A college’s website is the first destination for many prospective students and parents when beginning to research universities and colleges. According to a 2011 E-Expectations Report sponsored by Noel-Levitz and the National Research Center for College and University Admissions, one out of five students removed a university from consideration after a bad experience with the school’s website. In the same report, 66% of prospective college students believe schools should have a social media presence yet slightly over one-quarter of those students actually never view a school’s social media profile due to a lack of compelling content. Gone are the days of batch and blast emails and direct mailings for colleges. Prospective students are diverse. They have very different needs and are looking to connect with schools in varying formats. Schools need to create more personalized messages and deliver them in a way that is preferred to increase their odds of improving enrollment. This presentation dives into proven strategies for increasing enrollment at institutions of all sizes. It will also review how lifecycle marketing can aid in the creation, scheduling and reporting of targeted campaigns. Lastly, the webinar will cover various content ideas and calls-to-action that can be used to nurture students in each lifecycle stage — turning research into action and action into enrollments.

1. FATHOM
EDUCATION
How 1:1 Messaging Turns Student
Consideration into Enrollments

2. Fathom EDU – Higher Ed. Email Strategy
Client Success Story, Strategies That Work

3. Higher Ed. Email Strategy
Fathom EDU
Reactivation Email Campaign
The Client:
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A midsized Midwestern university
7,500 current students
Looking to increase enrollment 8% in
2013
The Challenge:
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They were not contacting any leads
that had been dormant for 60 days or
more
How can we reengage these
prospective students and get them to
apply and enroll?

4. Higher Ed. Email Strategy
Fathom EDU
Reactivation Email Campaign
The Solution:
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Reactivation Email Campaign
The Foundation:
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Who is this email list?
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These are prospective students who have
already been looking for schools for a
while, and have gotten branding/soft sell
messages from our client
How to proceed?
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These prospects are at the end of the
research stage of the buying cycle
We went with an approach that was
targeted specific questions that they
have at that point in the cycle

5. Higher Ed. Email Strategy
Fathom EDU
Reactivation Email Campaign
The Strategy:
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Subscribers are well into the research
stage, looking for specific info to
compare schools
Answer the questions that prospects
have at this point in the process
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How much does it cost?
What scholarships and grants can I get?
What are your degree requirements?
How long will it take to graduate?
What degrees/courses are offered at
which campuses?
When can I start?

6. Higher Ed. Email Strategy
Fathom EDU
Reactivation Email Campaign
More Strategy:
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Quarterly messaging cycle, ramping up
to the quarterly start date
We send on a bi-weekly schedule,
covering each of the previous topics,
plus some seasonal messaging
Key factor – we place the information
that the prospect is looking for behind a
form, so that they need to put in a valid
phone number to access the
information
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This more than triples conversion on the
landing pages, with over 90% of the leads
garnered this way being reached by
phone

7. Higher Ed. Email Strategy
Fathom EDU
Reactivation Email Campaign
The Email Template:
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Put most important information in
top left quadrant for display, and
top of scrolling mobile design
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Preheader text
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Large, clickable buttons
This will show up in the inbox on
many email clients before the
subscriber opens
Usually send a message with
multiple topics, gives more
opportunities to click and submit a
lead form
Don’t use much text

8. Higher Ed. Email Strategy
Fathom EDU
Reactivation Email Campaign
Form Optimization:
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Include as few fields as possible
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One study we did found that 86%
of people who start to fill out the
form will drop off at the “degree of
interest field.”
Autofill the fields
Place the form in the top left
corner of a desktop display, and at
the top of a scrolling mobile layout
Make the button large, with a
bright color
Optimize the button language
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Never use “submit”!

9. Higher Ed. Email Strategy
Fathom EDU
Reactivation Email Campaign
The Results:
Delivery Rate: 99%
Open Rate: 16%
Click-to-open Rate: 22%
Landing Page Conversion Rate: 25%
Total Leads: 1,136
Total Applications: 80
ROI: 23:1

10. Fathom EDU
Higher Ed. Email Strategy
Calls-to-Action
Research Stage Calls-to-Action:
In the research stage, students have
recently heard about your school, and
are searching for basic information
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Browse the 2014 Course Catalog
View 2014 Tuition Rates
See if You Qualify for a Scholarship

11. Fathom EDU
Higher Ed. Email Strategy
Calls-to-Action
Consider Stage Calls-to-Action:
In the consider stage, students have
narrowed their choices down to a few
schools and are ready to engage
further
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RSVP for the Open House
Get in Touch with an Advisor Now
Take a Virtual Tour Today

12. Fathom EDU
Higher Ed. Email Strategy
Calls-to-Action
Commit Stage Calls-to-Action:
In the commit stage, students are
ready to choose your school, and
need to be encouraged to start the
application process
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Start Class January 6th
Apply Online Today
Take the First Step Toward a Better
Future

13. Right On Interactive
What is Student Lifecycle Marketing?
Student lifecycle marketing offers
valuable insights into the journey
students take with your school from the
time they first indicate an interest in your
institution through degree or certificate
completion.

14. Right On Interactive
Find your “ideal” student
Identify the prospective students who
are the best fit and most engaged at
each stage of their enrollment journey.
Take into consideration:
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Geography
GPA & test scores
Engagement

15. Right On Interactive
Find your “ideal” student
With this critical data, schools can…
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Improve communication
Save money on direct mail costs
Increase campus visits
Fill specialty programs (online, MBA,
adult education, nursing, etc)

16. Right On Interactive
Kellie
Prospective Student
Profile: 60
Engagement: 24
Research
Consider
Commit

17. Right On Interactive
Kellie
Prospective Student
Profile: 60
Engagement: 24
Email
Website
Social
Media
Direct
Campus
Direct
Mail
Visit
Mail
T
So
Mail

18. Right On Interactive
Kellie
Prospective Student
Profile: 60
Engagement: 92
Research
Consider
Commit

19. Questions?
Lauren Littlefield
Director of Marketing
Right On Interactive
llittlefield@rightoninteractive.com
Jeff Versteeg
Senior Account Executive
Fathom Online Marketing
JVersteeg@fathomdelivers.com