interactive marketing for colleges and university
DESCRIPTION
Presentation given at Annual Conference on Distance Teaching and LearningTRANSCRIPT
What Every College & University Must Know About Internet Marketing
Overview
• Search Engine Optimization• Why SEO • Case Study – SLU – School for Professional Studies• Interactive Marketing• Interactive Marketing• Social Media Strategies• Balanced Approach• Benefits• Questions?
Overview
• Search Engine Optimization• Why SEO • Case Study – SLU – School for Professional Studies• Interactive Marketing• Interactive Marketing• Social Media Strategies• Balanced Approach• Benefits• Questions?
How Search Engines Work
Organic –70%
(chemical free!)
SEO Best Practices
On-Page SEO Off-Site SEO
On-Page SEO
• Keyword Research• Content • Site Architecture • Title Tags• Title Tags• Meta Data
Meta Tags
Off-Site Optimization
Off-Site Optimization
• How Do You Build Links?
• Manual Linkbuilding– Associations– Business Partners– City Web Sites– Effective, But Slow
• There Are More Scalable Methods
Overview
• Search Engine Optimization• Why SEO • Case Study – SLU – School for Professional Studies• Interactive Marketing• Interactive Marketing• Social Media Strategies• Balanced Approach• Benefits• Questions?
Why SEO?
• Rightful Position• Others Are Doing It• Test Your Site:
– Colleges in <your state>– Colleges in <your state>– Online business program– Continuing education programs in <your state>– What’s your top program?
Overview – Benefits of SEO
• Highest Interactive Conversion• Greatest ROI – Lowest CPS• SEO Gains Are Semi PermanentPermanent
• Builds Your Brand Equity
Overview
• Search Engine Optimization• Why SEO• Case Study – SLU – School for Professional Studies• Interactive Marketing• Interactive Marketing• Social Media Strategies• Balanced Approach• Benefits• Questions?
Case Study – SLU – School for Professional Studies
“We have an online program now, so let’s go national.”
– Dean, SLU School for Professional Studies, April 2007
Case Study – SLU – School for Professional Studies
How to increase leads/enrollments for new programs/online offerings with same, very small, marketing budget?– SSSStrengths: reputation/brand, adult student focus– SSSStrengths: reputation/brand, adult student focus– WWWWeaknesses: affordability, sufficient resources– OOOOpportunities: new programs, online/alternative formats– TTTThreats: competition, internal resistance
Case Study – SLU – School for Professional Studies
In addition…
– In 2006, University adopted new Content Management System (CMS) for website – resulting in “lost site syndrome”.in “lost site syndrome”.
– U of Phoenix third quarter report (July 2009)• Gross revenue topped $1 billion for first time• Enrollment is now 420,000 students• “Sales and Promotional Expenses” budget was $246.3 million – for the quarter!for the quarter!for the quarter!for the quarter!
Case Study – SLU – School for Professional Studies
• Challenges– Google can’t find us– Going “national” on shoestring budget– Up against for-profit competition– Up against for-profit competition– Insufficient resources
Case Study – SLU – School for Professional Studies
• Signed on with PlattForm Oct 2007– Started small: SEO only– Targeted top eight pages first for optimization and gradually expanded throughout the yeargradually expanded throughout the year
– Resulted in 50 percent increase in both search engine traffic and overall visitors from 2007 to 2008
– During this same time, enrollments grew by 35 percent
Case Study – SLU – School for Professional Studies
6000
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14000
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Total Traffic
Search Engine Traffic
Case Study – SLU – School for Professional Studies
Case Study – SLU – School for Professional Studies
• Beginning of Campaign to Present Day– Total Traffic Increased 139%139%139%139%
– Search Engine Traffic Increased 111%111%111%111%
–Web Site Inquiries Increased 534%534%534%534%!–Web Site Inquiries Increased 534%534%534%534%!
Overview
• Search Engine Optimization• Why SEO • Case Study – SLU – School for Professional Studies• Interactive Marketing• Interactive Marketing• Social Media Strategies• Balanced Approach• Benefits• Questions?
Universal Search & Video Optimization
• Google’s New Search Results• Video Optimization• Driven By YouTube• Keyword Research• Keyword Research• Do You Have Existing Videos?• Video Quality• Ranking Factors
Social Media As A Product
• Above All, DifferentiateDifferentiateDifferentiateDifferentiate
• Social Media As A Product– Good Blogging– User Generated Content User Generated Content
– Social Media Applications
• Social Media As Promotion– Social Networking– Engaging the Blogosphere
How To Run A College Blog
• Set Your Objectives and Topic Scope
• Be Authentic
• Differentiate – Niche Content, Resourceful, Timely
• Open Up Comments, Living Room Rule
• Don’t Blog on Demand• Don’t Blog on Demand
• Don’t Blog in a Silo
• About RSS Readers
• Use Your Instructors
• Not Just Content, Great Content
Overview
• Search Engine Optimization• Why SEO • Case Study – SLU – School for Professional Studies• Interactive Marketing• Interactive Marketing• Social Media Strategies• Balanced Approach• Benefits• Questions?
Modern Social Media Strategies
• Facebook & Twitter• Build Your Own Network• Application Decisions Important
– Open Source vs Proprietary– Open Source vs Proprietary– Hosted Solution or Not?– Long Term Implications
• www.fastcompany.com• www.ifood.tv
SLU – School For Professional Studies Facebook Page
Social Media Promotion
• Email Current Students/Alumni
• Facebook and Twitter
• Digg and Social News Sites
• Social Bookmarking
• Pitch Lists• Pitch Lists
Overview
• Search Engine Optimization• Why SEO • Case Study – SLU – School for Professional Studies• Interactive Marketing• Interactive Marketing• Social Media Strategies• Balanced Approach• Benefits• Questions?
A Balanced Approach
• What’s The Catch?• Much Easier Than You Think• Modern Web Tools• Platform Decisions Are CriticalPlatform Decisions Are Critical
– Open Source?– Hosted Solution?
• Careful Planning
Overview
• Search Engine Optimization• Why SEO • Case Study – SLU – School for Professional Studies• Interactive Marketing• Interactive Marketing• Social Media Strategies• Balanced Approach• Benefits• Questions?
Benefits
• Enriched Student Experience• Differentiation• Free Content• Links To Unique FeaturesLinks To Unique Features
• Great SEO Performance• Good SEO = Stronger Brand
Summary
• Search Engine Optimization• Why SEO • Case Study – SLU – School for Professional Studies• Interactive MarketingInteractive Marketing
• Social Media Strategies• Balanced Approach• Benefits
Questions?