direct mail & email for student recruitment (nagap 2008)
DESCRIPTION
A presentation on Multi-Channel Marketing for Adult-student Recruiting. Covers 4 topics: Knowing your Target Market, Understanding List Acquisition, Integrating Direct Mail and Email, and Tracking Results. (Co-Presented by Marymount University and Direct Development at the NAGAP 2008 Conference.)TRANSCRIPT
Direct Mail & Email for
ProspectingProspecting
Multi-channel Marketing for Adult-student Recruiting
Direct Mail & Email for Prospecting
PRESENTERS:
Direct Development, Inc.
Charles Fraga
President
Dan Kabele
List Specialist / Project ManagerList Specialist / Project Manager
Tony Fraga
Director of Sales & Marketing
Marymount UniversityChris DomesVice-President for Enrollment and Student Services
Francesca ReedDirector of Graduate Admissions
Presentation Overview
• STEP 1: Know Your Target Market
• STEP 2: Understand List Acquisition
• STEP 3: Integrate DM & Email Campaigns
• STEP 4: Track Results
• Q & A
STEP 1:
Know Your Target MarketKnow Your Target Market
STEP 1: Know Your Target Market
• Targeted marketing can involve multiple media types• Radio
• Print ads
• Direct Mail
• etc…• etc…
• Direct Mail (DM) & Email are major players
• Priority #1: Build/Develop your Inquiry Pool of Prospective Students
• Have a Multi-layered strategy
EXAMPLE: Marymount University’s Marketing Strategy
STEP 1: Know Your Target Market
• You may already know this, but…– What differentiates your institution/program?
– What direction is your program going in?
– Why would a prospect choose your program?– Why would a prospect choose your program?
– Do you have an understanding of where your inquiry pool stands currently?
• Identify your appeal before identifying who your prospective students might be.
STEP 1: Know Your Target Market
• Identify Prospective Students– Make a “Current Student” profile
• Previous employment
• Demographics
• Education level
• Associations/Publications/Websites
– Use surveys to obtain unknown data (see Handout)– Use surveys to obtain unknown data (see Handout)
– Make a “Desired Student” profile
– Be PROGRAM-SPECIFIC with your targeting
• Review Past Efforts– Previous rented lists? House lists?
– Previous events?
STEP 1: Know Your Target Market
Target Marketing Checklist:� Do you have program-specific profiles of prospects?
� Are your targeted groups too narrow? Too Broad?
� What do you want the targeted prospects to do? � What do you want the targeted prospects to do?
(Attend an Event?... Go to Website?... Express interest?)
� Does your plan comply with your institution’s Brand?
� Do you know how many responses you need?
� Do you know how many campaigns you want to do?
STEP 1: Know Your Target Market
EXAMPLE: Marymount University’s Prospective Student Profiles
Business Programs
MBA, Human Resources,
Legal & IT
• “White Collar” workers
Education/Human
Services
Teachers & Counselors
• “Change of Life” people –
ready for a 2nd career
Health Professions
Primarily Nursing
• Profiles using publication
surveys – particularly Nursing
• Licensed Nurses• Human Resource professionals
• Those who are willing to be more
educated (have taken other
classes or seminars)
• Those who might want to be
promoted to management
• IT workers
• Paralegals
• Ages 28-late 40’s
ready for a 2 career
• Those who want their lives
to make a difference to
someone
• Variety of careers including
those who might have
“made their money” already
• Willing to expand the
traditional age range for a
more diverse audience
• Licensed Nurses
• Fitness occupations and
interest
• Physical Therapists &
Occupational Therapists
STEP 1: Know Your Target Market
• CONCLUSION:
�Be aware of how DM & Email fit into your overall
Target Marketing strategy
�Focus on building your Inquiry Pool�Focus on building your Inquiry Pool
�Create a profile of both current and desired
students (use surveys!)
�Use program-specific targeted profiles to guide
your list search…
STEP 2:
Understand List AcquisitionUnderstand List Acquisition
STEP 2: Understand List Acquisition
Overview of the “List World”
– Access is somewhat limited to brokers and
managers
– A whole set of lingo and methodology—counts, – A whole set of lingo and methodology—counts,
minimums, selects, etc.
– Different sources of lists» Compiled Lists
» Response Lists
» Specialty Lists (subscribers, members, customers)
– How trustworthy is the data?
STEP 2: Understand List Acquisition
Who’s who...and what is their primary interest?
