About the Episode
About the Episode:
In this two-part episode of Hidden Gem, Maya Demishkevich interviews Diane Burkett, Executive Director of Marketing and Public Affairs at College of the Mainland. Diane shares her comprehensive approach to strategic enrollment marketing, focusing on ten key areas that have driven significant growth and success for her institution. From optimizing websites and creating seamless student experiences to shaping public perceptions and leveraging innovative technologies, Diane offers valuable insights and practical strategies for higher education marketers. Tune in to learn how to navigate the complexities of enrollment marketing and build a cohesive and impactful brand identity.
- Audience Insights: Learn how to gather insights about your target audience through data analysis, surveys, and focus groups, and how these insights influence your marketing strategies.
- Nurturing Existing Leads: Understand techniques for targeting and nurturing existing lead pipelines to boost enrollment, emphasizing follow-up communications and personalized engagement.
- Innovative Technologies: Explore the latest technological innovations in enrollment marketing, such as AI-powered chatbots and advanced CRM systems, and their impact on marketing efforts.
- Social Media Strategy: Discover the power of social media in boosting enrollment through a case study and learn best practices for leveraging social media platforms effectively.
- Data-Driven Marketing: Understand the importance of data in shaping enrollment marketing strategies and see an example of a data-informed decision that significantly impacted enrollment.
Episode Summary
How Can Colleges Better Understand Their Audience?
Diane stresses that effective marketing starts with a clear understanding of the audience. College of the Mainland uses a mix of demographic data, community insights, and CRM metrics to segment audiences and create personas that represent each key student group. These personas outline the demographics, motivations, and barriers each group faces, guiding tailored marketing and recruitment messaging. By combining this with input from different college departments, College of the Mainland ensures that messaging resonates with its target audiences and aligns with students’ real concerns and aspirations.
How Does College of the Mainland Optimize Existing Lead Pipelines?
For many colleges, re-engaging potential students already in the system is an often-overlooked strategy. Diane explains how College of the Mainland targets students who may have stalled in the application process or haven’t re-enrolled. Through specific campaigns, such as outreach to "stopouts" or students who almost completed their degrees, the college re-engages these leads with relevant programs, support resources, or financial incentives. Additionally, the college reaches out to students who didn’t get into highly competitive programs like nursing, offering alternative pathways that keep them engaged in education rather than losing them to other institutions.
How Does Experimenting with Technology Enhance Marketing Outcomes?
Embracing new technology is essential for community colleges looking to remain competitive. Diane shares how College of the Mainland leverages artificial intelligence (AI) and CRM tools, like Element451, to streamline marketing communications and improve student engagement. AI-driven tools help automate communication sequences, freeing up time for personalized high-touch interactions at critical stages of the enrollment process. The college also uses virtual tours strategically, showcasing its campus and academic offerings in a way that focuses on student life, career preparation, and success resources rather than just the physical campus, thereby providing prospective students with a sense of what it’s really like to attend.
What Role Does Social Media Play in Engagement and Community Building?
For Diane and her team, social media is a powerful, cost-effective tool to build community, share success stories, and keep students engaged. Each platform serves a different purpose, and posts are carefully crafted to fit each audience segment and platform. By using A/B testing for social ads and balancing organic posts with paid promotion, College of the Mainland maximizes reach and engagement while adjusting content based on performance metrics. Social media is also used to address student inquiries and concerns directly, building trust and transparency within the community.
How Does College of the Mainland Use Data to Shape Enrollment Strategies?
Data is at the core of College of the Mainland’s strategic enrollment efforts. By analyzing demographic, institutional, and website data, Diane’s team identifies trends and potential enrollment barriers. For example, national trends showing a decrease in male enrollment led the college to adjust its strategy to focus on outreach to this group. The team also monitors key performance indicators (KPIs) across various digital platforms and uses CRM data to gain insights into which students are engaging with certain programs or services. This allows them to refine marketing efforts and ensure resources are directed toward the areas with the highest impact potential.
Connect With Our Host:
About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Hidden Gem: Marketing Community Colleges is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!
Some of our favorites include Visionary Voices: The College President’s Playbook and Confessions of a Higher Ed CMO.
Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com.
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