
563k 414k
(in partnership with National Student Clearinghouse)
(Data above reflects the total of 1,603 schools in segment)
Market Segment Overview
1,603Total 4-Year Colleges on Niche
65MNiche Profile Views (2020)
2.4MConnections (Clicks to .edu)
The Verified Enrollment Report reflects the enrollment outcomes
across 4-Year Colleges.
Implied 1st Year Net Rate Revenue from Niche Inquiries
$7.5B
Market Where the Students Are
> Help students discover your school on the #1 college search platform
> Highlight what makes your school unique
Partnering with Niche
Additional Resources & ResearchEnrollment Insights Blog niche.bz/insights
Modern Enrollment Marketing
> Niche Audience Remarketing> Reach students who are actively searching on
the platforms they use most> Drive traffic from your Niche Profile back to
your website
> Niche Inquiry & Prospect Solutions> Connect with Niche for an initial analysis of
your inquiries & prospectsClaim Your Profile
Submitted Questions
Would love to hear your thoughts on text communication with students and how to achieve the right tone. Once a student "opts in" to recieve texts,
how can we make sure we are not being annoying? Do parents want to receive texts from college admissions
offices?
We have a fairly good sense of what our prospects and inquiries want to hear more about through survey
responses that tie directly to their Slate records. I'd love to hear more about effective calls to action that address those topical areas. We often provide blog posts, videos, and/or events as our main CTAs -- what are we missing?
What are other schools offering that area generating strong engagement metrics?
What is the best way to use Niche to help recruit high school students for Pre-College Summer Programs?
Q&AWill PatchSenior Enrollment Insights Leader, Higher Ed
EI Twitter: @Niche_Insights
LinkedIn: Niche
Twitter: @will_patch