Webinar Slides: Authentic v. Automated Communication - Yes, You Can Do Both

PRESENTERS:

Megan CendrowskiLeigh Fitzgerald

AUTHENTIC V. AUTOMATED COMMUNICATION – YES, YOU CAN DO BOTH

WEBINAR | 6.18.15

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About the Presenters

Leigh is a principal account executive and inbound marketing specialist. She works with colleges and universities to implement and manage inbound marketing plans using the HubSpot platform.

Megan is an inbound strategist and content marketer. She leads content strategy and development to build new websites and innovative marketing campaigns for colleges and universities across the country.

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Introduction

Marketing automation is a huge buzzword in higher education today. And for good reason. Recruiters are busy. Marketers are busy. We’re all really busy.

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Introduction

What IS Marketing Automation?

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What IS a good marketing automation strategy?

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Introduction

› Generating a steady flow of prospective students/inquires?

› Is your admissions team overwhelmed with the number of inquiries you

have?

› Has admissions and marketing/communications agreed on what

conversations should happen with marketing, and which with

admissions?

› Do you have a content strategy mapped to your “student journey”?

› Are you tracking your inquiries digital body language across every touch

point and marketing channel (not just email)?

› Do you have a proven nurturing strategy you want to scale?

How do you know if it’s time to invest in marketing automation?

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Introduction

YES – automated communication can (and should) feel personal. When it comes to authentic v. automated content, you can have your cake and eat it too.

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Overview

• User personas• Segmented content• Maps & workflows• Case studies• Takeaways

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PERSONAS

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What?

User personas are critical benchmarks for segmentation.

• Provide a deeper understanding of target audiences.

• Creative marketing tools to reference when developing content.

• Help us deliver the right messages at the right time.

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Why?

We have a wide range of target audiences to reach in #highered.

• Prospective students• Current students• Alumni / donors• Parents• Community members

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How?

Where to start…

• Focus groups • Look at historical data• Negative personas • Surveys • Talk to admissions• More the better

What to think about…

• Gender • Background• Age• Income (if any)• Common concerns/questions• Personal Goals• Real quotes

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SEGMENTED CONTENT

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What?

Marketing automation is more than just emails.

• Social media posts• Digital advertising• Content offers• And yes, emails, too

Segmented content helps us deliver the right message to the right person at the right time.

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Why?

This is how you make automation feel authentic.

• Hi. How’s it going?• Hello. How are you today?• Hey. What’s up?

If you know your audience, you can speak to them in a genuine way.

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How?

High School Henry

Transfer Taylor

• Do I want to go to college?

• Do I want to go to school far away?

• Do I need a concentration?

• Are there other campuses out there I’d like better?

• What schools are closer to home?

• What schools are in the city?

• What major do I want to focus on?

• Where do I want to go to school?

• What size campus is right for me?

• Are my credits going to transfer?

• Is my different major offered?

• Am I going to need to do an extra semester?

• Are there scholarships available?

• Is there early decision available?

• Is my sports team good?

• What is the difference in cost?

• Do I like the professors/deans?

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MAPS & FLOWS

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What?

Workflows help us strategize communication touch-points.

• Do we need more conversion points in our funnel?

• Should we focus on building our prospect pool?

• Is there a push for applicants?• Where are we focusing our efforts?

Answer these questions to allocate time and efforts according to your unique goals.

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Why?

We want our users to voluntarily take action.

• Request information• Start an application• Download content• Register for an event• Visit campus• Make a donation

Maps and workflows help us get get users from point A to point B.

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How?

Setting Up Your Workflow/Campaign:

1. Determine where a prospective student is in their journey

2. Identify how someone would be enrolled in a ‘workflow’

3. What content will we send in that workflow

4. Decide on a goal for that workflow, and how someone will be removed

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CASE STUDIES

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Case Study

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Case Study

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Case Study

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Case Study

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Case Study

Since March 1, 2015…

• 400+ Facebook Page ‘Likes’

• 170+ Twitter Followers

• 290+ Digital Advertising Leads

• 30+ New Applications

• 450% increase in website traffic

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TAKEAWAYS

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TIP

Define your target audiences.

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TOOL

Persona generator: makemypersona.com

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TOOL

Templates: http://offers.hubspot.com/free-template-school-personas

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TIP

Create segmented messages

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TOOL

Messaging matrix segmented by audience

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TIP

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TOOL

Make a workflow to map communications.

Think of where to focus your efforts.

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TIP

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TOOL

Database decay calculator: http://www.hubspot.com/database-decay

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Thank You!

Megan CendrowskiInbound Strategist, Converge

@megancendrowskimegan@convergeconsulting.org

Leigh FitzgeraldInbound Specialist, HubSpot

@leighfitzlfitzgerald@hubspot.com

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