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About GDA Integrated Services
GDA Integrated Services is a market research, consulting and
services firm specializing in customized, integrated marketing
solutions to help colleges and universities compete successfully
for students, funding and visibility in the 21st century.
Services include:
Market Research
Telemarketing
Integrated Marketing Plans
Direct Mail
Integrated Communications
Website Design
Electronic Communications
“Guaranteed Visibility”
Printed Communications
Public Relations Counsel
Video Production
Fundraising Communications
2006 Tri-State
Conference
Integrating Print and
Electronic
Communication
Flows
Presenters:
Christopher Small
Jonathan Steele
How Do Students Communicate with Colleges?
GDAIS conducts on-going research with college
bound high school students from the applicant and
inquiry pools of colleges and universities across the
country in order to find out how students
approach the college search process.
When do students begin their college search?
Before their senior year: 95%
Before their junior year: 58%
Before their sophomore year: 20%
Before entering high school: 2%
How have students received most of their
information about colleges?
Information mailed to their homes: 51%
Internet: 46%
College fair/night: 12%
Visit to campus: 9%
High school guidance counselor: 6%
College guide book: 6%
Which format do they find most useful in
their college search?
Paper: 51%
Electronic: 35%
Both equally: 14%
Which format do they prefer to use in their
communication with the admissions office?
Paper: 44%
Electronic: 42%
Both equally: 14%
Students described how they were most likely to
contact a college in which they became interested:
Very likely
Likely
Not likely
A college's Website
42%
47%
11%
A college search Website
39%
40%
21%
An e-mail to the college
32%
46%
22%
A letter or postcard to the
college
25%
31%
47%
A telephone call to the college
6%
29%
65%
Who is listening?
As many as 75% of most colleges’ inquiries
do not realize they are even in your inquiry
pool.
Fewer than 20% consider you among their
top five choices
One in ten is a realistic applicant
Interpreting the Research
Students are starting the college search earlier
More students are using the Web for college
information and skipping traditional
communication patterns
Students still like to read print publications
Electronic is quickly catching print as the medium
of choice
Colleges need to develop a 24 month integrated
print and electronic communications plan
Pay attention to those who are listening to you
Getting MORE from Your
Communication Flow
Don’t be afraid to promote the
distinctiveness of your institution
Focus on features and benefits
Timing is everything
Investment benefits
Consumption benefits
Getting EVEN MORE from Your
Communication Flow
Keep messages clear and concise
Limit messages to one at a time
Don’t be afraid to repeat messages
Integrated print and electronic
Always have a response mechanism to see who is
paying attention - The bounceback principle
Respond quickly to those who respond to you
Develop ways to measure the effectiveness of every
communication device
Don’t forget the phone!!!
Problems with College Websites:
Too many audience constituencies
Internal vs. External
Navigation
Anonymity (post and pray)
No follow-through
Solutions:
Use e-mail to make communications
active (rather than passive)
Single-Message Mini-websites
Capturing Data
Communicating with Students:
Develop a dialog
Encourage them to respond:
Call to action – in print and online
Have them log in
Pay attention to what they say
Follow up
Develop one-to-one relationships:
Don’t smother them with automation
Make it personal
Chat with them
Call them
Send them personal notes
Out-bound Messages
Mix official and unofficial sources
Coordinate print with electronic
Focus on single messages, and use timing
to tell the story
Always include a Bounceback mechanism
Communicating with Students: E-mail
Segment your audience constituencies
Drive them to your Website with e-mail – the
Bounceback Principle
Guide them to the messages YOU want them to
hear
Develop a series of single-message
communications, spool them out over time
Track their progress and get feedback
Measure your results and adapt
The Pitfalls of E-mail
E-mail is cheap – too cheap, (we’re bombarding
students)
CAN-SPAM, blacklists, and whitelists
Sender ID and SPF – Doesn’t that have something to
do with sunscreen?
G-mail: Google enters the scene with e-mail,
IM/Chat - Are you ready?
57% from Hotmail
27% from Yahoo
16% from AOL, MSN, and Comcast (per Return Path)
What’s Next
Instant Messaging is growing exponentially as a
communication medium
Online Chats vs. IM: host them on your site or join the
students on Yahoo, AOL, and Gmail?
Blogs: helpful or harmful?
Podcasts: build these on content (don’t make a blah-cast)
RSS: the new way of delivering web content
Social Networking: facebook.com, MySpace.com (WOM
Marketing in the digital medium)
Where we’re headed:
Increased customization
Content on demand
Data management will be critical
Great, now I have a headache…
Keep an eye on these trends
Students will adopt new technology fastest
They expect and demand colleges to keep up
Don’t lose focus: the old rules still apply
Build a communication flow
Make your case over time
Use a mix of print and electronic communication
Repeat messages until it hurts!
Get feedback from students and tailor your appeal
It’s still about people: personal connections and good
stories
THANK YOU
GDA Integrated Services
33 Main Street, Suite F
Old Saybrook CT 06475
860-388-3958
fax: 860-388-0595
www.gdais.com
[email protected]