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The pulse of NACAC

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Common themes surfaced as 3,000 plus admissions professionals gathered last week in New Orleans for the annual conference of the National Association for College Admission Counseling. The mood among the crowd was filled with excitement and ideas for change in higher education.

In the midst of the conference action, admissions officers from across the country shared their thoughts with us at the annual iThink event which was held on the exhibit hall floor. We asked our friends and colleagues to complete this phrase — “I think admissions…” — and here’s what attendees had to say:

“Admissions is at a crossroads.” Many factors contributed to this widely used phrase, like the higher ed balance between being market driven and education-oriented, branding versus authenticity ...

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Categories: Branding/Marketing/Recruiting, Change, Free on Friday Webcasts, Misc., NACAC, Webcast

An important population

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Trends within corporate marketing and media often foreshadow what’s to come in higher education. A great supplemental piece provided by Advertising Age dedicated to a hefty slice of the American population holds great value for the corporate world and higher education too.

The eighth annual Hispanic Fact Pack was developed as a guide to Hispanic marketing and media in the United States — keeping advertisers and marketers up to speed on a population that Laurel Wentz of AdAge calls “the future of America.”

While some sections of the Fact Pack may not be of immediate relevance to some college admissions professionals — notice the steady increase in advertiser spending to this key population as well as their language preferences when buying from ...

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Categories: College Recruiting, Misc., Research, Uncategorized

XpertTip No. 89: Facebookgate: Summary of a scandal

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“Something is going down on Facebook, and it has implications for your school.”

Have you been following “Facebookgate?”

As Butler University’s Electronic Communications Coordinator, Brad J. Ward has been paying close attention to his school’s presence on Facebook.

In his blog post last Thursday, Brad warned the higher ed community of some suspicious activity he’d come across while investigating a question from a colleague.

What followed was a stream of scandal and intrigue rarely seen in higher education marketing.  On his higher ed marketing blog, Andrew Careaga of Missouri University of Science and Technology deemed the scandal “Facebookgate” — and it’s been heavily covered by media across industries.

I thought I’d provide a quick summary of what’s been happening ...

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Categories: Misc., Social Media, Social Networking

XpertTip No. 88: Cars and college

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Here at TargetX, we’re big fans of car shopping.

Mind you I didn’t say car buying (hey, we all know a career in higher ed doesn’t quite lend itself to such expensive hobbies;) But the process of searching and shopping for a car offers more than a few recruitment marketing insights.

Think about it — there are interesting parallels to be drawn between the process of selecting the right car and a choosing a “best-fit” college.

First off, we all go into the process with preconceived notions based on our personal experiences and what we’ve heard from friends and family.

Before we knew to call it “word of mouth marketing,” many of us began forming product opinions at a very early age. We ...

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Categories: Misc., Outside Resources, Research, Your Website

XpertTip No.86: Chiefs, chefs and eManagers

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Last week’s tip touched on the hot topic of adding a staff member to handle interactive and social media efforts for admissions.

I was glad to see my client and friend Nikki Chun from the University of Miami join the discussion. As Miami’s “eManager,” Nikki has a fair amount of experience in this type of role. She shared a bit of what she does and how she came to be queen of all things “e” for the Hurricanes.

In her post, Nikki wrote: “I actually wonder if my job will be kind of obsolete in about five years. If things keep going in this direction, everyone on the admission staff could be an eManager in some way, shape or form.”

It’s a great ...

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Categories: Communication Plans, Millennials, Misc., Outside Resources, Research, Social Media, Social Networking, Uncategorized

XpertTip No. 85: Is your plate too full?

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Last year, my “Thanksgiving week tip” featured ideas for getting noticed and keeping content relevant throughout the holidays.

I received tons of great feedback, but I also kept hearing “I wish I could do things like this — I just don’t have the resources to get it done!”

It’s a concern I hear pretty often. The new generation of recruiting tools and online services have only added to an already lengthy to-do list — and for many it can be intimidating.

Add to that the fact that we haven’t really “taken away” from the traditional mix of recruitment activities like high school visits, letters, viewbooks, etc.

The result is a plate so full that deans and directors are left struggling ...

