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Is McDonald’s keeping it real? (Well at least in Canada.) And can your school?

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Earlier this month TargetX hosted our Xpert Summit at the most inauthentic or least-real place on Earth; Las Vegas.  Every form of civilization (represented by some themed hotel) has gone to the desert to die out there. (But that’s a whole-other rant.)

I’m going to talk about a McDonald’s marketing effort that I like. I need to first qualify and say that growing up as a teen in Florida, McDonald’s was the hangout for my high school and church youth group. So I’ve consumed my fair share. But like Las Vegas, I’m now not a fan.

Let’s connect Las Vegas and McDonald’s. Both might be the symbol or poster child of everything wrong with America. Both are fabricated, processed versions of originals, ...

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Categories: Authenticity, Branding/Marketing/Recruiting, Customer Service, Social Media, Social Networking, Your Website

Forget Facebook, if you want to yield students you should be on YouTube

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Any dyed-in-the-wool Gen Xer can tell you that the first video MTV played when it launched on August 8, 1981 was Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles. Not as many can tell you the second video played on MTV. Do you know?

Video facts you need to know:
-43% of current prime time internet traffic is real time entertainment ( 12.2.2010)
-Netflix streaming accounts for 20% of internet traffic on any given evening (BusinessWeek 12.2.2010)
-Cisco predicts that by 2013 video will be 90% of consumer internet traffic (TechCrunch 7.9.2009)
-YouTube is a top “search engine” accounting for 28% of Google searches (Google 1.31.2011)
-There are 500 million monthly YouTube ...

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Categories: Authenticity, Branding/Marketing/Recruiting, College Recruiting, Communication, Communication Plans, Did You Know?, Facebook, Free on Friday Webcasts, Social Media, Social Networking, Storytelling, Student Yield, Videos, Web Traffic, Webcast, Your Website

Practicing good mobile habits

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Is your website content ready for mobile devices? Forecasters predict that by 2013 there will be 1.7 billion mobile internet users. You can be sure that many of those users will be prospective students (and their parents) doing college research through their mobile devices.

“Many folks spend a lot of time working on the design of their site for modern browsers, but fail to realize the ever-increasing percentage of site visitors that come by way of mobile devices,” says Brian Gardner of Studio Press. You know that you only have seconds with a prospective student on your website. How much time do you think you will have with a visitor to your site via a mobile device?

“How to Make Your Website ...

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Categories: Best Practice Documents, Mobile, Mobile Marketing, Websites, Your Website

College website is still #1

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Online recruitment tools have become a critical aspect of the enrollment efforts at colleges and universities.

What are the student’s needs? What areas should we focus on? Which tools are highly valued by college-bound students? These are all questions an admissions office asks themselves. Insights into what students are looking for are always useful to understand what you can do as a recruiter.

Noel-Levitz E-Expectations research group surveyed 1,000 prospective students on their online behaviors, needs and expectations in the college search process. There were some surprising (and not so surprising) results from this year’s survey.

One primary finding that dominated the study was the importance of an institution’s webpage. According to the Noel-Levitz results, the college website is still a student’s main ...

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Categories: College Recruiting, Websites, Your Website

Increase your digital influence

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In admissions, you often cannot attend every conference you would like to, especially when there are so many throughout the year. So, why not attend the shortest conference ever? 60 speakers in 60 minutes.

ThoughtLead held their first 60 in 60 event on July 6. The Influencer Project: The shortest marketing conference ever, discussed how to increase a business’s digital influence in the competitive world of online media. Sixty speakers provided their personal advice on how you can do this today. After listening to the conference, there were several points that were extremely relevant to recruitment and admissions efforts on the web. Here are just a few:

“Make connections online and then go and meet them in person in the ...

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Categories: Authenticity, Branding/Marketing/Recruiting, Communication, Social Media, Websites, Your Website

XpertTip No. 161: High fashion, higher ed

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Over breakfast this morning I took a rare opportunity to enjoy a cup of coffee while reading The New York Times (the actual ink-on-paper version).

As expected, an article jumped out at me that made me think about higher ed — specifically the evolution of college websites.  Clearly I need a vacation;)

It was called High Fashion Relents to Web’s Pull and details how fashion’s most established brands are reluctantly (and finally) being forced to change their websites.

These historically passive, flash-based sites are typically very visually stunning but offer little-to-no opportunity to actually do anything except read and look at photos (including make a purchase).

The article cites the pressure of market demands and the need for additional revenue streams in ...

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Categories: Web Traffic, Website, Websites, Your Website

Be more social, be more…corporate?

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Corporate websites need to make an effort to be more social — does yours?

