Steve BacherDirector, e-MarketingBucks County Community Collegebachers@bucks.edu (215) 504-8543 NCMPR District 1 Conference, Nov. 2, 2009www.slideshare.net/SteveBacher

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Overview

1. Why use SEM/What is SEM?

2. Steps to Create an SEM Campaign

3. Case Study:

Bucks County Community College’s 1st SEM Campaign

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Why use SEM?

* Growing marketing channel worldwide

* Highly targeted

* Measurable results

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Why use SEM? It brings specific programs to the attention of people who are searching for the programs on Google and don’t know that they are offered by your college.

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Why use SEM?

To advertise: * new programs

* existing programs for which your college has many competitors

* online programs available to students nationwide

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What is SEM?

Users search for Keywords on Search Engines such as Google

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Search for Bucks County Community College and www.bucks.edu comes out on top.

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Search for Dental Assistant training programs and there are 3,900,000 web pages.

Bucks isn’t on top.

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How do we help people interested in Dental Assistant training programs find ours?

One answer is Search Engine Marketing (SEM).

Google and other Search Engines sell Sponsored Links, which appear at the top of the Search Results List, above

the normal (or “organic”) search results.

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Here is an example of sponsored links above organic search results.

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Sponsored Links are shown to users who search for related keywords and phrases…

Keywords and phrases in this example include:

dental assistant dental assistant career

dental assistant certificate dental assistant college

dental assistant jobs dental assistant programs dental assistant resume dental assistant school dental assistant schools dental assistant training

dental college dental hygiene colleges 11

Sponsored links are only shown to users in targeted zip codes who search for related keywords.

In the Bucks pilot SEM campaign, sponsored links were purchased for zip codes that had

at least five enrolled students last semester.

There are 75 such zip codes, including some in Mercer County, NJ & Philadelphia.

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What happens when a potential student clicks on a sponsored link?

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Sponsored links connect to special website pages called Landing Pages.

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SEM combines the latest technology with old fashioned customer service:

When a potential student submits an online form from the landing page, a designated staff member from the program receives an email instantly.

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She responds – usually immediately -- in no more than two business days.

The sooner the call, the more likely the enrollment, according to some studies.

Program staff follow up in a couple of weeks with those who filled out the form but haven’t yet enrolled.

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Steps to Create Your SEM Campaign

Choose the program to advertiseAsk:• Which program offers the best

potential return on investment – where are your empty seats?

• Can prospects find it easily without SEM?

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Steps to Create Your SEM Campaign

Choose the program to advertise

Ask:• Which program offers you the most

reliable partner to:• Develop landing page(s)• Gather enrollment data• Survey students in class

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Choose which services to purchase

vs.

in-house staff creation/implementation

Steps to Create an SEM Campaign

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Bucks SEM Pilot Program

Agency:Writes ad copy for sponsored links

Develops keyword and phrase lists

Manages sponsored link placement and daily word bidding

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Bucks SEM Pilot Program

Bucks Marketing & IT Staff develop landing pages:

Work with program area to write copy

Design graphic look

Develop computer programming infrastructure

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Setting Up Your SEM Campaign

Choose an SEM Consultant/Agency

Ask:• Set-up fees vs. rates• Experience with higher education

clients• Experience with your program area

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Setting Up Your SEM Campaign

Choose an SEM Consultant/Agency

Ask:

• Frequency of reports• College review of keywords • College review of ad copy• Campaign monitoring – frequency of

agency tweaking keyword groups and ad copy choices

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Create landing page content:

* copy

* photos

* video

* data collection form

Steps to Create an SEM Campaign

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Create landing pages (IT)

Communicate expectations for department prospect follow-up

Track impressions and conversions

Calculate Return on Investment

Steps to Create an SEM Campaign

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Bucks SEM Pilot Program

Goal:To test the effectiveness of SEM to increase income and fill

empty seats with a high return on investment.

Funding:$9,000 grant from the Bucks County Community College

Foundation.

Targeted Programs:Medical Occupational Programsin Business Studies and Continuing Education.

