Taking the Next Step: Developing and Implementing a Strategic Promotional Plan for Distance Learning

1. Taking the Next Step: Developing and Implementing a Strategic Promotional Plan for Distance Learning H. Brent Guinn Amy Hanson Texas Tech University

2. Presentation Overview • History of Our Program • Background Research • Promotion Plan Template

3. Our Distance Learning Program • 1965—began sending faculty to teach at other sites • 1992—moved to an ALN format for sending course materials to students • 1996—incorporated a web-component into course delivery

4. Our Distance Learning Program • Our courses are graduate-level courses in Engineering. • We offer four complete degrees: • The Master of Engineering • The Master of Science in Systems and Engineering Management • The Master of Science in Software Engineering • The Master of Science in Petroleum Engineering

5. Our Distance Learning Program • Our courses are offered simultaneously with on-campus courses, and off-campus and on-campus students interact throughout the semester using WebCT. • Students also receive course lecture materials on CD or videotape.

6. Our Distance Learning Program Our distance learning program is well established and effective; the next step in the growth of our program is increased student enrollment. To achieve this goal, we must focus on promoting our product in the marketplace.

7. Our Background Research • The research we examined can be broken into three categories: • Preparation • Promotional Methods • Data Collection and Revision

8. Background Research: Preparation The first elements of preparing to promote your distance learning program involve analyzing your goals.

9. Background Research: Preparation • Find your place in the market. • Operational Excellence • Product Leadership • Customer Intimacy • Identify your target audience.

10. Background Research: Preparation • Clarify the response you are seeking. • Develop your message.

11. Background Research: Promotional Methods Once you have analyzed who you want to reach and what outcome you want to achieve, the next step is determining which media you will use. Money is always an important element in this decision.

12. Background Research: Promotional Methods • Literature from the field of marketing breaks promotional media into three categories: • Public Relations • Marketing • Advertising

13. Background Research: Promotional Methods • Public Relations • Definition—obtaining favorable interest in a program by presenting it positively in publications • Examples—press releases, alumni magazine articles, presentations to organizations and potential “customers”

14. Background Research: Promotional Methods • Marketing • Definition—creating interest in a program using institution-published materials • Examples—brochures, websites, catalogs, direct mailings, phone calls

15. Background Research: Promotional Methods • Advertising • Definition—establishing a positive presence for a program through paid promotion • Examples—magazine and newspaper advertisements, television and radio spots, billboards

16. Background Research: Data Collection and Revision While the initial design of a promotional program is important, it is not sufficient. Collecting data about the effectiveness of your promotional plans allows you to revise and improve your future promotional efforts.

17. Background Research: Data Collection and Revision • Determine which methods are most effective. • Analyze why those methods are more effective than others.

18. Background Research: Data Collection and Revision • Refine attention on media that are getting the most return. • Refocus the media that are not as successful.

19. Background Research: Data Collection and Revision • Never stop collecting data!

20. What Does This Mean for Your Program? • Promotion is vital to the growth of distance learning programs. • From our research and planning process, we have created a template that you can use in designing your own promotional program.

21. Our Promotional Goals • To increase student enrollment in our programs • To increase engineering professionals’ knowledge of ALN opportunities

22. Our Promotional Goals • To continue to facilitate high-quality education both on- and off-campus • To establish a foundation for research in marketing distance learning programs

23. Our Promotional Goals • To share our experiences in marketing with other members of the ALN and distance learning communities

24. Promotion Plan Template: Preparation • Our Place in the Market • Product Leadership • Customer Loyalty

25. Promotion Plan Template: Preparation • Our Target Audience • Primary—engineering professionals in rural areas of the southwest • Secondary—engineering professionals throughout the US and in US overseas operations

26. Promotion Plan Template: Preparation • Response We’re Seeking • Increased enrollments

27. Promotion Plan Template: Preparation • Our Message • Flexible programs • Entirely distance • ‘Non-standard’ degrees

28. Promotion Plan Template: Promotional Methods • Public Relations • Alumni magazine articles • Press releases • Presentations to organizations

29. Promotion Plan Template: Promotional Methods • Marketing • New website • New brochures and catalogs • Direct mailings • Promotional CD • Field Representatives • Phone Calls

30. Promotion Plan Template: Promotional Methods • Advertising • Magazine advertisements • Trade journal advertisements • Newspaper advertisements

31. Promotion Plan Template: Data Collection and Revision Our goals for data collection are two-fold: • To improve our promotional methods • To provide information others can use for promoting their own programs

32. Promotion Plan Template: Data Collection and Revision • Methods of Collecting Data • Website • Follow-up phone calls • Return mail cards • Information request cards • Phone checklist • Online survey for current students • Field representatives

33. Promotion Plan Template: Data Collection and Revision • Sharing Our Data • Conferences • Publications • Institutional Committees

34. Promotion Plan Template: Staff • A final stage in preparing a promotional program is analyzing the strengths of your staff members and assigning tasks.

35. Promotion Plan Template: Staff • Our Staff • Distance Learning Program Director • Technical Communicator • Marketing Specialist • Clerical Support

36. Conclusion • Promotional plans are as unique as the programs they present. • Our promotional template is designed to give you a starting place in developing your own program.

37. Conclusion • We plan to begin implementing our promotional plan this spring looking toward increased fall enrollments.

38. Questions? Brent Guinn: brent.guinn@coe.ttu.edu Amy Hanson: amy.hanson@coe.ttu.edu http://aln.coe.ttu.edu