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Categories: Misc., Research, Social Media, Uncategorized

XpertTip No.84: 'What would you say…you DO here?'

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From where I sit, the movie Office Space stands head and shoulders above the rest — at least as far as workplace satires go.

Its varied philosophical lessons disguised as sarcastic dialogue make it ultra-relatable (though hopefully not too much;) I even wrote a paper on its management lessons when I was in graduate school.

One of the most memorable scenes involves “The Bobs” — two consultants fumbling over the task of deciding who is valuable to the company and who should get the axe. They attempt to make that distinction by asking that now famous and often-imitated question: “What would you say…you DO here?”

Here at the AMA Symposium in Chicago, I find myself being asked the very same thing. More ...

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Categories: Did You Know?, Lists, Misc., Uncategorized

Xpert Tip No.77: There's got to be a better way

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Well folks, put another NACAC Conference in the books.

Seattle stood out to me as one of the best cities — with great sessions, great venues and lots of smart people.

For me, the only bad part about it was the trip home.

My colleagues and I experienced one of those fifteen-hour travel days, courtesy of weather delays that make it really tough to handle the already exasperating airline experience.

If you travel often, you know what I mean. I’ve found that every step in the process, from booking to boarding, has me repeating the same mantra: “There’s got to be a better way.”

I decided to make use of my time to catch up with Seth’s blog (one of my favorites). To ...

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Categories: Lists, Misc., NACAC, Summer Projects, Surveys, Workshops and Events, Your Website

XpertTip No. 76: What's your answer?

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As a loyal “Mac-geek,” my friends are always surprised at my answer when they ask me what I think of my iPhone.

I tell them that, in all honesty, I’ve had better cell phones. Service is shaky in places, it tends to drop calls and too often I find myself uttering that now iconic wireless anthem: “Can you hear me now?”

You can imagine then, that they are just as puzzled by my next admission: “But I still love it. I would never even dream of getting rid of it.”

Am I crazy? Maybe. It’s just that the user interface is so completely fantastic that I can’t help but put up with that other stuff. It offers such a unique experience that ...

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Categories: Authenticity, Email Campaign Ideas, Misc.

XpertTip No. 71: What guidance counselors want

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Two of my best friends and college roommates are high school guidance counselors.

When they aren’t working with students on the college selection process (or wearing one of the myriad other hats that come with the counselor gig), they rely heavily on technology to keep up with their personal lives.

They text message, share YouTube videos and post to photo-sharing sites. And they’re on Facebook. A lot.

Is this your image of the school counselor? If it isn’t, perhaps the way we communicate with prospects isn’t the only thing that needs to change.

Modern guidance offices want what we all want — a better way to keep up. That means making it easier for them to stay updated on important things like new ...

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Categories: Blogs, Chat, Communication Plans, Email, Email Campaign Ideas, eXpressNet, Invitations and Reminders, Lists, Misc., Summer Projects, Uncategorized

XpertTip No. 68: Tweet this

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Excuse the shameless self-promotion — but do you read Brian Niles’ blog?

One of his recent posts announces his foray into the world of Twitter.

For those of you who have tried numerous times to wrap your mind around the concept (only to end up feeling more confused), perhaps his real-life example will help.

Brian offers readers a little peak into his world via frequent posts of 140 characters or less. It’s called “micro-blogging,” and plenty of people are paying attention.

Our own Ray Ulmer even did an Email Minute on it back in May.

It’s clear the TargetX team gets pretty excited about how these technologies could change the way we build relationships with students.

When it comes down ...

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Categories: Blogs, Misc., Outside Resources, Research, Social Media, Uncategorized

XpertTip No. 66: A growth mind-set

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Guy Kawasaki did a blog post yesterday pointing us to “If You’re Open to Growth, You Tend to Grow,” a New York Times article that he calls “required reading for managers and parents.”

Since many of you are both, I thought you might find it interesting.

His post praises the work of Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck and highlights a key passage from the article:

“Those who believe they were born with all of the smarts and gifts they’re ever going to have approach life with what she calls a ‘fixed mind-set.’ Those that believe that their own abilities can expand over time, however, live with a ‘growth mind-set.’”

