Insights from the Higher Ed Experts

BY Techteam | June 19th, 2022

The Zicklin School of Business Restores its Confidence in the Path Forward

Challenge

The Baruch College Zicklin School of Business needed to address shrinking enrollment for its Executive Programs, partially due to the market starting to view such programs as a “luxury”, and also based on the hyper-competitive New York City market.

The truth for Zicklin: Enrollment levels were insufficient for profitability, putting the sustainability of some of their programs at risk.

“We needed a firm to help us navigate that reality and work in tandem with us to make sure we were doing the best we could,” said Tricillia Jacob, Sr. Director of Administration & Operations of Executive Programs at Baruch Zicklin.

Solution

GPRS partnered with Zicklin, performing an in-depth Enrollment Growth Assessment designed to “diagnose” the cause of a school’s specific challenges.

The assessment began with an extensive questionnaire, and later included in-depth interviews with key stakeholders and a number of working sessions to prioritize goals and ideal outcomes.

“With the diagnostic, GPRS outlined recommended next steps – each action item regarding marketing and recruiting made sense to us,” said Gwen Webb, Associate Dean of Executive Programs at Baruch Zicklin.

Baruch needed to better track initial inquiries through to application, get a solid understanding of sources for leads, and track leads through the process.

In addition to long-term recommendations, the comprehensive report “identified some key areas that we could tackle right away,” said Jacob.

The assessment identified stalled leads as a key area to address immediately. GPRS stepped in with an immediate and impactful solution.

GPRS used the knowledge gathered from the assessment to implement its Call Center solutions to help Zicklin connect with interested prospects who were “stuck” in the funnel. The call center augmented Zicklin’s staff and gave prospects the personal touch needed to convert an inquiry into an enrolled student.

Results

In just a four-week period, the GPRS call center initiative re-engaged stalled prospects and set 162 appointments for Zicklin’s admissions teams.

GPRS’s assessment and calling solution not only increased short-term enrollment but also positioned Baruch on a path toward sustained growth and profitability, forging a lasting partnership.

“I want to keep GPRS to myself so they make me look better!” said Jacob. “I’m looking forward to working with them long-term.”

Weeks in the Campaign

Appointments Set for the Admissions Team

Insights from the Higher Ed Experts

BY Anthony Campisi | June 16th, 2022

Making the case for specializations to prospective students

Specializations can make your program more attractive to prospective students, especially if they are positioned and explained well. The key is to not only focus on the features of your specializations but also the benefits for the students. In other words — your marketing needs to spell out the “why” for them because adding a specialization takes extra time and focus. Beyond a generalized MBA that will certainly give them a leg up on the competition and a springboard to career advancement, what can a specialization add to their toolkit?

Here we have a few ideas on positioning specializations to prospects to convey the value.

Focus on their career path

The value of an MBA is clear – students will emerge stronger business leaders with a broader business perspective and able to tackle complex issues. Where a specialization becomes valuable depends on the student’s intended career path. If a student has a defined focus in a certain industry (like tech), a specific functional area (like marketing), or has the desire to pursue a unique path (like international business), a specialization can enhance their marketability. It’s important to frame your specializations to match up with your prospects’ career desires. For those that are extremely driven and focused, specialization can be a huge selling point as it will allow them to dive deeper into their intended area of interest and position themselves amongst their peers.

Focus on what employers want

A commitment to a certain skillset or industry may be seen as invaluable to employers and may make job candidates even more desirable. In today’s economy, anything candidates can do to upskill shows ambition and commitment to go the extra mile. When you are marketing specializations to prospects, make sure you focus on why future employers will find their specialized skillsets valuable:

In some industries and roles, specialists are seen as more desirable than generalists
Employees with specializations are often seen as loyal and dedicated to their craft
A specialization may increase your propensity for being an innovative leader, especially if the professors who teach the courses are leaders in their fields
Some jobs require extra certifications for candidacy

Focus on the value of added certifications

If your specialization offers an additional certification, be sure to tie in the value prospects will gain with the additional credential. For example, some specializations offer training for and/or the ability to earn an additional certification in a selected career path:

Finance: Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
Accounting: Certified Public Accountant (CPA); Certified Management Accountant (CMA)
Technology: Statistical Analysis System Certified (SAS)
Human Resources: Human Resources Certification Institute (HRCI)
Marketing or Operations: Project Management Professional (PMP)

Additionally, if your healthcare specialization is taught by a policy leader or a top-ranked physician, or it includes in-person immersions, highlight those. If your HR specialization includes a certification from an organization that would otherwise cost an additional fee, be sure to include that in your messaging. If your strategy specialization includes working with a real client company to solve a business challenge, find ways to tell that story.

Many of these certifications are nationally and internationally recognized so adding them to a resume proves candidates have received in-depth training from top instructors in a certain field. In fact, some employers require specific certifications for certain roles — and having them can even boost salary.

Need help?

If you need help crafting a campaign around MBA specializations, GPRS can help. With over 20 years of experience working in the higher education industry, we are skilled at customizing your message for your unique audience to increase enrollment. Contact us today to start the conversation.

Insights from the Higher Ed Experts

BY Anthony Campisi | May 31st, 2022

Reflecting on your prospects’ decision criteria

The process your team uses to make decisions about marketing and recruiting involves some of the same steps your prospects use when considering a program. Thorough decision-making includes establishing goals and priorities, obtaining the information, and determining a return on your investment. Here we’ll examine decision criteria from your prospects’ perspective.

