All Things Electronic

All Things Electronic.

Recruiting in the Interactive Age

Interactive Recruiting Solutions

Email, Blogs, Social NetworksSearch Campaigns, Campus Visits

Student Recruitment Manager (SRM)

Millennials +the Internet =_________ ???

GI Generation (84-107)Silent Generation (66-83)Baby-Boomers (48-65)Generation X (27-47)

Millennials (5-26)New Silent Generation (0-4)

The Next Adult Generation

Born in 1982 “New Silent Generation”

College, Work, Family, etc.

High School

Elementary School

Boomer Parents GenX Parents

E-Expectations of Adults.

Noel-Nevitz, 2007

64%Prefer Website vs. Brochures

E-Expectations: Graduate Edition, Noel-Nevitz, 2007

63%Prefer Email vs. Direct Mail


71%of Prospective Graduate Students use Instant Messaging


Activity Do WantFinancial Aid Estimator 27% 93%Request Campus Visit 18% 80%Completed RSVP Form 20% 77%Emailed Current Student 13% 71%Read Faculty Blog 16% 72%IM with Admissions 13% 68%Read Student Blog 19% 66%Downloaded Podcast 6% 41%Downloaded Video Podcast 6% 38%Online Chat Event 11% 35%

College Website Activity Discrepancies


TakeawayPreference for Electronic Communication

Want Details on Cost and Financial Aid

Desire to Connect with Students and Faculty

Use “New” Communication Tools (Blog & IM)

Generational Differences

Pew Internet and American Life, 2005

0

25

50

75

100

12-17 18-28 29-40 41-50 51-59 60-69 70+

Send Email Instant Message Research a School Text Message Read Blogs

Generational Online Activity Differences

Forrester Research, Inc. 2007 — Groundswell

Forrester Research, Inc. 2007 — Groundswell

Social Technographic

Ladder

Facebook MySpace Google Yahoo YouTube iTunes Flickr eBay ESPN

FemalesMales

Top 10 Web Sites Ages 17-25Youth Trends and eMarketer.com, October 2006

Sharing & ConnectingWeb 2.0 is about making connections & sharing

Thoughts. Pictures. Videos. Places. Products.

64%Believe Advertising is “Dishonest” or “Unrealistic”

Consumers 18-65 years old, Ad Age 2006

Marketing Immunity3,000-5,000 Daily Messages

Neurological Blockaides

Today the most important conversation

is not the marketing monologue but

the dialogue between your audience.

0.0 1.0 1.5 2.0

Recruiting Revolutions

In the Beginning

Admissions as Paper-Processing

Department

Adult Enrollment Growth

Aggressive Marketing CampaignsBrochures, Catalogs, Corporate VisitsOpen House Programs, Outdoor Ads

The Internet

College WebsitesOnline Apps

Email CampaignsOnline Chats

Today

2.0 Recruiting Revolution You are no longer in control of the conversation.

who, when & how

It’s all about makingconnections online.Which is different from just being “interactive”

Website

Fix Your WebsiteStrong, consistent brand image

Focus on future customers

Obvious, consistent navigation (from home page)

Stories, not just facts

Highlight Differentiation

Update frequently (reason to return)

Transparency

Differentiation

Connections

Stories

Profiles

Tell Better StoriesStories not Stats. People not Programs.

Must be real, unique and recent.

Let “them” tell the story!

BTW: Can’t be authentic & have editorial control

BlogsOnline diary where readers may comment

on posts made on typically focused topics.

Blogs & DiariesEntries should be short

More than just text - add pictures!

Hire bloggers with interesting things to tell

Create expectations - don’t censor

Encourage interaction through comment posts

Offer RSS feed option

Social NetworkSingle location for sharing, connecting

and meeting online.

e.g. MySpace, Facebook, Beebo, Ning

Social NetworkingIt’s called MySpace, not YourSpace

Trend is away from MySpace -> Facebook

Encourage grad assistants to share info on their Facebook

Create your own college’s branded social site

(possibly replacing blogs & message boards)

MySpaceMore than 110 million unique users

Heavy emphasis on “fantasy”, multiple personalities

Showcases interests in music or film

1/2 of MySpace users are over 35 years old!

Age 18-24 make up only 17% of users

Transition to Facebook as students enter High School

Facebook60 million active users (250,000 new per day)

Begins with relationships & limits multiple personalities

6th highest trafficked site in USA

Fastest growth are those over 25 years old

Lots of free “applications” to enhance sharing

New focus on social advertising & brand sharing

IM“Instant Messaging”

Synchronous text conversations

Can also be audio or video too!

What’s So Unique About it?Compared to Email ... it’s realtime (synchronous)

Compared to the Phone ... it’s text onlyCompared to a Letter ... it’s very short

Compared to In-Person ... location doesn’t matter

Email What We Use to Talk to “Old People”

IMCasual Written

Conversations with Friends

Why They Choose One Over the OtherPew Internet & American Life Project, Teens and Technology, July 2005

Instant MessagingMake it an available option

It’s an Opportunity, not a Disruption

Use away message (include email address)

Promote screen name (bcards, website, etc.)

AIM at least (MSN & Yahoo as options)

PodcastDistributed Digital Media File

Often Audio & Sometimes Video

Ability to Subscribe & Automatically Receive

What makes it unique?The ability to subscribe to a “podcast show”

Receive new “shows” when they become available

Started around August 2004by Dave Winer & Adam Curry

MYTH DEBUNKEDDo I need an Apple iPod to listen to Podcasts?

You don’t even need a portable MP3 playerYou can listen to Podcasts on your computer

125,000Number of Podcasts Available in iTunes

Apple Quarterly Earnings Webcast, January 2008

Who’s Listening?22% Have Heard of Podcasting

11% Listen to Podcasts (27 million people)

50+% 35 Years or Younger

Arbitron, April 2006

What are Colleges Doing?Still in “testing” mode

Effectiveness is still unknown

Student Interviews/Roundtable DiscussionsWhat’s Happening on Campus

Sports, Music, Department TalkshowsEvents & Presentations On-Campus

PodcastingDo other things well first

Consider time to record, produce and host

Determine frequency you can commit to

Make it real (um’s and ah’s are ok)

Promote it on iTunes

Other Tips

Email CampaignsShort & sweet content

Strong, targeted call-to-action

“From” familiar to recipients

Obvious subject line - not cute

Limited HTML (or text-only)

Measure results & adjust accordingly

Embrace ParentsCollect their Name & Email Address

Get Student’s Permission, of course

Expect them and Embrace them at events

Invite them to online chats, blogs, etc.

Stage Better ExperiencesRecreate Campus Visits, Receptions and Events

Make them Memorable. Make them Interesting.

Set the Expectations. Understand Visitor’s Needs.

Customize the Visit When Possible.

Eliminate Negative Cues - Now!

Get Together with Undergraduate Admissions on This

Let go.Remember, you’re not in control.

Remember, they don’t trust marketers.

Remember, they are talking about you anyways.

Remember, they want to figure out the truth.

Remember, their parents are talking about you too.

If u do 1 thing

50/90%of Non-profit Institutions Follow-up with Prospect within a Month

(90% of For-profit institutions do so)Eduventures, 2006

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The Knowledge Centerknowledgecenter.targetx.com

All Things Electronic.

Recruiting in the Interactive Age

All Things Electronic

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