Basically, Dweck is arguing that it’s not necessarily what we’re ...

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Categories: Client Concierge, Misc., Outside Resources, Uncategorized

XpertTip No. 65: Your regional ACAC group

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Have a good time at your regional ACAC conference this year?

Chances are you sat in on some great sessions, caught up with colleagues, ate and drank too much and slept way too little (but hey, it was worth it, right?;)

Hopefully, you even got a chance to say hello to Jeff Kallay (a legend on the ACAC circuit) or meet other folks from TargetX’s colorful cast of characters.

But have you continued the conversations you started while in “conference mode?”

Jeff has been kind enough to create groups in the TargetX Knowledge Center for every ACAC conference we participated in this year. As a member, you can download presentation slides, participate in forum discussions and connect back to your experience.

Just head over ...

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Categories: Misc., Outside Resources, Social Networking, Workshops and Events

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XpertTip No. 59: Don't call attention to it

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Over lunch the other day, TargetX CEO Brian Niles and I were chit-chatting about blogs (yes folks, lunch here can get pretty exciting;)

As he is prone to do over Wawa shorties, Brian mentioned something that I thought would make a great tip.

He said: “You know what strikes me as weird? When someone starts a blog post with ‘Sorry it’s been so long since my last post.’ I probably wouldn’t have noticed if they hadn’t pointed that out to me.”

It’s true that failing to post regularly can be blog suicide. So why clue readers in to the fact that you’ve been less than diligent when it comes to publishing?

Reminding readers that you’ve been a slacker only calls more attention to it ...

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Categories: Blogs, Misc., Summer Projects

XpertTip No. 58: Admissions: A perfect storm

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It doesn’t take a psychic to see the makings of a “perfect storm” brewing in college admissions today.

Most specifically, I’m talking about the fact that the number of graduating high school students is declining while the price of tuition keeps rising.

With an industry in flux, you’ll be competing with more schools for fewer students and asking them to pay higher prices. And something’s gotta give.

I know from my conversations that many of you are already feeling the effects and have taken hits to your application and deposit numbers.

It’s only natural to ask “How do we begin to satiate hungry presidents, trustees and deans who have lived ‘high on the hog’ for so long — feeding off of the glut of ...

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Categories: Email, Email Campaign Ideas, Misc., Student Search, Student Yield, Your Website

XpertTip No. 57: An experienced resource

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Clients are always asking me if I miss working in Admissions.

I can honestly say that there are times in the cycle when I think back fondly and get a little nostalgic. This week, however, is not one of those times;)

It seems life in the old Office of Admissions has gotten pretty complicated — especially when tasked with recruiting a generation who admittedly doesn’t want to be marketed to.

Since I know you’re all strapped for time this week, I’m going to provide more of a “reminder” than a full-fledged tip. My suggestion? Don’t forget we’re here to help.

I’m sure you already know this, but the team here at TargetX is pretty darned experienced. I think at one time the tally was ...

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Categories: Client Concierge, eXpressSUITE, Misc., Research, Workshops and Events

XpertTip No. 52: Don't be an ostrich

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That’s right — you read the headline correctly.

These days, too many of us are ostriches; hiding our heads in the sand and pretending that viewbooks and emails are the only messages getting out about our schools.

The truth is, “the message” doesn’t just come from you anymore. Web 2.0 and the social web have turned traditional marketing messages into a conversation that can’t be controlled.

And that conversation is going on right now. Even as you read this tip, someone is posting a question to College Confidential, joining a Facebook group, or writing their own blog about an experience on your campus (not to mention talking to friends, neighbors, etc).

As a perfect medium for leveraging the collective wisdom ...

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Categories: Misc., Research, Summer Projects, Web Traffic, Your Website

XpertTip No. 51: A year of tips that got you talking

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Today’s announcement: This week marks the one-year anniversary of the XpertTip!

Thanks so much to everyone for your support and for allowing me to invade your inbox every Monday. It seems you’ve found my musings helpful — guess we’ll have to continue with round 2;)

Since today is St. Patrick’s Day, this (mostly) Irish girl thought it would be fun to celebrate the tips that really made some noise this year.

