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AACRAO SEM Conference: How to Use Social Communities to Build Relationships and Transform Your Enrollment Experience.
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AACRAO SEM Conference:How to Use Social Communities to Build Relationships and Transform Your Enrollment Experience
“A new class of company is emerging – one that uses collaborative technologies intensively to connect the internal efforts of employees and to extend the organization’s reach to customers, partners and suppliers....” Social Media is Disrupting Business Mckinsey Global Institute “The Social Economy: Unlocking value and productivity through Social Technologies” July 2012
Speaker: Dana Grennier, MSOE Director of Digital Marketing Email:grennier@msoe.edu LinkedIn:linkedin.com/in/danagrennier Twitter:@danagrennier Web:admissions.msoe.edu
Speaker: James Davidson, 7Summits Vice President Digital Strategy Email:james@7summitsagency.com LinkedIn:linkedin.com/in/jamesdavidson79 Twitter:@Jdavidson Web:7summitsagency.com
Before Bridge (Context) • The Media Shift • Building Bridge • Business Value Delivered • What’s Next • Getting Started • The Media Shift • Before Bridge • Building Bridge • Business Value Delivered • What’s Next • Getting Started agenda
Key Trends and Concepts • Social media is the default state and media for Millennials1 • They rely on user generated content for major life and financial decisions1 • Millennials share good and bad information freely (living life out loud) 1 • They place a high value on reputation derived from social media 1 • Millennials absorb and manage information differently than other generations1 • Universities that create their own open communities have a much greater degree of credibility with Millennials2 • Social business enablement in higher education demonstrates an immediate, measurable impact on engagement and reputation 2 Sources: 1Bazaarvoice. 2Onlinecolleges.net
From Information Hoarding Web Sites/Portal Management Email CRM Baby Boomers UI Noise To Information Sharing Integrated Social Sites Engagement Collaboration Community Millennial’s UX Insights the biggest from to shift in a generation
People Behave Socially Student lifecycle continuum MSOE Admissions Opportunity? Facebook LinkedIn Personally Social Professionally Social Academically Social
Online Community 101Social Network vs. Online Community Social Network Popular Examples include: Apple Support Communities Yahoo Answers WebMD Communities Online Community The primary purpose of social networks & online communities is different Popular Examples include: • Facebook • LinkedIn • Twitter Relationships Business Objectives Primary Purpose
Proliferation of Digital Destinations Blogs Admissions Micro Sites Visit MSOE Athletics Groups Research LinkedIn MSOE.edu Student Portals Virtual Tour Facebook Twitter
Student Needs Misunderstood High School Students • I'm Confused! • What do you expect me to do? • Stop calling me!!! • When do I need to pay? • Can I talk to someone like me? • What's life like in Milwaukee? • What project work can I do? Admission Counselors • I thought you liked our college. • You need to fill out your application. • You are never around when I call. • Didn't you read my letter? • You should visit campus. • The city is great! You should visit campus. • Tons. Come and visit campus!!!! ?
Parents Needs Misunderstood Parents • Will my child fit in? • How much does this cost? • Is Milwaukee safe? • My bird is leaving the nest... • What is the placement rate and starting salary of an MSOE grad? Admission Counselors • Best way to find out is to visit. • Here is the weblink. • Yes, why don't you visit? • May I speak with him/her? • We have great starting salary and placement rate data for our grads. ?
