May greetings to everyone. We finally have spring in Michigan and I hope you are
all enjoying something similar wherever you are.
I am on my way today to the J.Boye Web and Intranet Conference in Philadelphia where I will be doing sessions on web management, top task website design, and the role of speed in creating effective websites for the mobile world. Check the sessions at bit.ly/TAHnAA and follow us on Twitter starting Tuesday at #jboye13
Registration discount for Writing Right for the Web in Boston May 30-31 lasts until May 10. Act now at bit.ly/VgmRpA and join us for facts, fun, and a better website.
The ACT Enrollment Planners Conference always is a great gathering for people with a special interest in enrollment management and marketing. If that sounds like you, plan to join us July 10-12 in Chicago. Descriptions of the pre-conference sessions including mine on online advertising are at bit.ly/10tlgMR
July 29-31 are the dates for the 2013 eduWeb Conference. Check the full schedule starting with pre-conference workshops at bit.ly/XCPFer
And now here are your marketing news and notes for May.
_________________________________
University of Leiden: 500 Universities Ranked for Strength in Science
Based on scientific publications and the university affiliations of their authors, the Center for Science and Technology Studies has ranked 500 universities around the world for strength in the sciences. You can review overall rankings as well as 5 divisions within the sciences. You can sort by region and country if you wish.
Overall, MIT is first, University of Melbourne is 100, Joseph Fourier University is 200, Kansas State is 300, University Modena is 400, and Ankara University is 500. See where your university fits at bit.ly/16J4CiW
_________________________________
Are You a Marketer? Do You Want to Get Fired?
When it comes to web analytics, Avinash Kaushik is a genuine guru in a world where that term is used far too loosely. It is well worth the time to review why he believes marketers with an inordinate belief in "Eight Silly Data Myths" will get themselves fired.
You start with "real time data" and end with "demographics and psychographics" but do not skip the 6 points in between those. Protect your job. Start reading at bit.ly/ZJOjPa
________________________________
Infographic: Major Players in the Tangled MOOC University
If you have any interest in how MOOCs might impact the future of higher education you have to see this infographic from The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Venture capitalists, universities, corporations, non-profit foundations and more are all playing in this game. Get insight into how it all fits together at bit.ly/ZXlDhQ
_________________________________
Secret to Marketing Success: First Focus on Helping the Converted, Not Making New Converts
Everyone with enrollment or annual fund goals should read Gerry McGovern's latest column: From Conversions to Task Completions at bit.ly/11955tJ
The bottom line is this: people come to your website to do something they already have in mind. Focus your content on helping people do the tasks they came to your site to do. Applications and enrollment will increase. Annual fund contributions will rise. Count on it.
________________________________
Decreasing Summer Melt: What Works Best with Low-Income Students?
Here is a fascinating article in Harvard Business Review reporting the results of research on how to best decrease the summer melt of low-income students accepted to a college.
The answer: a text messaging program had a higher positive impact than a peer mentor program in some areas. In every area the cost of a text messaging program was far less than a mentor program. Check the details at bit.ly/XC5OQ5 and think about adjustments in your final conversion efforts.
________________________________
Website Speed: Can it ever be Too Fast?
The answer is no. Google knows that. Amazon knows that. More people in higher education should pay more attention to the need for speed, particularly when making plans to use responsive design to convert desktop websites to the mobile world.
If you need help convincing people on your campus to make speed a priority, read and distribute "Why You Need a Seriously Fast Website" at bit.ly/18ofphI
________________________________
Net Price Calculator: On the Home Page at Truman State University
Schools that dare to put a link to the Net Price Calculator in prominent position on the home page truly are rare. And so recognition to Truman State for having the marketing sense to facilitate a top task of many potential students and many of their parents at bit.ly/126gQOz
Truman joins only two others I have seen so far who dare to be different: University of Delaware and Lynn University. If I missed you, let me know. Help me start another Honor Roll.
_________________________________
Facebook and Enrollment Marketing
How much can Facebook help increase inquiries, applications and enrollment conversions?
Jens Larson has researched in depth just how that works at Eastern Washington University. The short answer: not as much as you might think. But in other ways, Facebook has been a valuable marketing tool. One person's in-depth look at his own university results should help others refine their social media efforts to build enrollment.
Find more on how what to expect and what not to expect from Facebook at bit.ly/17Gpplh
_________________________________
Parents and Price in Student Recruitment
When I analyzed responses from 6 colleges and universities in my secret shopping project from June 2012 to last February, two missing elements were a surprise. No school sent an online communication to parents until well after Labor Day. And none made any contact related to cost before October.
