Develop, Find, and Execute: A Blueprint for Effective Email Acquisition Campaigns #ProspectCloud #EduWeb16
Develop, Find, and Execute:
A Blueprint for Effective Email Acquisition
Campaigns
#ProspectCloud
#EduWeb16
About us
Finding Your Audience
Agenda
Developing Student Personas
Questions
Understanding the Recruitment Funnel
Executing an Effective Email Outreach Campaign
ROI Analysis
About us
Who we are
Jonas SeiderDirector of Graduate Enrollment
&
Former Olympic Beach
Volleyball Bronze Medal Winner
Mark ForsythDirector of Marketing –
Masters of Accounting Program
&
World Class Origami Artist
Dov HirschChief Strategy Officer
&
All-around Good Guy,
most of the time
Understanding the Recruitment Funnel
Prospect
Inquiry
Application
Admit
Deposit
Enroll
How you think of the recruitment funnel
How the recruitment funnel actually looks
Inbound Prospect
Inquiry
Application
Admit
Deposit
Enroll
Inquiry Attrition
The largest area of attrition happens at the top of the funnel, as inbound prospects elect whether to take further actions.
Melt
The inability to “close” causes melt after time and resources have already been invested.
Inquiry to Application
29% Median Conversion Rate*
Admit Rate
81% Median Admit Rate*
*Ruffalo Noel Levitz – 2015 Adult Learner Marketing and Recruitment Practices Benchmark Report for Undergraduate and Graduate Programs
Outbound Prospects
How we should think of the recruitment funnel
Targeting Outbound ProspectsPinpointing and marketing to an audience of
ideal prospective students helps reduce
monumental waste at the top of the funnel.
Inbound Prospect
Inquiry
Application
Admit
Deposit
Enroll
Funnel Management is KeyA consistent process of engagement and
follow up are key to bringing a prospect
from the top of the funnel all the way
through enrollment and matriculation.
Make it Rain!
Developing Student Personas
What does this mean?
and% %
Typical Higher Ed Institutions
For-profit Institutions
Percentage of tuition revenue spent on marketing.
MOTIVATION
EXPERIENCEPREFERENCES
Developing Student Personas
Knowing how your ideal audience like to send and
receive information is key in reaching them where
they are most comfortable
How do they like to communicate?
What work experience and education
background have historically made good
candidates for your program?
Ideal Background
Understanding what motivates prospective
students is crucial to student persona
development
Why they do what they do?
Answers to these questions will start to present specific criteria for understanding what motivates your best students, and
what messages may resonate best.
What drives you professionally?
What does your growth track look like?
Are you equipped to handle a bigger role?
Professional Goals
What is your ideal work/life balance?
Does your current situation fit in to
your long term plans?
What are you passionate about?
Life Goals
What is your family situation?
Do you want/have kids?
How does your family life effect your
professional life?
Family Dynamic
How do you define success?
Whose approvals do you most often
seek?
What defines success?
What is the common track for peer
colleagues?
What do your friends do?
How do you measure up?
Peer Group
What keeps you up at night?
What challenges you in your role?
What are you missing to grow
professionally?
Pain Points
Measuring Motivation
PERSONAL
Age?
Married? Children?
Location?
Salary range?
What is your current role and title?
How many years have you been working?
Who do you report to?
Who reports to you?
Evaluating Experience
EDUCATION
What degrees do you currently have?
Where did you go to school?
Honors or Awards?
Leadership Roles?
GPA?
What skills are required?
What skillsets do you utilize most?
What industry do you work in?
What is your company size?
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Percentage of North Americans who use
Facebook as of May 2014
60.6%Percentage of World who Actively Use twitter as of
Q2 2015
22%Percentage of working professionals who have direct email addresses in
the United States
Business Email
88%Number of LinkedIn Users
as of Q1 2016
433MMobile Phone Internet User penetration in the US as of
2014
Mobile Internet
75.1%
Pinpointing PreferencesHow your target audience sends and receives new information.
(GlobalWebIndex) (eMarketer; American
Marketing Association)
(Hubspot) (Statista) (LinkedIn)
Pinpointing PreferencesWhere do your ideal prospects spend their time?