A recent blog entry from Hubspot.com says corporate websites are guilty of producing boring content. “These sites end up being a time and financial drain without delivering the appropriate value to current and potential customers.” Sound familiar?

If you have heard comments like this around your campus or by prospective students, then you should sit down with others and reevaluate your site’s priorities. Hubspot’s suggestion: “Four Ways to Make Your Corporate Website More Social.”

Focused on engaging customers and empowering them to share with others, Hubspot suggests a level of interaction between the customers and the organization that does not exist when the website spews one-way messages.

While the article ...

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Categories: College Recruiting, Communication, Communication Plans, Online Experiences, Social Media, Social Networking, Summer Projects, Web Traffic, Websites, Your Website

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. 83: 'Please close the editor'

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I’m often asked “What are some of the most common mistakes your email users make?” Immediately two things come to mind.

The first is sending messages that are way too long — which is pretty easily remedied in most cases.

The second, however, is an error that is made quickly but can cause permanent damage (and some pretty big headaches). It only takes one click but can cause you to lose hours of work in some cases.

That mistake? “X-ing out” of the html editor window instead of using the “Close Editor” button at the bottom.

If you’ve spent time composing html emails in our system, it’s probably safe to assume you’ve done this before. Even yours truly has made this mistake and gotten ...

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Categories: Email, Millennials, Uncategorized, Your Website

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. 69: It's not about you

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Are you guilty of sending narcissistic email messages?

Ok, perhaps “narcissistic” might be a bit too harsh.

But I’ve seen quite a few messages that seem to focus more on what the college wants to say than what the reader wants to hear.

It’s the email equivalent of someone shoving a flyer into my hand as I’m walking down the street. Sure, they may have something they want to say, but hey, I’m busy and I never asked for it.

With email, there’s no need to launch into a three-paragraph history of your school’s origin or your founder’s vision.

It’s probably safe to say that no one wants to scroll through the academically-long-winded description of a new major they’ve never heard of, either.

All of that ...

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Categories: Email, Email Campaign Ideas, Followup, Your Website

XpertTip No. 61: Ice cream and social media

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Struggling to understand what all the social media fuss is about?

Today’s tip is for you.

I wanted to share a video that does a great job of explaining the social media phenomenon. Even better, they do it in — get this — plain English (insert sigh of relief here).

This video cuts through the techno-babble to provide a simple analogy that explains a very complex movement.

Social media is no flash-in-the-pan trend; it has completely changed the way brands interact with consumers (read: the way schools need to interact with prospects).

The video is posted in the TargetX Knowledge Center so we can keep the discussion going. I’ve already posted a comment about my favorite part;)

So grab a cup of ...

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Categories: Social Media, Social Networking, Uncategorized, Videos, Web Traffic, Your Website

XpertTip No. 60: Social networks combat summer melt

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“You just don’t know for sure whether students are coming until you see the whites of their eyes and their butts in the seats.”

The May issue of Lawlor Focus addresses a dreaded phenomenon in the “battle” for enrolled students: summer melt.

The newsletter outlined some of the major factors influencing decisions these days, including economic instability, student loan woes and the much-talked-about “wait-list shuffle.”

Their recommendation for those of you seeking to “minimize the melt” this summer? “Stay in touch with your prospects.”

I’d add that social networks take “staying in touch” to the next level; providing dynamic, interactive opportunities for prospects to make connections with you and each other.

Have you considered the power of social networking to combat summer melt?

Online ...

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Categories: eXpressNet, Millennials, Social Networking, Summer Projects, Web Traffic, Your Website

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. 54: Is your website working?

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Research shows that 84% of students are using the college’s website most heavily in their college search (Eduventures, 2007).

These days, you can’t deny the importance of investing heavily in your school’s web presence.

But tracking the return on your website investment isn’t easy; comparatively it can make filing your taxes seem simple and straightforward.

While tools like Google Analytics and WebTrends can help, page visits and click-throughs only tell us part of the story.

Sometimes anecdotal feedback can help fill in the blanks when it comes to the effectiveness of your website. Are you asking for it?

Here are a few opportunities you may be missing to invite feedback:

  • Provide a link right on the page for visitors to comment and/or make content requests.
  • Ask visiting ...
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Categories: Data, Research, Tracking, Uncategorized, Web Traffic, Your Website

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

Xpert Tip No. 50: Access Xpert Summit content

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“How are you motivating your bloggers?” “Can you give me some examples of great email messages?” “We are finally ready to setup our social network!”

“How do you handle moving data?” “What does Jeff Kallay do as part of a campus visit audit?” “Where can I learn more about SRM and Banner integration?”

No, the XpertTip hasn’t gone haywire — these quotes were all overheard last Thursday at the 2008 Xpert Summit.

