Transcript view the Power Point slides from the presentation

Electronic
Communication
vs.
Traditional Print
Media:
Which is More
Effective?
Presenters:
Christopher Small – GDAIS
Jonathan Steele – GDAIS
Jim Slavin – College Board
Introductions
Who are these guys,
and why are they here???
Christopher Small
Jonathan Steele
Jim Slavin
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
So which is better,
print or electronic communication?
Answer: Both
Thanks for coming!
How Do Students Communicate with Colleges?
GDAIS conducted an extensive survey of collegebound high school students from the applicant and
search pools of six different institutions.
We asked them how they approach the college
search process.
This is some of what we learned…
When do students begin their college search?
Before their senior year: 95%
Before their junior year: 55%
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: 53%
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: 57%
Electronic: 32%
Both equally: 9%
Which format do they prefer to use in their
communication with the admissions office?
Paper: 48%
Electronic: 45%
Both equally: 5%
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
28%
46%
26%
A letter or postcard to the
college
25%
41%
34%
A telephone call to the college
6%
29%
65%
Interpreting the Research
Students are starting the college search earlier
More students are using the Web for research
Students still like to read print publications
Colleges need to develop an integrated print
and electronic communications plan
E-mail is an excellent follow-up device
Getting MORE from Your
Communication Flow
Most Students are not reading your mail
Don’t be afraid to promote the
distinctiveness of your institution
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
Always have a response mechanism to see who
is paying attention
Respond quickly to those who respond to you
Develop ways to measure the effectiveness of
every communication device
Communicating with Students: What Works
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
Search
Search mail is still critical
Search names are still the best qualified
Search E-mail: bad returns and future
problems
Letters still work best
Clearly define your institution
Only encourage responses from interested
prospects
Publications
They aren’t reading everything (anything?)
you send them
Repeat your messages, but put them in
fresh context
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
Problems with College Websites
Too many audience constituencies
Internal vs. External
Navigation
Anonymity
No follow-through
Solutions:
Single-Message Mini-websites
Capturing Data
E-mail in the U.S.
Average person receives 308 messages/week
62% of this is Spam in 2004
56% was considered Spam in 2003
What makes a message Spam?
Frequency 58%
Irrelevancy 57%
Only 28% try to unsubscribe
8% is permission based e-mail
67% open at least 6 out of every 10 permission-based emails
Communicating with Students: E-mail
Message Format:
Multi-part (HTML) vs. Plain Text
From and Subject lines
Target Your Pool:
Personalize and Customize
Test and refine
Content
Single messages
Investment then Consumption Benefits
Build an e-mail schedule that fits with your print
communication plan
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 that you spool out over time
Track their progress and get feedback
Measure your results and adapt
The Pitfalls of E-mail and What’s Next
E-mail is cheap – too cheap, and colleges have begun
bombarding their Search lists
Students will lose patience
Colleges will get reported and blacklisted
CAN-SPAM – are our Search files still compliant?
Sender ID and SPF – Doesn’t that have something to
do with sunscreen?
G-mail: Google enters the scene- Are you ready?
Instant Messaging is growing exponentially as a
communication medium
Instant Messaging
By the end of 2003, 20 million people worldwide
were using IM in businesses
This will reach 300 million by the end of 2005
42% of online Americans use instant messaging
24% of instant messengers use IM more
frequently than email
AOL's instant-messenger (includes ICQ) had
59.2 million users in April
MSN had 23.6 million
Yahoo had 19.1 million
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
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]