What associations or networking groups do
you belong to?
Do you do research on your cell phone?
How frequently do you access your email? Business?
Personal?
Do you use internet search engines to find information?
What blogs or publications do you frequent most?
How much time do you spend on social media sites?
• Read related blogs and forums to gauge trends and interests
• Navigate social media to review profiles of ideal prospects
• Learn how prospects are talking about issues and making decisions
Online Sources
• Review digital footprint and performance (Web,blog, Social Media, etc.)
• What content is being accessed the most?
• What are the most engaging blog posts?
• Who “likes” your social media pages and presence?
Digital Metrics
• Current and past students
• Accepted students – and those who chose not toenroll
• Admissions officers
• Prospective students who express interest
Talk to People
How to find these answersWhat/who are the best resources to get accurate answers to develop personas?
Financial Fred
Work Experience:
Background:
Undergrad:
Age:
25-32 3-9 years
Finance background, working in Investment
Banking, Private Equity, etc.
Location:
Within 2 hour drive of the program
Bio:
- Graduated with business degree
- Unmarried or newly married; no kids
- Wants to grow in role, but needs MBA
Reputable 4 year institution; 3.0+ GPA
What a developed student persona looks like
Preferences:- Significantly tied to work email
- Visits WSJ.com and Financial Times
- Uses Social Media on a personal level
“What sort of financial aid is available?”
“I know I need an MBA, but I’d like to stay close to home to avoid significant expense.”
What the UNC online MAC persona looks like
Analyst Alex
Work Experience:
Background:
Motivation:
Age:
27-34 5-12 years
ANY undergraduate education, but now sitting
in a sub-CPA level finance or accounting role
Location:The Southeast or Mid-Atlantic (DC to Atlanta)
Bio:
- Put off grad school to jump into workplace
- Young kids and a new mortgage
- Wants to advance, but lacks
knowledge/credential to compete for
promotion
Wants to help, but not in a position to do so
Traits/Preferences:- Detail-oriented, organized problem solver
- Visits FiveThirtyEight and Fast Company
- Slave to Excel, secretly loves it
“What degree is best for me? And is really worth it?”
“I’m ready for a promotion, but my resume isn’t. Something’s missing. What can I do?”
Reflecting on one’s career
Contemplating the next step
“I need to do something different. This job isn’t cutting it.”
“What else is out there? I’m still young so I have some time to figure it out.”
Student Persona Assessment Guide
http://prospect-cloud.com/edu/resources/student-persona.html
Finding Your Audience
Financial Fred
Work Experience:
Background:
Undergrad:
Age:
25-32 3-9 years
Finance background, working in Investment
Banking, Private Equity, etc.
Location:
Within 2 hour drive of the program
Bio:
- Graduated with business degree
- Unmarried or newly married; no kids
- Wants to grow in role, but needs MBA
Reputable 4 year institution; 3.0+ GPA
Preferences:- Significantly tied to work email
- Visits WSJ.com and Financial Times
- Uses Social Media on a personal level
Turn student personas into actual students
Steve Owens
Age: Work Experience:
Background:
Location:
Bio:
Undergrad:
26 4 years
Investment analyst for Bank of America
1.5 hour drive away from main campus
- BS in Business
- Single with no children
- Most of his senior colleagues have MBAs
University of Southern California; 3.3 GPA
Preferences:- Attached to work email day and night
- Frequents financial websites for news
- Has semi-active LinkedIn profile
Finding your Audience
Direct Mail
Display Advertising
Radio
Search
Social Media
TV
Events and Fairs
Personal Interaction Most Effective
Personal
ConnectionLess Personal
More Personal
Efficacy
of Tactic
Least Effective
Most Effective
Face to face interactions yield the greatest application results
Personalized email outreach allows you to connect with prospects and direct them to the information they find most useful
TV and Radio are impersonal and good only to spread brand awareness
SEO can be personal so long as the landing page is directed to the interest of the searcher
Direct mail campaigns are costly, and yield low returns
Display and Social Media Marketing is easy to ignore
Resources to find your prospects
WebEmail Social Media
Organic Database Compilation
Executing an Effective Email Outreach Campaign
*Mark et al, 2016 – Email Duration, Batching and Self-interruption: Patterns of Email Use on Productivity and Stress
What business are you in?
