Use School Events to Create Digital Micro-Campaigns

Maximising Lead Generation at Your School’s Events with Digital Micro-Campaigns

Presented by: Higher Education Marketing

1.  What is a Micro-Campaign? 2.  Different Types of Events for Micro Campaigns 3.  Creating Tailored Content for Your Event

4.  Build a Social Media Micro-Campaign

5.  Increasing Lead Generation with Targeted PPC & Advertising 6.  Integrating Your Micro Campaign with Physical Marketing

7.  Measuring the Effectiveness of Your Campaigns

Overview

1. What is a Micro-Campaign?

Source: HEM – Creating Digital Micro-Campaigns Around Your College Events

Every college has dates on their calendar that are extra special. It could be a-

�  Sporting event

�  Academic conference �  An historic moment in your school’s history

�  A public event in your hometown e.g. a festival

Each of these events are a unique part of your school’s

identity, and an ideal opportunity to communicate your story and

message to prospective students!

Micro Campaigns are smaller, more focused initiatives centred around events to boost your profile and generate new leads. They can include: �  Targeted advertising

�  Customised content �  Social media hashtags and promotion

�  Integrated physical marketing

Let’s see how you can start building micro campaigns around your events, and create a more targeted online recruitment strategy!


1. What is a Micro-Campaign?

In addition to the events already mentioned, micro-campaigns can also be used to promote- �  Guest lectures from renowned experts or public figures

�  Social and recreational events such as balls and concerts

�  Festivities built around sporting occasions e.g. homecoming

�  Student Recruitment events like fairs and open days �  Regular calendar events such as graduations or orientations

�  Special online events

2. Different Types of Events for Micro Campaigns


Example- Royal Roads University made serious waves with their “Future View” campaign. Current students and faculty members wore Google Glass and GoPro cameras so that prospective applicants could experience the campus through their eyes.

2. Different Types of Events for Micro Campaigns


Online or virtual recruitment events can include: Ø  Virtual tours Ø  Streamed lectures Ø  Online Q&As Ø  Live chats with faculty

In the lead up to your event, you can tweak your regular content to make it more relevant. For example: �  Write a blog post profiling a guest speaker at a conference

�  Create an article around the history of a sporting rivalry or a longstanding college tradition

�  Post a guide to the local area for prospective students before an open day

Every event holds its own unique potential for branded content, and with a little creative thinking you can come up with some very interesting ideas!

3. Creating Tailored Content for Your Event


Example:

Florida State University launched their “Countdown to Commencement” campaign in 2014, complete with a countdown clock, live videos, and a ‘bucket list’ for seniors of essential university experiences to check off before they left!

3. Creating Tailored Content for Your Event

This online campaign was a great way to take a regular part of college life and turn it into a truly special experience for students!


Events can also provide unique opportunities for promotion through social media. You can promote your school’s presence using: �  Twitter Q&As with special guests

�  Event pages on Facebook promoting your school’s presence at larger events like recruitment fairs

�  Pages promoting happenings on your campus that are part of local festivals

�  Creating specific hashtags to promote events on Facebook and Twitter

4. Build a Social Media Micro-Campaign


Example:

� Trinity College Dublin adopted the ‘TrinIT’ hashtag to promote its ICT showcase event, an annual science and technology conference, on Twitter and Facebook.

4. Build a Social Media Micro-Campaign

Hashtags can be helpful in getting events trending across multiple social media channels and seen by prospective students!



Ø  The increased visibility you’ll enjoy in the build-up to your event will also open up new opportunities for advertising

Ø  Creating new ads that highlight your event as a USP can

help you stand out from the crowd!

Ø  Event micro-campaigns are also ideal for PPC remarketing

Ø  Use tools like Facebook Custom Audiences to target previous leads, offering the event as something new to reignite their interest!

5. Increasing Lead Generation with Targeted PPC & Advertising

Example:

Ø Southampton Solent University advertise their open days in a banner display ad on opendays.com, a website which provides a calendar of recruitment events in the UK.

5. Increasing Lead Generation with Targeted PPC & Advertising

You can stagger your ad campaigns for different areas, promoting earlier to prospective students from out of town and later to your local market!


Integrating your physical and digital campaigns as much as possible will help maximise potential lead generation from your event. Here’s some useful tips-

�  Include things like event hashtags and Facebook page details on your brochures, flyers, and posters

�  Have a physical presence for your recruitment staff at the event itself, such as a stall or people handing out brochures

�  Provide a contact sheet to take any details of potential leads!

6. Integrating Your Micro Campaign with Physical Marketing


Micro campaigns produce measurable results. Recruiters can easily isolate the timeline of a campaign and track any changes in - �  Website visits

�  Social media exposure

�  SEO improvement �  Increases in lead generation and conversions

7. Measuring the Effectiveness of Your Campaigns


Use School Events to Create Digital Micro-Campaigns

Marketing

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