This week, I had the pleasure of attending #heweb12. Kyle James facilitated an informative presentation on Inbound Marketing. In it, he mentioned a recent study in which it was found that 84% of colleges and universities agreed that traditional marketing methods were not enough to help them acomplish their enrollment goals. So, if traditional marketing is not enough, what fills the gap? It is time to embrace Inbound Marketing and its three main components: Strategy, Execution, and Analysis.
Strategize – GET FOUND! What are your web site goals? Your web site is your #1 marketing tool. It is the gateway to your university and possibly the first impression that your school makes with prospective students. Who owns your web marketing strategy? How are prospects currently finding your site? Make sure that all folks who touch your web site understand your goals and what the end game is. Make sure that every person who is involved with your web site (IT, marketing, social media folks, analysts, designers, developers, writers, etc.) is on the same page in terms of strategy and playing his/her part in what needs to be a collective, unified effort.
Execute – TELL YOUR STORY! The most effective way to get people to your web site is through organic SEO, Social Media, and Blogging. The more pages that you have indexed and populated with relevant keywords and sticky content, the more you will be rewarded by Google in terms of search ranking. To execute your communications effectively, you need resources dedicated to SEO, Social Media, and Blogging to get people to your site and move them through your enrollment funnel.
Analyze – SPEND YOUR MONEY WISELY! Measuring what is working as well as what is not working is critical in terms of informing ongoing strategy and execution. Take the time to set up Google Analytics Goals that are tied to the outcomes that you are seeking (requests for information, scheduled visits, downloaded/completed applications).
The future of marketing is Inbound. Traditional marketing is simply not enough. To learn more about Inbound Marketing, please refer to this inbound marketing presentation.