Sales Communications
Email Marketing: Feedback Loop
01
02
03 Collect data on all relevant conversion metrics. See
where you are clearing a path, and see where you
are creating obstructions
Measure Outcomes
Define a target audience and create content
and messaging that resonates with them
Build your CampaignDo you have an overall goal in mind?
What are you trying to accomplish?
Defining Objectives
Never settle. Keep moving forward.
Improve
04
How we built our message and our ‘menu’
Am I promotion-ready?
What do I need to learn?
Is this going to pay off?
What’s this UNC MAC all about?
Should I get a fresh start?
CAREER ADVANCERS CAREER SWITCHERS
EMAIL: How accounting skills can really help you
EMAIL: The ROI of a MAC degree (and how it stacks up to an MBA)
EMAIL: An invitation to a learn more at a webinar
EMAIL: How to evaluate your career readiness1 EMAIL: When is the right time
for grad school?2
3
4
5
Text vs. HTMLHow will your display look?
Graphics vs. Plain text
Subject LineValue statement
Address a Pain point
Personal vs. Generic
From LineFrom an Individual?
From the Program?
Executing an effective email campaign
Text vs. HTMLHow will your display look?
Graphics vs. Plain text
From LineFrom an Individual?
From the Program?
Subject LineValue statement
Address a Pain point
Personal vs. Generic
Our first e-mail
from:
UNC Master of Accounting Program
subject line A:
Is your career ready for the dance?
subject line B:
A how-to guide to climbing the corporate ladder
Read the article: Prepare your career for its next step
Or, download our guide: Climbing the corporate ladder
Are you interested in adding accounting skills…?UNC’s online Master of Accounting degree…Learn more | Webinar | Apply
A promotion?More responsibility?Changing your career?
If you want to get ahead in the business world, you need to stay competitive. You need the right combination of knowledge, insight, connections, and credentials.
Our communication anatomy
The e-mail The article The download
Read the article: Prepare your career…
Download our guide: Climbing the corporate ladder
Are you interested?: Learn more | Webinar | Apply
Download our guide: Climbing the corporate ladder
Are you interested?: Learn more | Webinar | Apply
When you first went to work for your company, it was pretty cool. Your friends and family were excited about your new job. You were excited. You were meeting new people, learning new things, making a difference and probably making more money than you ever had before…
Landing page
and form
Complete the form to access the guide.
First Name*
Last Name*
Email*
Phone Number
Mark
Forsyth
512-345-6789
Submit
Complete the form to access the guide.
First Name*
Last Name*
Email*
Phone Number
Mark
Forsyth
512-345-6789
Submit
Key Takeaways
01 Most important part is STARTING
02 Prospects care about themselves, not you
03 It’s a process, not an event
Open Rate Registration UnsubscribeDeliverability
To drive enrollment from local professionals for an Executive Education program offered at their physical campus in Davie, Florida.
Through ongoing consultation ProspectCloud developed a student persona and access to VPs, Directors, Managers, and C-Suite Executives for a Finance Program for non-financial managers.
The Right Audience for the Right ProgramCase Study
Need:
Solution:
Results:ProspectCloud provided 2,656 contacts matching the student persona, enabling NSU to fill all 30 seats within 4 days, entirely from 2 email campaigns, providing over 2,100% ROI.
97.6% 0.15%35.1% 8.25%
2,101%
4-Day ROI
ROI Analysis
CRM ServicesTracking prospect lifecycle and
engagement is crucial to managing the recruitment funnel
Salaries and OverheadInternal marketing staff and overhead expenses are attributed to marketing
spend
Media Buys
AgenciesThird party agencies are often used in different capacities from holistic approaches to advisory services.
Content DevelopmentPrograms spend money developing
creative content for marketing efforts
Buying ad space through various channels: TV, Radio, Display, etc.
