I had the pleasure of participating in the iModules users conference with our founder, Ann Oleson, in Kansas City this week. More than 400 data enthusiasts from some of the best colleges and universities in the country, including MIT, Notre Dame, and Carnegie Mellon were also in attendance. We are very excited about our strategic partnership with iModules. iModules’ mission is to communicate with and engage alumni online. There is a plethora of data available to schools to facilitate that engagement.

iModules new President, Fred Weiss, delivered the opening keynote presentation. Fred is a true data enthusiast. In his presentation, he indicated that the keys to effective alumni engagement are instancy, simplicity, and personalization. I couldn’t agree more. Think about it. How many successful brands today follow this model? How about Amazon, Apple, and Zappo’s (to name a few). In this fast-paced, ever-changing media landscape, it is essential to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to engaging your audience effectively. Following this blue print for success will allow you to do just that.

Instancy

Instance in this context can be described as providing your alumni the ability to find what they want when they want it. Do you know what your alumni are looking for on your web site and what their experience is like? Google Analytics enables you to understand more deeply how alumni are searching for information and what terms they are using. Utilizing SEO via conducting an assessment of keywords and phrases that alumni are using to find your pages and then weaving them into your content will ensure that your web site pages are optimized so that people can easily find what they are looking for. You can also look at your most frequently visited pages to determine what the experience is like as an alum and how you can improve upon it.

Simplicity

Simplicity here is defined as making the online user experience relevant and easy to navigate. Focus on responsive web design (Notre Dame did this with the launch of their new web site) and creating a pleasant experience that delivers the information that people want (finding out about events on campus, how to donate online, etc.). Use Google Analytics to find out how your alumni are navigating your site, where they are dropping off, and how their overall experience can be improved.

Personalization

The next step in improving the online experience is to personalize the information that shows up for your individual alum based on their specific interests. Amazon does this better than anyone . “If you like this, you might like this.” Evaluate your analytics to inform content and design. Utilize social media monitoring to understand what your alumni are tweeting about, posting on Facebook, etc. Analyze these messages and tag alumni in your database based on their interests. How can you personalize your web content for alumni? How can you utilize click-through data provided by analytics to understand what your alumni are currently spending time on and what their interests might be? How can you create a personalized experience that is truly engaging, relevant, and personalized? How can you show your alumni that you are listening to them?