• List Owners
» Rarely rent directly (some associations do)
• List Managers
» Have specific lists they market but do not have access to » Have specific lists they market but do not have access to
whole market of lists
• List Managers/Brokers
» Will market ANY list on the market
» Biased towards proprietary lists they manage
• Independent List Brokers
» Should take on your interests and be unlimited in what
they offer
STEP 2: Understand List Acquisition
Direct Mail Lists (Postal)
• Pros– Addresses are more stable, verifiable
– Much more targeted selection available than email lists
– Costs typically lower than email lists– Costs typically lower than email lists
– Lower minimum order requirements (~5,000 records)
– Prospect has something in-hand (more “traditional”)
• Cons– Some people are less responsive to direct mail
– Higher Production Costs (printing, mailing, postage)
STEP 2: Understand List Acquisition
Email Lists• Pros
– Quick turnaround ability (can do last-minute campaigns)
– More response-driven data available
– More prone to immediate direct response
– Lower production costs (no printing, mailing, postage)
– Extensive reporting (delivered, opened, click-thrus) available for tracking– Extensive reporting (delivered, opened, click-thrus) available for tracking
• Cons– Higher minimum order requirements (10,000+)
– Poor overall selection of lists—lacks a lot of the targeting you might desire
– Opt in/opt out protocols
– Less reliable transmission (junk/spam filters, image limitations, etc.)
– Not great for first-time introduction
– Email addresses change frequently
STEP 2: Understand List Acquisition
• RESEARCH lists before acquisition
– Give your Target Market info to list advisor (from Step 1)
– Research Phase (2 weeks+)» List verifications/approvals
» Counts & Costs
» Source information
» Usage Reports
– List Services professional should provide summary
• Choose lists that best accommodate your target and
the available counts
• Test more lists at smaller quantities first
STEP 2: Understand List Acquisition
EXAMPLE: St. Matthew’s University List Research
EXAMPLE: St. Matthew’s University List Research
STEP 2: Understand List Acquisition
• CONCLUSION:
�Institution size and reputation can determine DM
vs. Emailvs. Email
�Multi-channel can offer the best of both worlds
�Start with a “healthy” List Research Phase
�Test multiple lists to determine effectiveness
STEP 3:
Integrate Direct Mail & Email
Campaigns
STEP 3: Integrate DM + Email Campaigns
The Direct Mail Package
• Select the Proper Direct Mail Package:• Letters
• Postcards/Self-mailers
• Invitations
• Special Packages
• Test multiple packages simultaneously
• Make sure your Graphic Design can be easily
integrated in HTML
• Method of response must be clear and obvious!
STEP 3: Integrate DM + Email Campaigns
The Email Campaign
• Timing with DM is critical:
– “Email…DM…Email” VS. “DM…Email…Email”
• MUST match both DM and website graphics• MUST match both DM and website graphics
• Proper Email practices» From Line
» Subject Line
» Personalization
» Text & Image Agreement
» “Above the fold”, Links, Text vs. HTML versions, etc…
• Method of response must be clear and obvious!
EXAMPLE: Marymount University’s Integrated DM & Email Campaign
EXAMPLE: Marymount University’s Integrated DM & Email Campaign
STEP 3: Integrate DM + Email Campaigns
• CONCLUSION:
�Select a DM package that coincides with the
purpose of your campaign
�Time your Email campaigns to work �Time your Email campaigns to work
harmoniously with your DM efforts
�Integrate! Integrate! Integrate!
�Make sure the desired response is loud & clear
STEP 4:
Track ResultsTrack Results
STEP 4: Track Results
• How to implement Tracking Codes
– Segment Data• House Lists
• Rented Lists
• Different package types (split mailings)• Different package types (split mailings)
• Specific data selections (gender, geography, field of study)
– Personalization Methods• Directly on reply device
• Inkjet/Lasering or Variable Digital Printing
• Can be a “reservation code” or a “priority code”
• PURLs
STEP 4: Track Results
STEP 4: Track Results
STEP 4: Track Results
Checklist for tracking responses:� What happens to mailed-in responses?
� What happens to email responses?
� Have you set up an auto-response message for email responses?
� Do you have separate lists set up to track various interest levels?� Do you have separate lists set up to track various interest levels?
“request more info” vs. “event sign-ups” vs. “applicants”
� Do you have a database to compile response data?
� Who handles data entry & list hygiene?
� Does the IT dept know to track website activity?
� How is the data being charted for analysis?
� Do you know exactly what data points you want to analyze?
STEP 4: Track Results
STEP 4: Track Results
STEP 4: Track Results
• CONCLUSION:�Applying source codes is easy (and inexpensive!)
�Segment your data to track both LISTS and PACKAGES
�Track Email & Website metrics as well�Track Email & Website metrics as well
�Analyze results to see a comprehensive snapshot
Questions?
Direct Development, Inc.
Charles Fraga
President ([email protected])
Dan Kabele
List Specialist/Project Manager ([email protected])
Tony Fraga
Director of Sales & Marketing ([email protected])
Marymount UniversityChris DomesVice-President for Enrollment and Student Services ([email protected])
Francesca ReedDirector of Graduate Admissions ([email protected])