Sources of marketing costs
$2,957.78
$1,102.36
$875.45
$2,265.36
$889.13
Typical Methods to Generate InquiriesCost Per Enrollee Averages*
$1,756.19
$591.26
TV/Radio
Digital Display
Direct Mail
Search Engine
Social Media
Events and Education Fairs
Email Campaign
*Based on a survey of 150 full-time graduate programs
Average Costs Per Enrollee
Email acquisition funnel in action
Click Throughs
Inquiries
Applications
Admits
Deposits
Enrollees
Opened Emails
Email Delivered
Initial Contacts
Example Email Campaign (First Month)
Month 1 Month 2 Month 3 Month 4 Month 5 Month 6 Month 7 Month 8 Month 9 Month 10 Month 11 Month 12
New Contacts Redeemed 25,000 - - - - - - - - - - -
Cost/Contact $0.63 $0.63 $0.63 $0.63 $0.63 $0.63 $0.63 $0.63 $0.63 $0.63 $0.63 $0.63
Allocated Data Cost 15,750$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$
Content Cost 120$ 120$ 120$ 120$ 120$ 120$ 120$ 120$ 120$ 120$ 120$ 120$
Transmission Costs 125$ 125$ 125$ 125$ 125$ 125$ 125$ 125$ 125$ 125$ 125$ 125$
Aggregate Total Cost 15,995$ 16,240$ 16,485$ 16,730$ 16,975$ 17,220$ 17,465$ 17,710$ 17,955$ 18,200$ 18,445$ 18,690$
Total Emails Delivered 24,000 22,866 21,672 20,432 19,161 17,874 16,584 15,304 14,047 12,823 11,642 10,511
Open Rate 30% 30% 30% 30% 30% 30% 30% 30% 30% 30% 30% 30%
Opened Emails 7,200 6,860 6,502 6,130 5,748 5,362 4,975 4,591 4,214 3,847 3,492 3,153
Click Thru Rate 14% 14% 14% 14% 14% 14% 14% 14% 14% 14% 14% 14%
Click Thrus 1,008.0 960.4 910.2 858.2 804.8 750.7 696.5 642.8 590.0 538.6 488.9 441.5
Inquiry Rate 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2%
Inquiries 20.2 19.2 18.2 17.2 16.1 15.0 13.9 12.9 11.8 10.8 9.8 8.8
Application Rate 29% 29% 29% 29% 29% 29% 29% 29% 29% 29% 29% 29%
Applications 5.8 5.6 5.3 5.0 4.7 4.4 4.0 3.7 3.4 3.1 2.8 2.6
Admit Rate 81% 81% 81% 81% 81% 81% 81% 81% 81% 81% 81% 81%
Admits 4.7 4.5 4.3 4.0 3.8 3.5 3.3 3.0 2.8 2.5 2.3 2.1
Deposit Rate 85% 85% 85% 85% 85% 85% 85% 85% 85% 85% 85% 85%
Deposits 4.0 3.8 3.6 3.4 3.2 3.0 2.8 2.6 2.4 2.2 2.0 1.8
Melt Rate 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13% 13%
Enrol lees 3.5 3.3 3.2 3.0 2.8 2.6 2.4 2.2 2.0 1.9 1.7 1.5
Unsubscribe Rate 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 0.5%
Unsubscribes 36.00 34.30 32.51 30.65 28.74 26.81 24.88 22.96 21.07 19.23 17.46 15.77
12-month email campaign metrics
Total Enrollees: 30
ROI Results
Average Full-time Graduate Tuition: $70,000
Total Enrollees: 30
Total Revenue: $2,113,462
Total Cost of Marketing: $18,690
Total ROI: $2,113,462
$18,690− 1 = 𝟏𝟏, 𝟐𝟎𝟖%
1212%
2461%3646%
4762%5809%
6786%7693%
8529%9297%
9997%10634%
11208%
0%
2000%
4000%
6000%
8000%
10000%
12000%
RO
I (%
)
Campaign Duration
Monthly Aggregate ROI(12-Months)
Questions
www.prospect-cloud.com/edu