In This Issue
- Does Your Web Content Meet the Needs of Your Adult Students?
- Digital Marketing Best Practices on Tour with NERCOMP and Stamats Catchfire
Does Your Web Content Meet the Needs of Your Adult Students?
By Dr. Brenda K. Harms, Associate Vice President for Client Services, Stamats
If you serve adult students at your institution you know this scenario well. It is late at night, the kids are in bed, and the evening is finally winding down after a long day at work…and a prospective adult student, who heard your radio spot, saw your billboard, found out about you from a friend, has gone online to find out more about your institution. What does that person come to your site looking for and, most importantly, can they find it?
Most institutions have long ago accepted that the web is a critical marketing tool. We also know from multiple years of research that it is the first place adult students go when investigating their college options. But what do our prospective adult students really want to find out? What are the key pieces of information that need to be predominately displayed on your site if you are trying to move an adult student to reach out to you?
Instead of guessing at that answer and wasting valuable time and human resources making changes and modifications to your website that aren’t really answering the critical questions your students have, I invite you to join us for some data-driven answers. The 2012 Stamats Adult StudentTALK™ research has set out to get at the heart of what prospective students are looking for when they come to your institutional website, and the answers may surprise you! This exciting new element of the research, as well as all the other data, will be revealed at this year’s Stamats Adult Student Marketing Conference to be held in Austin, Texas, February 27–29 at the beautiful downtown Omni.
The web is a key component to the successful recruitment of adults. Stop guessing at what they are interested in and find out the answers.
Digital Marketing Best Practices on Tour with NERCOMP and Stamats Catchfire
By Dr. Brenda K. Harms, Associate Vice President for Client Services, Stamats
It’s true! The digital world really does bring us together. I am always delighted to see constituents reaching out to colleagues from across campus to leverage their knowledge in a way that will positively impact their institution. Stamats Catchfire is partnering with the Northeast Regional Computing Program (NERCOMP), an organization historically serving the educational needs of IT professionals, to deliver a series of best practices workshops to advance to the digital marketing success of higher education marketing, admissions, and advancement professionals.
In a series of four workshops being offered by NERCOMP and Stamats Catchfire, participants from across campus will come together to gain information on analytics, mobile, and social media—which are quickly becoming important tools in our efforts to communicate with key audiences. Clearly, it’s no longer an issue of “if” your institution should be engaging in these efforts, but “when” and “how.” The workshops are positioned to share digital marketing best practices and answer your toughest questions on these sometimes overwhelming topics.
Workshop No. 1: Web Analytics, January 13 in Southbridge, MA
Takeaways:
- Participants will set up and leverage Google Analytics for their institutional websites and various other sets of data, including accounts, profiles, filters and goals, performance measurement of campaigns, and customized dashboards.
- Participants will understand the power of analytics and results-based decision making as they move forward in evolving their digital presence.
Workshop No. 2: Social Media Basics February 6 at UMASS Amherst
Takeaways:
- Participants will learn how to approach social media strategically and how it can support a variety of marketing initiatives.
- Participants will have a strong grasp of the benefits and best uses of each platform.
Workshop No. 3:Social Media Advanced Topics March 5 at Holy Cross in Worcester, MA
Takeaways:
- Participants will learn how to implement complex social media strategies by leveraging advanced applications and functions.
- Participants will understand how social media impacts their bottom line through established ROI metrics.
Workshop No. 4:Mobile Basics April 12 in Norwood, MA
Takeaways:
- Participants will learn how to approach the mobile landscape strategically and how it can support marketing initiatives.
- Participants will have a strong grasp of the mobile spectrum, the alternatives available to them, what it takes to implement a mobile solution, and how to approach implementation strategically.
Regardless whether your institution is a member of NERCOMP, please make plans to join us in the Northeast for these exciting opportunities to expand your knowledge, bring your campus departments together, and truly embrace digital marketing. To learn more, please go to www.nercomp.org and register for one or all of these workshops! We look forward to seeing you.
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