In no particular order, here are the topics that really got you talking:

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Categories: Lists, Misc.

XpertTip No. 48: Introducing the new Knowledge Center

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This week, I have the privilege of announcing our brand new Knowledge Center!

If you’ve visited our Knowledge Center in the past, you know it’s the place on our website to access our blogs and podcast: An Email Minute, The Recruiting Revolution, The Experience Evangelist — and this little project of mine called the XpertTip;)

We’ve also traditionally included recommended readings, research studies, books, magazines and other great resources from some of the brightest brains in marketing and higher ed.

Well, we’re not changing any of that. But we are enhancing it quite a bit. We’ve created the new Knowledge Center as a social network so you can easily connect with us (and vice versa).

So here’s your assignment: head ...

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Categories: Client Concierge, eXpressNet, Invitations and Reminders, Misc., Outside Resources, Research, Social Networking, Workshops and Events

XpertTip No. 47: The social media election

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Ok — let me just start by saying I’m no political analyst.

While I certainly follow election coverage enough to educate myself as a voter, most times the political pundits’ affection for talking in circles leaves me nothing but dizzy.

What I am quite clear on, however, is the role that social media has played in this election.

Last July saw our very first YouTube debate and Facebook didn’t take long to get in on the act. Bloggers (both paid and unpaid) have become a political tour de force-to-be-reckoned-with. And let’s not forget how candidates across the political spectrum are learning to respect the power of viral video and Twitter.

Yes, it’s web warfare out there — and we’re just scratching the surface.

So what ...

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Categories: Blogs, Lists, Misc., Outside Resources, Web Traffic, Your Website

XpertTip No. 43: The things that matter

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Martin Luther King, Jr. once said: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

Years ago, in my “glory days” as an admissions counselor, I helped a “borderline at best” student gain admittance. Hopefully you know the type: the kind of kid that keeps you up at night wrestling with ways to prove that this one’s worth a shot.

Luckily, in this case, my kid got his shot. He went on to do incredible things while in college and is currently pursuing a successful career in higher ed as a result.

Recently, he sent me a note asking if I remembered him (uh, of course) and thanked me for my help.

One part of his note particularly ...

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Categories: Misc.

XpertTip No. 40: For auld lang syne

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I’m sure at some point this evening you’ll hear (and hopefully sing) the popular New Year’s anthem “Auld Lang Syne.”

If you weren’t aware, the phrase loosely translates as “days gone by.” It’s a perfect song for the occasion because it helps us acknowledge what’s good about the past and look ahead with excitement for what’s to come.

The same attitude can be helpful with regards to recruitment marketing. Has your office truly welcomed the new era of communication? Or are you still holding on to the good ol’ days of trying to control the message; spending all of your time (and budget) on thick viewbooks and months of travel?

At TargetX, we’ve adopted a “mantra” of sorts to keep us on track: ...

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Categories: Millennials, Misc., Uncategorized

XpertTip No. 39: A year in review

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One of my favorite things about this time of year is all of the “year in review” lists. “Best TV Moments!” “Biggest Celebrity Scandals of the Year!” “Top News Headlines of 2007!” It’s always so interesting to look at all that’s happened in the span of 12 short months.

Before we officially close the book on 2007, I thought it would be nice to do a little year in review — TargetX-style. It’s been a fantastic year and we couldn’t have accomplished everything without the help of our friends and clients (who I personally think are the best and brightest in higher ed. And I’m not just saying that because I’m the Client Concierge…)

So without ...

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Categories: Lists, Misc.

XpertTip No. 32: What message are you sending?

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Please don’t hate me, but I have a little bone to pick with you (in the nicest way possible).

To put it frankly, your “Out of Office/AutoReply” messages, well, kinda suck.

After every broadcast of the XpertTip, I am met with a flurry of “out of the office” responses. You know the ones: “I am out of the office and will not return until next week, please call this unsuspecting person in an emergency…”

Some have glaring spelling errors; almost all of them have no signature to speak of.

Is that truly the message you want to send?

I know it’s usually the last thing you think of as you’re lugging a box of viewbooks out the door (hey, if you weren’t busy people, you ...

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Categories: Email, Lists, Misc.