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TRANSCRIPT
Electronic Communication
vs. Traditional Print
Media:
Which is More Effective?
Presenters:Christopher Small – GDAISJonathan Steele – GDAIS
Jim Slavin – College Board
Introductions
Who are these guys, and why are they here???
Christopher Small
Jonathan Steele
Jim Slavin
About GDA Integrated Services
Market Research Telemarketing
Integrated Marketing Plans
Direct Mail
Integrated Communications
Website Design
Electronic Communications
“Guaranteed Visibility”
Printed Communications
Public Relations Counsel
Video Production Fundraising Communications
GDA Integrated Services is a market research, consulting and services firm specializing in customized, integrated marketing solutions to help colleges and universities compete successfully for students, funding and visibility in the 21st century.
Services include:
So which is better, print or electronic communication?
Answer: Both
Thanks for coming!
How Do Students Communicate with Colleges?
GDAIS conducted an extensive survey of college-bound high school students from the applicant and search pools of six different institutions.
We asked them how they approach the college search process.
This is some of what we learned…
When do students begin their college search?
Before their senior year: 95%Before their junior year: 55%Before their sophomore year: 20%Before entering high school: 2%
How have students received most of their information about colleges?
Information mailed to their homes: 53%Internet: 46%College fair/night: 12%Visit to campus: 9%High school guidance counselor: 6%College guide book: 6%
Which format do they find most useful in their college search?
Paper: 57%Electronic: 32%Both equally: 9%
Which format do they prefer to use in their communication with the admissions office?
Paper: 48% Electronic: 45%Both equally: 5%
Students described how they were most likely to contact a college in which they became interested:
Very likely
Likely Not likely
A college's Website 42% 47% 11%
A college search Website 39% 40% 21%
An e-mail to the college 28% 46% 26%
A letter or postcard to the college
25% 41% 34%
A telephone call to the college
6% 29% 65%
Interpreting the Research
Students are starting the college search earlier
More students are using the Web for research
Students still like to read print publications
Colleges need to develop an integrated print and electronic communications plan
E-mail is an excellent follow-up device
Most Students are not reading your mail
Don’t be afraid to promote the distinctiveness of your institution
Timing is everythingInvestment benefitsConsumption benefits
Getting MORE from Your Communication Flow
Keep messages clear and concise
Limit messages to one at a time
Always have a response mechanism to see who is paying attention
Respond quickly to those who respond to you
Develop ways to measure the effectiveness of every communication device
Getting EVEN MORE from Your Communication Flow
Encourage them to respond:Call to action – in print and online
Have them log in
Pay attention to what they say
Follow up
Develop one-to-one relationships:
Don’t smother them with automation
Make it personal
Chat with them
Call them
Send them personal notes
Communicating with Students: What Works
Search mail is still critical
Search names are still the best qualified
Search E-mail: bad returns and future problems
Letters still work best
Clearly define your institution
Only encourage responses from interested prospects
Search
They aren’t reading everything (anything?) you send themRepeat your messages, but put them in fresh contextMix official and unofficial sourcesCoordinate print with electronicFocus on single messages, and use timing to tell the storyAlways include a Bounceback mechanism
Publications
Too many audience constituenciesInternal vs. ExternalNavigationAnonymityNo follow-through
Solutions:Single-Message Mini-websitesCapturing Data
Problems with College Websites
Average person receives 308 messages/week
62% of this is Spam in 2004
56% was considered Spam in 2003
What makes a message Spam?Frequency 58%Irrelevancy 57%
Only 28% try to unsubscribe
8% is permission based e-mail 67% open at least 6 out of every 10 permission-based e-mails
E-mail in the U.S.
Message Format:Multi-part (HTML) vs. Plain Text
From and Subject lines
Target Your Pool:Personalize and Customize
Test and refine
ContentSingle messages
Investment then Consumption Benefits
Build an e-mail schedule that fits with your print communication plan
Communicating with Students: E-mail
Segment your audience constituencies
Drive them to your Website with e-mail – the Bounceback Principle
Guide them to the messages YOU want them to hear
Develop a series of single-message communications that you spool out over time
Track their progress and get feedback
Measure your results and adapt
Communicating with Students: E-mail
E-mail is cheap – too cheap, and colleges have begun bombarding their Search listsStudents will lose patienceColleges will get reported and blacklistedCAN-SPAM – are our Search files still compliant?Sender ID and SPF – Doesn’t that have something to do with sunscreen?G-mail: Google enters the scene- Are you ready?Instant Messaging is growing exponentially as a communication medium
The Pitfalls of E-mail and What’s Next
By the end of 2003, 20 million people worldwide were using IM in businessesThis will reach 300 million by the end of 200542% of online Americans use instant messaging 24% of instant messengers use IM more frequently than emailAOL's instant-messenger (includes ICQ) had 59.2 million users in April MSN had 23.6 millionYahoo had 19.1 million
Instant Messaging
Keep an eye on these trendsStudents will adopt new technology fastestThey expect and demand colleges to keep up
Don’t lose focus: the old rules still applyBuild a communication flowMake your case over timeUse a mix of print and electronic communicationRepeat messages until it hurts!Get feedback from students and tailor your appealIt’s still about people
Great, now I have a headache…
GDA Integrated Services
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