Read more about how you can gain competitive advantage by recognizing that cost is important to many parents. Start a parents communication program that takes advantage of price interest right from the time of first inquiry. More at bit.ly/ZwAZON
¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬__________________________________
Marquette University VP for Marketing and Communication
If you are a "dynamic, innovative and visionary" person with the right skill set and experience in "marketing, communication, and branding strategies" you might be interested in this position. For more details check the posting at bit.ly/ZJK0Dk
__________________________________
Most Popular Topic Last Month: IPEDS Competitive Intelligence Ratings
Smart work by Jon Boeckenstedt at DePaul University with IPEDs data gives everyone a chance to enter up to 8 schools at a time and compare admission and graduation rates, ethnic diversity, endowment, and Pell Grant enrollment percent.
Check on your competitors at bit.ly/16gbvUp
__________________________________
Conferences and Webinars in 2013
May 7-9, Philadelphia: "5 Top Web Management Principles: Achieving Consensus within Your Organization" and "Winning Friends at Your Website: Use Top Task Design for a Great Experience,"
J.Boye Web and Intranet conference. Program and registration starts at philadelphia13.jboye.com/
May 30-31, Boston: "Writing Right for the Web: Improving Your Institution's Web Content," Academic Impressions Conference. Details are online at bit.ly/VgmRpA
June 25, Webinar: "Improving Your Website to Increase Adult Student Enrollment," Academic Impressions. Description and registration are online now at bit.ly/YRHRC0
July 10-12, Chicago: "Advertising Online for Student Recruitment" pre-conference workshop and "Increasing Conversion: The Best (and Not So Best) Email Marketing Plans," ACT Enrollment Planners Conference. Workshop details are at bit.ly/10tlgMR
July 29-31, Boston: "Advertising Online" workshop and, with David Marshall, "An Admissions First Mobile Site," eduWeb 2013. See all the sessions at bit.ly/XCPFer
Plan a custom presentation on your campus. Host a workshop on any of my conference presentation topics. Contact me at bob@bobjohnsonconsulting.com or call me at 248.766.6425.
________________________________
That's All for Now
I am on my way today to the J.Boye Web and Intranet Conference in Philadelphia where I will be doing sessions on web management, top task website design, and the role of speed in creating effective websites for the mobile world. Check the sessions at bit.ly/TAHnAA and follow us on Twitter starting Tuesday at #jboye13
Registration discount for Writing Right for the Web in Boston May 30-31 lasts until May 10. Act now at bit.ly/VgmRpA and join us for facts, fun, and a better website.
The ACT Enrollment Planners Conference always is a great gathering for people with a special interest in enrollment management and marketing. If that sounds like you, plan to join us July 10-12 in Chicago. Descriptions of the pre-conference sessions including mine on online advertising are at bit.ly/10tlgMR
July 29-31 are the dates for the 2013 eduWeb Conference. Check the full schedule starting with pre-conference workshops at bit.ly/XCPFer
And now here are your marketing news and notes for May.
_________________________________
University of Leiden: 500 Universities Ranked for Strength in Science
Based on scientific publications and the university affiliations of their authors, the Center for Science and Technology Studies has ranked 500 universities around the world for strength in the sciences. You can review overall rankings as well as 5 divisions within the sciences. You can sort by region and country if you wish.
Overall, MIT is first, University of Melbourne is 100, Joseph Fourier University is 200, Kansas State is 300, University Modena is 400, and Ankara University is 500. See where your university fits at bit.ly/16J4CiW
_________________________________
Are You a Marketer? Do You Want to Get Fired?
When it comes to web analytics, Avinash Kaushik is a genuine guru in a world where that term is used far too loosely. It is well worth the time to review why he believes marketers with an inordinate belief in "Eight Silly Data Myths" will get themselves fired.
You start with "real time data" and end with "demographics and psychographics" but do not skip the 6 points in between those. Protect your job. Start reading at bit.ly/ZJOjPa
________________________________
Infographic: Major Players in the Tangled MOOC University
If you have any interest in how MOOCs might impact the future of higher education you have to see this infographic from The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Venture capitalists, universities, corporations, non-profit foundations and more are all playing in this game. Get insight into how it all fits together at bit.ly/ZXlDhQ
_________________________________
Secret to Marketing Success: First Focus on Helping the Converted, Not Making New Converts
Everyone with enrollment or annual fund goals should read Gerry McGovern's latest column: From Conversions to Task Completions at bit.ly/11955tJ
The bottom line is this: people come to your website to do something they already have in mind. Focus your content on helping people do the tasks they came to your site to do. Applications and enrollment will increase. Annual fund contributions will rise. Count on it.
