This October, Converge 2014 will highlight what’s new and what’s next in higher education marketing. In this series of blog posts, Digital Marketing Intern, Gina Patterson asks our presenters three key questions. Read on to find out more about our passionate presenters and the importance of their topics. 

Name: Barbara Coward

Organization: Enrollment Strategies

Presentation: Strike the Right Chord with Prospects: Lessons from Country Music

Date and Time: Wednesday, October 15 1-2pm

Summary: Did you know that country music is a $2 billion-dollar industry? It all goes to show that tugging at the heartstrings of ordinary people about ordinary life is big business. While we’re not suggesting that you incorporate messaging about heartache, pickup trucks, and one-stoplight towns in your marketing materials, there are a number of takeaways that can help you grow enrollments. For example, it’s all about being authentic, a good storyteller, and developing an emotional connection with your candidates. We’ll walk you through ways – and examples – to take your prospect messaging from gold to platinum!

If increasing enrollment is a mandate at your institution – step one is marketing, step two is recruitment. They go hand-in-hand like the two step. There is little point in doing one without the other. We hope you will join us for this workshop that focuses on putting the steps together!

Takeaways:

• Draw prospects closer to a Call to Action through messaging that shows that you understand their dreams and challenges.
• Differentiate your program through personalized and targeted email campaigns.
• Use analytics to measure the ROI of your marketing dollars.

GP: Tell Converge 2014 attendees more about yourself.

BC: I consider myself a business school storyteller and industry analyst.  I am passionate about business school education and observe and analyze best marketing practices on an ongoing basis including monitoring more than 70 business school social media accounts worldwide.  My interest in business school education goes back nearly 20 years to when I was responsible for full-time MBA and EMBA enrollment management at a leading business school in the UK.  I am a big proponent of inbound marketing and have seen time and time again how business schools have increased brand awareness and grown enrollments by sharing stories that resonate with prospective students.

GP: Where do you see recruitment going in the next year, five years? 

BC: Richard Lyons, the dean of the University of California at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, lit up social media recently when he predicted that “half of the business schools in this country could be out of business in 10 years – or 5.”  There’s no doubt that there’s a fundamental paradigm shift occurring within the industry. The rapid rise of online providers, increased competition on a global scale, and staggering undergraduate debt has caused a lot of sleepless nights for higher education recruiters and marketers charged with meeting (often aggressive) enrollment goals.  The good news, however, is that it’s not all doom and gloom.  I’ve seen b-schools such as UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School and UCLA Anderson School of Management increase year-over-year applications by double digits due to better storytelling and more touch points with prospects.

GP: What are the biggest challenges around recruitment?

BC: The same things that are challenges for prospective students.  It’s that age old dilemma of time and resources.  We all know what we want to do.  It’s often a question of how we can do it.  Even with these challenges, I think what puts higher education at an advantage compared to other industries is the incredibly collaborative nature of the sector.  Admissions and Marketing Directors are very open at sharing what’s worked and what hasn’t worked with their colleagues at other universities.  I’ve been told that one of the best parts of attending higher ed conferences is the opportunity to network and make connections with peers.  The openness and willingness to share information is incredible.  I think we’re moving from a competition model to a “coopetition” model in the industry which is vital for everyone’s success.