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Bucks SEM Pilot Program: Dental Assistant Program, and:

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Bucks SEM Pilot Program

Timeline:Two months: 12/24/08 – 2/24/09.

Cost:$4,500/month: $3,600 ad spend, $900 agency fee.

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Bucks Pays Per Click -- Not Per Impression

Impressions (number of search results that showed a Bucks ad)

107,994

Clicks (number of times a Bucks ad was clicked on) 1,835

Conversions(number of landing page forms submitted) 129

Bucks SEM Campaign 12/24/08 – 3/3/0931

Bucks SEM Pilot Program

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Bucks SEM Pilot Program

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Bucks SEM Pilot Program

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Enrollment Results

Conversions(number of landing page forms submitted) 129

New Student Enrollments from conversions 7

Bucks SEM Campaign 12/24/08 – 3/3/09

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First Day of Class Survey:

Please check all that apply: I didn’t use Google to search for a class like this.I used Google but didn’t find Bucks.

If you remember which words you were searching for, please let us know: __________

I used Google, found Bucks, but didn’t click on the link.I used Google, clicked on the sponsored link at the top of the

page, viewed the page it linked me to, but didn’t fill out the form to request more information.

I used Google, clicked on the sponsored link at the top of the page, viewed the page it linked me to and filled out the form.

I used another search engine to search for a class like this (which one? ____________________)

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First Day of Class Survey:

I used Google, clicked on the sponsored link at the top of the page, viewed the page it linked me to, but didn’t fill out the form to request more information.

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Enrollment Results: Spring ‘09 (1st Semester)

Conversions(number of landing page forms submitted) 129

New Student Enrollments from conversions 7

New Student Enrollments 11from students who viewed landing page and enrolled directly without submitting landing page form

Total SEM New Student Enrollments 18

Bucks SEM Campaign 12/24/08 – 3/3/0938

Bucks SEM Pilot Program: Results

12/24 – 1/21 Registration for Spring Credit Courses:

Phlebotomy Certificate Program: 2 students at 12 credits each Tuition & Fees income =

$3,050

Required for completion: Additional 4 credit externship

Additional income anticipated = $ 936

1 student at 3 credits income = $ 350

Required for completion: Additional 13 credits Additional income anticipated = $1,521

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Bucks SEM Pilot Program: Results

12/24 – 3/3 Registration for Continuing Education Courses:

Dental Assisting Program7 @ $1,399

Pharmacy Technician Certificate Program3 @ $1,199

EKG Technician Certification2 @ 1,199

Nurse Aid Training 1 @ $659

Medical Billing & Coding Course2 @ $1,699

Total Income Generated to date: $19,845 40

Bucks SEM Pilot Program: Results

Income Summary Spring ‘09:

Continuing Education: $19,845

Credit Tuition & Tech. Fees: $ 3,159

Total: $23,004

Additional Tuition & Tech Fees Anticipated: $ 2,457

Conservative Anticipated Total Income: $25,461 41

Bucks SEM Pilot Program: Results

Possible Other Income:

Of the other 100+ conversions, how many will enroll in fall ‘09?

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Enrollment Results: Fall ‘09 (2nd Semester)

One prospect who completed the form went on to enroll in Fall ‘09.

However, based on the in-class survey, an additional 17 new students who viewed the pilot campaign enrolled in fall ’09.

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Enrollment Results: Fall ‘09 (2nd Semester)

Fall tuition and fees from the 18 SEM-related students was $23,800.

The two-semester income attributable to

the $9,000 investment is therefore a total of $47,400, or more than five times the investment.

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Enrollment Results: Fall ‘09 (2nd Semester)

As students continue toward completion of the credit courses promoted in this campaign, the ROI will increase over time.

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Bucks SEM Pilot Program: Results

Lessons Learned:

Put in writing the conditions for program area participation, such as:

Dissemination and collection of short survey in classes which might have people enrolled as a result of the campaign. Ideally for at least 3 semesters.

Use screen shots in survey.46

Bucks SEM Pilot Program: Results

Lessons Learned:

Commitment to follow-up timetable , mode and reporting. Will the staff person call same day? Will they keep a log?

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