________________________________
Decreasing Summer Melt: What Works Best with Low-Income Students?
Here is a fascinating article in Harvard Business Review reporting the results of research on how to best decrease the summer melt of low-income students accepted to a college.
The answer: a text messaging program had a higher positive impact than a peer mentor program in some areas. In every area the cost of a text messaging program was far less than a mentor program. Check the details at bit.ly/XC5OQ5 and think about adjustments in your final conversion efforts.
________________________________
Website Speed: Can it ever be Too Fast?
The answer is no. Google knows that. Amazon knows that. More people in higher education should pay more attention to the need for speed, particularly when making plans to use responsive design to convert desktop websites to the mobile world.
If you need help convincing people on your campus to make speed a priority, read and distribute "Why You Need a Seriously Fast Website" at bit.ly/18ofphI
________________________________
Net Price Calculator: On the Home Page at Truman State University
Schools that dare to put a link to the Net Price Calculator in prominent position on the home page truly are rare. And so recognition to Truman State for having the marketing sense to facilitate a top task of many potential students and many of their parents at bit.ly/126gQOz
Truman joins only two others I have seen so far who dare to be different: University of Delaware and Lynn University. If I missed you, let me know. Help me start another Honor Roll.
_________________________________
Facebook and Enrollment Marketing
How much can Facebook help increase inquiries, applications and enrollment conversions?
Jens Larson has researched in depth just how that works at Eastern Washington University. The short answer: not as much as you might think. But in other ways, Facebook has been a valuable marketing tool. One person's in-depth look at his own university results should help others refine their social media efforts to build enrollment.
Find more on how what to expect and what not to expect from Facebook at bit.ly/17Gpplh
_________________________________
Parents and Price in Student Recruitment
When I analyzed responses from 6 colleges and universities in my secret shopping project from June 2012 to last February, two missing elements were a surprise. No school sent an online communication to parents until well after Labor Day. And none made any contact related to cost before October.
Read more about how you can gain competitive advantage by recognizing that cost is important to many parents. Start a parents communication program that takes advantage of price interest right from the time of first inquiry. More at bit.ly/ZwAZON
¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬__________________________________
Marquette University VP for Marketing and Communication
If you are a "dynamic, innovative and visionary" person with the right skill set and experience in "marketing, communication, and branding strategies" you might be interested in this position. For more details check the posting at bit.ly/ZJK0Dk
__________________________________
Most Popular Topic Last Month: IPEDS Competitive Intelligence Ratings
Smart work by Jon Boeckenstedt at DePaul University with IPEDs data gives everyone a chance to enter up to 8 schools at a time and compare admission and graduation rates, ethnic diversity, endowment, and Pell Grant enrollment percent.
Check on your competitors at bit.ly/16gbvUp
__________________________________
Conferences and Webinars in 2013
May 7-9, Philadelphia: "5 Top Web Management Principles: Achieving Consensus within Your Organization" and "Winning Friends at Your Website: Use Top Task Design for a Great Experience,"
J.Boye Web and Intranet conference. Program and registration starts at philadelphia13.jboye.com/
May 30-31, Boston: "Writing Right for the Web: Improving Your Institution's Web Content," Academic Impressions Conference. Details are online at bit.ly/VgmRpA
June 25, Webinar: "Improving Your Website to Increase Adult Student Enrollment," Academic Impressions. Description and registration are online now at bit.ly/YRHRC0
July 10-12, Chicago: "Advertising Online for Student Recruitment" pre-conference workshop and "Increasing Conversion: The Best (and Not So Best) Email Marketing Plans," ACT Enrollment Planners Conference. Workshop details are at bit.ly/10tlgMR
July 29-31, Boston: "Advertising Online" workshop and, with David Marshall, "An Admissions First Mobile Site," eduWeb 2013. See all the sessions at bit.ly/XCPFer
Plan a custom presentation on your campus. Host a workshop on any of my conference presentation topics. Contact me at bob@bobjohnsonconsulting.com or call me at 248.766.6425.
________________________________
That's All for Now
Bob Johnson