The event was a huge success, with 97 clients from all over the country joining us for our very first users group meeting.

As promised, we have made content from the Xpert Summit available as part of a private group on the TargetX Knowledge Center.

To access exclusive Xpert Summit content, ...

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Categories: Best Practice Documents, Client Concierge, Email, Email Campaign Ideas, eXpressNet, eXpressSUITE, Research, Social Networking, Student Search, Workshops and Events, Your Website

XpertTip No. 49: Why not just use Facebook?

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The question: “So why setup a private social network vs. just using MySpace or Facebook? That’s where all the students are anyway.”

Adrienne’s answer: “Because I said so;)”

A much better answer: Provided by my long-time friend and colleague, TargetX’s own Kevin Corr. Hopefully he’ll forgive me, as I have used my creative license to condense parts of it (that Kevin, he’s a talker;)

His response?

Good question! The idea behind it is to engage in the conversation in your own space (or on your own turf!).

In a lot of ways, having your own social network versus using Facebook or MySpace is the internet equivalent of inviting students to campus to chat with you versus hanging out at the ...

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Categories: eXpressNet, Millennials, Social Networking, Your Website

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. 46: Six ways to embrace parents

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The intimate (and co-purchasing) relationship between Millennials and their parents is, well, kind of old news at this point.

These days, admissions professionals are regularly called on to take part in their own version of “Meet the Parents” (hopefully with much more poise than Ben Stiller;)

But all joking aside — the importance of parents in the college selection process has forced most offices to stand up and take notice.

Many of you have adjusted inquiry forms to include parent first names and email addresses. Gold stars to those of you who have even created a parallel “Parent Communication Plan.”

We’ve definitely gotten pretty savvy about collecting the 4-1-1 on Mom and Dad — but what are you doing with all of that info?

Here ...

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Categories: Blogs, Chat, Email Campaign Ideas, eXpressNet, eXpressSUITE, Lists, Millennials, Student Yield, Uncategorized, Your Website

XpertTip No. 34: Interaction, exploration and your website

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I’m frequently asked about tracking the “ROI” of the latest technology trends in higher ed. This can be really difficult, as you don’t track a student from “read a blog post” to “enrolled” very easily.

That being said, how do you know your efforts are worth it?

A recent post from Seth Godin’s blog offers some insight (his blog is chock full of great marketing advice if you’re not familiar).

Seth points us to FreeRice, a website that seeks to end world hunger while improving your vocabulary.

His advice? “If you’re a web developer, notice how interaction leads to involvement which leads to learning and exploration. In that order.”

Sounds very abstract at first, but trust me — give it a ...

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Categories: Blogs, eXpressNet, Outside Resources, Social Networking, Your Website

XpertTip No. 30: Take out the verbage

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“A recent government publication on the marketing of cabbage contains, according to one report, 26,941 words. It is noteworthy in this regard that the Gettysburg Address contains a mere 279 words while the Lord’s Prayer comprises but 67.” – Norman R. Augustine

How apropos for admissions marketing.

My eighth-grade teacher called it “verbage:” a combination of verbs and garbage used to describe superfluous words that were on the page but not saying anything.

Trust me, I understand the plight of the writer, agonizing over each word and sentence like a mother to her children. I go through this every week, dancing the delicate dance of conveying important information while writing something brief enough to brave the average inbox. Admittedly, some weeks I fare ...

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Categories: Email, Your Website

XpertTip No. 21: Why social networking?

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Today begins a series of XpertTips on social networking in admissions. Over the next few weeks, I’ll look at the how and why of these sites and give you some data to get you thinking. Like most things, social networking isn’t for everyone. Hopefully I can help you decide if it’s a step in the right direction for your institution.

To understand the significance of these online communities, it helps to start with the numbers. A 2007 study conducted by Pew Internet & American Life Project concluded that more than half (55%) of all online American youths ages 12-17 use an online social networking site. The same study found that 48% of teens visit ...

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Categories: eXpressNet, Millennials, Social Networking, Your Website

XpertTip No. 20: Connect with the connected

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Greetings from Hilton Head Island, South Carolina! I’m on vacation this week but couldn’t leave my loyal readers stranded without a tip;)

Preparing to write this tip today (versus hanging by the pool) has the issue of “hyperconnectivity” on my mind. Most of us are trying to find a better balance of being “plugged in” and being fully present with friends and family while not on the clock.

While I can’t solve that riddle for us, I can point to one group that is not wrestling with being too connected: our beloved Millennials. They simply don’t see the same divide between the “online” and “offline” world the way we do. To them, it’s all one big happy ...

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Categories: Millennials, Social Networking, Your Website