Not Everything Is Biggerin Texas: Small Things that Make

a Big Impact on Recruitment Efforts

MARCUS HANSCOMASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF GRADUATE RECRUITMENT AND OUTREACHUNIVERSITY OF NEW HAVENPRESIDENT, NEGAP

Maybe everything is BIGGER in Texas…

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…but you don’t need BIG to make a big splash!

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Last Year’s Assignments

1. Conduct a program demographic assessment2. Do a lead generation audit3. Set up unique source pages4. Create a referral source policy5. Become a user on Google Analytics (and use it)6. Use the URL builder to create a tracking URL7. Assign revenue to lead sources for ROI

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Struggles of our offices

• Limited staff• Limited resources• Limited expertise– Apprehension– Time to Learn– Tech overload

• Limited institutional support (or apathy)?

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This session

• Utilizing technology to “lighten the load”• Making your search for content to post on

social media easy • Building brand awareness with little effort on

social media

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TECHNOLOGY OVERLOADWading through the masses to get something that works

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Primary Issues

• Misconceptions of time commitment• Leveraging technology to work for you, not

create work for you• Means of acquiring knowledge / Staying

current• Hiring the right people

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Your best tools

• CRM, CRM, CRM• Our own websites• Directory Sites• Social Media (and related software)

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Lightening the Load: Your CRM• Toss out the “HTML graphic email” is king

mentality– Keep in mind personalization, smart phones– Perception of your message

• Collect any and everything…– But don’t overburden students with it

• Send one-time emails to targeted audiences with program-related news

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Assignment #1• Create an automated, plain text email from

you in your CRM– Various functions: Welcome, thank you, congrats– Not from your institution or office - you

• After Completion– Compare results with your HTML messages• Read Rate• Interaction Rate• Response Rate

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Assignment #2

• Audit your inquiry form(s)– Are you asking the right questions?– What questions are necessary?

• After Completion– SHORTEN your inquiry form as much as possible

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Lightening the Load: Our Websites

• Are all student questions answered?• How big of a shovel do I need?• Not just a problem “for the marketing

department”• Integration with SM• Succinct, clear messaging

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Assignment #3• Do a website audit for your area– Can you identify top questions you are asked and

easily identify answers on your site?– How readily can students get their answers?– Focus your phone calls on students who need

more in-depth information and support• After Completion:– Make necessary adjustments with your web team

including content, graphics, and navigation

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Analytics

• Key metrics to use for decision-making• Focus on specific pages instead of trying to fix

an entire website• Identify strategies to improve pages to help

recruitment

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Assignment #4• Pick one page on your website and analyze key

statistics (Google Analytics or similar) to improve the page– Bounce rate, time on site, % exits…– Avoid using just one metric– Be aware of the goal of the page

• After Completion– Identify a metric you want to improve– Strategically amend page content– Compare analytics results with previous version

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Lightening the Load: Directory Sites

• Directory sites– Why you?– Catalog copy or marketing copy?

• “More info” links– Lead to your webpage? A form? Landing pages?– Are they tracked?

• Clarify calls to action internally and externally

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Landing Pages

• Where are you sending students from online advertising?

• “Our website” isn’t enough• Relevant content• Avoid too many “clicks”

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Assignment #5• Complete a “directory listing audit”– What sites are you featured on?– Does your listing answer the right questions?– Where are students being directed?– Who is responsible for updating content?

• After Completion– What needs to be rewritten? How will you be

involved? What do you need on your website?

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Assignment #6

• Create a landing page on your website to service an ad or directory listing– Page content must reflect the content of your ad

or listing– Do not send students to a generic page

• After Completion– Evaluate analytics for the page; evaluate tracked

leads if available

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Lightening the Load: Social Media

• Alerts and searches for content– Google Alerts– Create searches on Twitter related to programs,

industry, your institution, and more• Schedule messaging with tools like Hootsuite

or TweetDeck• Enlist student help

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Assignment #7

• Create a Google Alert– ie. “University of New Haven”– Can set frequency to your preference

• After completion– Regularly check for news related to your

programs, students, alumni, and faculty– Post related content to your respective SM

channels; use Bitly for tracking

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Assignment #8

• Create a saved search on Twitter– ie. #criminaljustice, #MBA, #gradadm, #gradschool

• After Completion– Check searches regularly for content that can be

retweeted to your followers

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Suggested Social Media Tools

• Hootsuite• TweetDeck• Bit.ly• Facebook

Insights

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Assignment #9

• Schedule a tweet or Facebook post using Hootsuite or TweetDeck– Time with an event or activity– Time zone awareness

• After Completion– Set up a social media schedule for planned events– Sit back and relax!

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HELP, I CAN’T FIND MY CONTENTProducing results on social media

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Social Media Content

• Interaction with your audience• Vary your content– “Yay, come to my event!” 100X

• Vary your channels– Audiences?– Platforms?

• What is your brand message?

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Types of Content (According to MH)

• Direct self promotion• Indirect self promotion• “Altruistic” self promotion

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Direct Self Promotion on SM

• Events• Admissions Announcements• Grad Fair Attendance• “Leeching” on other content• Interactions with prospective students

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Grad Fair Attendance

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Content “Leeching”

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Interactions with Prospective Students

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Interactions with Prospective Students

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Indirect Self Promotion on SM• University News• Student News (Research, Study Abroad, etc.)• Faculty News (Research, Promotions, etc.)• Alumni News • Event Photos

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Indirect Self Promotion on SM

• Location information• Interactions with current students• Contests– Do not necessarily have to be related to your

programs

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Indirect Self Promotion on SM

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“Altruistic” Self Promotion on SM

• Graduate School Tips• Financial Aid Tips• News related to your programs• Job Postings

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Assignment #10

• A. Make a post to your Twitter or Facebook account about an alumnus or faculty member

• B. Make a post or retweet content designed to help the student and not sell you– Use bit.ly to track link content

• After completion:– Assess if your messages have interaction. Any

response? Clicks on the link? Retweets?

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WHO AM I AND WHY AM I HERE?Brand Awareness

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Social Media Advertising

• Creating a first ad– Demographic targeting– Geo-targeting

• Ways to use these ads– Program Awareness– Brand Awareness– Recruitment Fairs– Webinars / Open Houses / Recruitment Events

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Social Media Advertising Channels

• Be mindful of platform and audience• Costs: CPM vs. CPC

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Try this…

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Assignment #11• Create your first social media ad– Fine tune your demographics– Identify a budget– Send students to a specific landing page or related

content page• After completion:– Review your exposure and clicks– Review CPC/CPM costs

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Social Media Potpourri

• Use #hashtags in your tweets– ie. #iopsychology or #emergencymanagement

• Follow industry news and industry leader Twitter accounts– Example: @forensicnews– RT relevant content to your followers

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TAKEAWAYS, FUTURE THOUGHTS, AND Q&A

Identifying the value in what you just sat through

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Overview of Assignments

1. Create an automated, plain text email in your CRM

2. Audit and shorten your inquiry form3. Audit your section of the website4. Optimize a page on your site with key metrics5. Complete a directory listing audit

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Overview of Assignments6. Create a landing page for your ad content7. Create a Google Alert8. Create saved searches on Twitter9. Schedule a tweet or Facebook post10.Create one SM post about your faculty or

alumni and one “altruistic” post11. Create a social media ad

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Final Thoughts

• Work smarter, not harder• Technology does not necessarily make things

“un-personalized”• Time commitment is not astronomical• Technology – and social media specifically –

can be your greatest asset

Thank you

Marcus HanscomUniversity of New Haven203-932-7277mhanscom@newhaven.edu@marcushanscom