Direct Mail & Email for Student Recruitment (NAGAP 2008)

Direct Mail & Email for

ProspectingProspecting

Multi-channel Marketing for Adult-student Recruiting

Direct Mail & Email for Prospecting

PRESENTERS:

Direct Development, Inc.

Charles Fraga

President

Dan Kabele

List Specialist / Project ManagerList Specialist / Project Manager

Tony Fraga

Director of Sales & Marketing

Marymount UniversityChris DomesVice-President for Enrollment and Student Services

Francesca ReedDirector of Graduate Admissions

Presentation Overview

• STEP 1: Know Your Target Market

• STEP 2: Understand List Acquisition

• STEP 3: Integrate DM & Email Campaigns

• STEP 4: Track Results

• Q & A

STEP 1:

Know Your Target MarketKnow Your Target Market

STEP 1: Know Your Target Market

• Targeted marketing can involve multiple media types• Radio

• Print ads

• Direct Mail

• Email

• etc…• etc…

• Direct Mail (DM) & Email are major players

• Priority #1: Build/Develop your Inquiry Pool of Prospective Students

• Have a Multi-layered strategy

EXAMPLE: Marymount University’s Marketing Strategy


• You may already know this, but…– What differentiates your institution/program?

– What direction is your program going in?

– Why would a prospect choose your program?– Why would a prospect choose your program?

– Do you have an understanding of where your inquiry pool stands currently?

• Identify your appeal before identifying who your prospective students might be.


• Identify Prospective Students– Make a “Current Student” profile

• Previous employment

• Demographics

• Education level

• Associations/Publications/Websites

– Use surveys to obtain unknown data (see Handout)– Use surveys to obtain unknown data (see Handout)

– Make a “Desired Student” profile

– Be PROGRAM-SPECIFIC with your targeting

• Review Past Efforts– Previous rented lists? House lists?

– Previous events?


Target Marketing Checklist:� Do you have program-specific profiles of prospects?

� Are your targeted groups too narrow? Too Broad?

� What do you want the targeted prospects to do? � What do you want the targeted prospects to do?

(Attend an Event?... Go to Website?... Express interest?)

� Does your plan comply with your institution’s Brand?

� Do you know how many responses you need?

� Do you know how many campaigns you want to do?


EXAMPLE: Marymount University’s Prospective Student Profiles

Business Programs

MBA, Human Resources,

Legal & IT

• “White Collar” workers

Education/Human

Services

Teachers & Counselors

• “Change of Life” people –

ready for a 2nd career

Health Professions

Primarily Nursing

• Profiles using publication

surveys – particularly Nursing

• Licensed Nurses• Human Resource professionals

• Those who are willing to be more

educated (have taken other

classes or seminars)

• Those who might want to be

promoted to management

• IT workers

• Paralegals

• Ages 28-late 40’s

ready for a 2 career

• Those who want their lives

to make a difference to

someone

• Variety of careers including

those who might have

“made their money” already

• Willing to expand the

traditional age range for a

more diverse audience

• Licensed Nurses

• Fitness occupations and

interest

• Physical Therapists &

Occupational Therapists


• CONCLUSION:

�Be aware of how DM & Email fit into your overall

Target Marketing strategy

�Focus on building your Inquiry Pool�Focus on building your Inquiry Pool

�Create a profile of both current and desired

students (use surveys!)

�Use program-specific targeted profiles to guide

your list search…

STEP 2:

Understand List AcquisitionUnderstand List Acquisition

STEP 2: Understand List Acquisition

Overview of the “List World”

– Access is somewhat limited to brokers and

managers

– A whole set of lingo and methodology—counts, – A whole set of lingo and methodology—counts,

minimums, selects, etc.

– Different sources of lists» Compiled Lists

» Response Lists

» Specialty Lists (subscribers, members, customers)

– How trustworthy is the data?


Who’s who...and what is their primary interest?