Communications Misaligned MSOE Admissions High School Students Communication Channels Print Phone E-mail Mobile Social Media Decrease in effectiveness
4th Admissions 3rd Level MSOE.edu Home 2nd Level 1st Level Admissions was too many levels removed
Focus Areas: Drive Impact Across Student Life Cycle Student Lifecycle Our Focus with Bridge Thinking about being a student Consider School Awareness / Reputation (“unidentified prospects”) Which school should I go to? Research School Options I should consider MSOE Inquiry Application Where do I stand? Is it right for me? Acceptance I can go – but is it my best option? Relevancy (“named prospects”) 1st deposit I’m considering I’m intending to go 2nd Deposit Enrolled/ Matriculated I’m there Active Student I’m staying Engage / Retain I’m Preparing for my Career Seek & Find Employment I’m Starting my Career Graduate I’m Sharing My Success Story Alumni
MSOE Admissions Opportunity Evolution Revolution Social Media Admissions Website OR Admissions Website Admissions Community +
1. Dedicated Admission Website • Young, fresh feel • Ability to find what you are looking for quickly • Ability to appear more social from the first impression
2. Open Forums and Discussions • Questions can be asked any time • Answers can be provided by anyone • Find out what others are interested in • Confirm deeper fit through real insights
3. Integrated Application Form • Register, sign in and apply with Facebook • LinkedIn style completeness gauge drove more application form submits • Application integrated with back office ERP improved analytics (Jenzabar) • Allowed admissions counselors to see who started the application but did not submit • Streamlined internal processes
4. Profile and Progress Tracker • Students and parents can see what the next steps are in the admission process • Private area to communicate with admission counselor • To Do list available and updated due to data integration • Badges earned as they move through the process • Streamlined Notifcations
5. Mobile Accessibly • Able to interact with community on the go • Find things quick and easily • Show off to your friends and family • Share your acceptance to MSOE with your social networks = Word of Mouth Marketing!
What’s worked for us Bridge provides an integrated channel for MSOE to interact with our prospects, students and faculty with each other • Website promotion • Event promotion • Marketing integration • Email and social media announcements Conversations & Information Communication Channels Face toFace Phone Social Media Web Admissions Community
Business Value & Results Application and acceptance goal • Reached ‘13 application goal nine months earlyand acceptance goal five months early. 7000+ registered members and growing! Admissions team productivity • Admission counselors spent less time chasing the student and more time interacting with them increasing productivity 30%. 30% Enrollment Numbers • Electrical engineering saw almost double enrollment 2X Accepted to Deposit • Our retention rate from accepted to deposit jumped from 30% to 38% in one year for our Fall 2012 (In a down economy!) 8% • Admission counselors spent less time chasing documents down. We went from months to weeks! Application turnaround time Deposit Melt Overall accepted student summer melt decreased by 5% over the last three years. 5% • Admission counselors reduced volume by 66% freeing up time to interact with prospective students in community. Outbound Call volume 66% SOURCE: Jive customer survey, (November 2012)
And there’s more… • Deeper insight into MSOE fit per student, did affect stronger matriculation rate • Made admissions more accessible and convenient by reducing communication and operational friction in the process • Provided an experience people liked spending time with by getting to know what matters to them and serving those needs • Built MSOE brand preference by fostering relationships with prospective and enrolled students, faculty and alumni • Kept MSOE top of mind and relevant with more brand involvement and touch points • Multiple tiers of increasing involvement, gamification and "stickiness" creates smaller commitments that made larger commitment easier
Industry Recognition For the first the ever Bridge was cited as non academic differentiator for MSOE First Place in Forrester Groundswell Award 2013 Social Depth B2C Category. University Standard of Excellence Award MSOE Ranked #5 out of 10 Most Innovative Colleges in the Country W3 Best in Show, Silver General Website Categories – School/University Sites
Engaging Students across the Continuum Student lifecycle continuum MSOE Online Community Opportunity? Facebook LinkedIn Personally Social Professionally Social Academically Social
Website Community Social Business Conceptual Model Student Lifecycle Process / Context Awareness / Inquiry Prospective Student Student Graduate Alumni High School Teachers, etc Business Partners Faculty and Staff Supporting Stakeholders System of Use + Systems of Record ERP CRM Desktop and Network Drives CMS Blackboard
Things you will need to accept • A community is alive and needs to be nurtured • You will need to let go of some of the control. • A community is alive. You cannot set up and ignore. • It will impact more than your web interface.
Getting Started • Finalize goals and objectives • Develop a comprehensive strategy for social media • Establish cross-functional steering group to establish executive ownership, coordinate activities and manage resources • Pinpoint some quick win opportunities in context of overall vision • Identify and track key success measures