Interactive Marketing for Colleges and University

What Every College & University Must Know About Internet Marketing

Overview

• Search Engine Optimization• Why SEO • Case Study – SLU – School for Professional Studies• Interactive Marketing• Interactive Marketing• Social Media Strategies• Balanced Approach• Benefits• Questions?

Overview


How Search Engines Work

Organic –70%

(chemical free!)

SEO Best Practices

On-Page SEO Off-Site SEO

On-Page SEO

• Keyword Research• Content • Site Architecture • Title Tags• Title Tags• Meta Data

Meta Tags

Off-Site Optimization

Off-Site Optimization

• How Do You Build Links?

• Manual Linkbuilding– Associations– Business Partners– City Web Sites– Effective, But Slow

• There Are More Scalable Methods

Overview


Why SEO?

• Rightful Position• Others Are Doing It• Test Your Site:

– Colleges in <your state>– Colleges in <your state>– Online business program– Continuing education programs in <your state>– What’s your top program?

Overview – Benefits of SEO

• Highest Interactive Conversion• Greatest ROI – Lowest CPS• SEO Gains Are Semi PermanentPermanent

• Builds Your Brand Equity

Overview

• Search Engine Optimization• Why SEO• Case Study – SLU – School for Professional Studies• Interactive Marketing• Interactive Marketing• Social Media Strategies• Balanced Approach• Benefits• Questions?

Case Study – SLU – School for Professional Studies

“We have an online program now, so let’s go national.”

– Dean, SLU School for Professional Studies, April 2007


How to increase leads/enrollments for new programs/online offerings with same, very small, marketing budget?– SSSStrengths: reputation/brand, adult student focus– SSSStrengths: reputation/brand, adult student focus– WWWWeaknesses: affordability, sufficient resources– OOOOpportunities: new programs, online/alternative formats– TTTThreats: competition, internal resistance


In addition…

– In 2006, University adopted new Content Management System (CMS) for website – resulting in “lost site syndrome”.in “lost site syndrome”.

– U of Phoenix third quarter report (July 2009)• Gross revenue topped $1 billion for first time• Enrollment is now 420,000 students• “Sales and Promotional Expenses” budget was $246.3 million – for the quarter!for the quarter!for the quarter!for the quarter!


• Challenges– Google can’t find us– Going “national” on shoestring budget– Up against for-profit competition– Up against for-profit competition– Insufficient resources


• Signed on with PlattForm Oct 2007– Started small: SEO only– Targeted top eight pages first for optimization and gradually expanded throughout the yeargradually expanded throughout the year

– Resulted in 50 percent increase in both search engine traffic and overall visitors from 2007 to 2008

– During this same time, enrollments grew by 35 percent


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0

2000

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Total Traffic

Search Engine Traffic



• Beginning of Campaign to Present Day– Total Traffic Increased 139%139%139%139%

– Search Engine Traffic Increased 111%111%111%111%

–Web Site Inquiries Increased 534%534%534%534%!–Web Site Inquiries Increased 534%534%534%534%!

Overview


Universal Search & Video Optimization

• Google’s New Search Results• Video Optimization• Driven By YouTube• Keyword Research• Keyword Research• Do You Have Existing Videos?• Video Quality• Ranking Factors

Social Media As A Product

• Above All, DifferentiateDifferentiateDifferentiateDifferentiate

• Social Media As A Product– Good Blogging– User Generated Content User Generated Content

– Social Media Applications

• Social Media As Promotion– Social Networking– Engaging the Blogosphere

How To Run A College Blog

• Set Your Objectives and Topic Scope

• Be Authentic

• Differentiate – Niche Content, Resourceful, Timely

• Open Up Comments, Living Room Rule

• Don’t Blog on Demand• Don’t Blog on Demand

• Don’t Blog in a Silo

• About RSS Readers

• Use Your Instructors

• Not Just Content, Great Content

Overview


Modern Social Media Strategies

• Facebook & Twitter• Build Your Own Network• Application Decisions Important

– Open Source vs Proprietary– Open Source vs Proprietary– Hosted Solution or Not?– Long Term Implications

• www.fastcompany.com• www.ifood.tv

SLU – School For Professional Studies Facebook Page

Social Media Promotion

• Email Current Students/Alumni

• Facebook and Twitter

• Digg and Social News Sites

• Social Bookmarking

• Pitch Lists• Pitch Lists

Overview


A Balanced Approach

• What’s The Catch?• Much Easier Than You Think• Modern Web Tools• Platform Decisions Are CriticalPlatform Decisions Are Critical

– Open Source?– Hosted Solution?

• Careful Planning

Overview


Benefits

• Enriched Student Experience• Differentiation• Free Content• Links To Unique FeaturesLinks To Unique Features

• Great SEO Performance• Good SEO = Stronger Brand

Summary

• Search Engine Optimization• Why SEO • Case Study – SLU – School for Professional Studies• Interactive MarketingInteractive Marketing

• Social Media Strategies• Balanced Approach• Benefits

Questions?

Interactive Marketing for Colleges and University

Education