• List Owners

» Rarely rent directly (some associations do)

• List Managers

» Have specific lists they market but do not have access to » Have specific lists they market but do not have access to

whole market of lists

• List Managers/Brokers

» Will market ANY list on the market

» Biased towards proprietary lists they manage

• Independent List Brokers

» Should take on your interests and be unlimited in what

they offer


Direct Mail Lists (Postal)

• Pros– Addresses are more stable, verifiable

– Much more targeted selection available than email lists

– Costs typically lower than email lists– Costs typically lower than email lists

– Lower minimum order requirements (~5,000 records)

– Prospect has something in-hand (more “traditional”)

• Cons– Some people are less responsive to direct mail

– Higher Production Costs (printing, mailing, postage)


Email Lists• Pros

– Quick turnaround ability (can do last-minute campaigns)

– More response-driven data available

– More prone to immediate direct response

– Lower production costs (no printing, mailing, postage)

– Extensive reporting (delivered, opened, click-thrus) available for tracking– Extensive reporting (delivered, opened, click-thrus) available for tracking

• Cons– Higher minimum order requirements (10,000+)

– Poor overall selection of lists—lacks a lot of the targeting you might desire

– Opt in/opt out protocols

– Less reliable transmission (junk/spam filters, image limitations, etc.)

– Not great for first-time introduction

– Email addresses change frequently


• RESEARCH lists before acquisition

– Give your Target Market info to list advisor (from Step 1)

– Research Phase (2 weeks+)» List verifications/approvals

» Counts & Costs

» Source information

» Usage Reports

– List Services professional should provide summary

• Choose lists that best accommodate your target and

the available counts

• Test more lists at smaller quantities first


EXAMPLE: St. Matthew’s University List Research


• CONCLUSION:

�Institution size and reputation can determine DM

vs. Emailvs. Email

�Multi-channel can offer the best of both worlds

�Start with a “healthy” List Research Phase

�Test multiple lists to determine effectiveness

STEP 3:

Integrate Direct Mail & Email

Campaigns

STEP 3: Integrate DM + Email Campaigns

The Direct Mail Package

• Select the Proper Direct Mail Package:• Letters

• Postcards/Self-mailers

• Invitations

• Special Packages

• Test multiple packages simultaneously

• Make sure your Graphic Design can be easily

integrated in HTML

• Method of response must be clear and obvious!


The Email Campaign

• Timing with DM is critical:

– “Email…DM…Email” VS. “DM…Email…Email”

• MUST match both DM and website graphics• MUST match both DM and website graphics

• Proper Email practices» From Line

» Subject Line

» Personalization

» Text & Image Agreement

» “Above the fold”, Links, Text vs. HTML versions, etc…

• Method of response must be clear and obvious!

EXAMPLE: Marymount University’s Integrated DM & Email Campaign


• CONCLUSION:

�Select a DM package that coincides with the

purpose of your campaign

�Time your Email campaigns to work �Time your Email campaigns to work

harmoniously with your DM efforts

�Integrate! Integrate! Integrate!

�Make sure the desired response is loud & clear

STEP 4:

Track ResultsTrack Results

STEP 4: Track Results

• How to implement Tracking Codes

– Segment Data• House Lists

• Rented Lists

• Different package types (split mailings)• Different package types (split mailings)

• Specific data selections (gender, geography, field of study)

– Personalization Methods• Directly on reply device

• Inkjet/Lasering or Variable Digital Printing

• Can be a “reservation code” or a “priority code”

• PURLs


Checklist for tracking responses:� What happens to mailed-in responses?

� What happens to email responses?

� Have you set up an auto-response message for email responses?

� Do you have separate lists set up to track various interest levels?� Do you have separate lists set up to track various interest levels?

“request more info” vs. “event sign-ups” vs. “applicants”

� Do you have a database to compile response data?

� Who handles data entry & list hygiene?

� Does the IT dept know to track website activity?

� How is the data being charted for analysis?

� Do you know exactly what data points you want to analyze?


• CONCLUSION:�Applying source codes is easy (and inexpensive!)

�Segment your data to track both LISTS and PACKAGES

�Track Email & Website metrics as well�Track Email & Website metrics as well

�Analyze results to see a comprehensive snapshot

Questions?

Direct Development, Inc.

Charles Fraga

President ([email protected])

Dan Kabele

List Specialist/Project Manager ([email protected])

Tony Fraga

Director of Sales & Marketing ([email protected])

Marymount UniversityChris DomesVice-President for Enrollment and Student Services ([email protected])

Francesca ReedDirector of Graduate Admissions ([email protected])

Direct Mail & Email for Student Recruitment (NAGAP 2008)

Education

Transcript of Direct Mail & Email for Student Recruitment (NAGAP 2008)