Goals and priorities

It’s important to reflect on your prospects’ objectives so you can determine what program attributes to prioritize in your messaging. One way of categorizing your messaging involves starting with the end goal in mind.

Goal: Quick career progression
Attributes: Expedited admission and enrollment decisions, speed to degree completion and immediate start dates

Goal: Expanding knowledge base
Attributes: Well-rounded curriculum, electives and specializations

Goal: Movement into leadership
Attributes: Leadership development program and faculty mentorship

Goal: Developing a network
Attributes: Diverse class profiles and distinguished alumni

Goal: Maintaining career momentum without disruption
Attributes: Program flexibility, course delivery options, waiving courses, and fewer credit hours

Return on investment

While many programs and schools focus on the value of the degree, it’s important to consider that cost does matter. Taking on a student loan or financing, regardless of what career stage your prospects are in can present a barrier. It’s important that your messaging not only focus on the ROI they will receive from the program — i.e. how soon they will recoup the cost through promotions and salary increases — but also on how you can help them shoulder the cost burden. Be sure to clearly state your tuition while outlining all of the financing and scholarship opportunities. Some schools also choose to provide guidance on obtaining employer sponsorship and how to convince your boss to invest in your education and future at the company.

Obtaining the information

Have you ever tried to make a decision with limited information? In business, this is often defined as “dealing with ambiguity.” While this is a skill your students will learn in the program, it’s not something you want them to encounter when selecting your program. As marketers and recruiters, it’s your job to deliver the whole picture so prospects can easily make decisions. You can do this with clear messaging on your website, detailed materials that outline and address their decision-making criteria, and open conversations with the recruiting team.

As you consider how to translate your prospects’ decision criteria into informative and helpful marketing communications, GPRS can help. With years of experience working in the higher education industry, we are skilled at customizing messages for your unique audience to increase enrollment. Contact us today to start the conversation.

Insights from the Higher Ed Experts

BY Techteam | May 29th, 2022

Salus University Delivers Healthy Enrollment Results

Challenge

Salus University is a private university in the Philadelphia metropolitan area that specializes in degree programs for health care professions. Salus was seeking solutions to attract professionals interested in pursuing careers in health care and needed the training provided their degree programs. They are also seeking candidates that wanted to attend a small institution that focuses solely on health care.

Solution

Salus engaged us to develop and implement an enrollment marketing strategy. We started by performing an Enrollment Growth Assessment to determine how to improve Salus’ marketing and recruiting processes. Thereafter, we identified 4 personas of prospective candidates that would be a fit for Salus’ programs. Each persona differed by the key driver of their interest in pursuing a career in health care. Creating campaigns and marketing messages focused on these drivers of interest were integral to the success of our campaigns.

As a result of the Enrollment Growth Assessment and Persona Development work, we changed the program positioning and modified the advertising to focus on the key drivers of interest among aspiring health care professionals.

Results

This approach had an immediate impact and delivered 871 qualified leads in the first five months of running the new campaigns. From a financial perspective, Salus realized a cost per click of 90 cents and a cost per lead of $163.47 — well below the higher education industry benchmark of $200.

Qualified leads in 5 months

$0.0%

Cost per Lead

Insights from the Higher Ed Experts

BY Anthony Campisi | May 17th, 2022

Do you really know why students pick your program? Ask them.

Your school’s marketing materials are made up of a carefully curated and balanced mix of messages that highlight your brand promise and program attributes. When your recruiting and marketing teams work together, they can create powerful messaging that connects with prospects on their journey and helps them make the decision to enroll in your program.

Once you’ve seated your class, you can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that your admissions process worked its magic. But before quickly moving on to recruiting for the next class, you may want to take one additional step with your brand new class. Ask why students pick your program.

Here’s why.

You might learn something new

Over the past couple of years, the higher ed industry has shifted dramatically. What prospects are seeking in a program has changed, along with their career aspirations and work and family situations. What used to be considered strengths of your program may not be anymore, and innovations you made to quickly adapt may now be the norm. It’s important to find out if your messages are still resonating with your prospect pool and if the perception of your school has changed. Start by going directly to the source — your current students!

You can use their insights in future marketing materials

When you are marketing your program, one of the most impactful strategies you can employ is helping prospects see themselves at your school. You can do this by presenting real stories of real students who chose your program. When prospects see their culture, background, aspirations, and even challenges represented in your materials, they are much more likely to feel included.

Regardless of how you collect the information — survey, email, informal interview, podcast, video, etc. — be sure to integrate as many real quotes from students in their own words for authenticity. You can use these insights on your website, in print materials, on social media, in videos, and in blogs to show diversity, inclusion, and a variety of stories.

You can build connections

The next time you’re talking with an undecided prospect, wouldn’t it be great to be able to connect them with a current student that faced the same struggles? The more you learn about your current students’ unique backgrounds and what factors went into making their decision to attend your program, the better you can match them up with prospects who need an extra boost of confidence. For example:

Is one of your prospects switching careers and wondering how your program can help in the transition? Connect them to a student that had those same questions and is currently making a shift.

Is another prospect a new mom who is wondering if this is the right time to start the program? Connect her to other parents who are navigating similar challenges.

Gleaning insights from your current students can help you shape (and reshape) your brand narrative, improve your marketing and recruiting strategy, and connect prospects to your program in an authentic way.

As you consider how to collect and utilize this invaluable information, GPRS can help. With years of experience working in the higher education industry, we are skilled at customizing your message for your unique audience to increase enrollment. Contact us today to start the conversation.

Insights from the Higher Ed Experts

BY Anthony Campisi | April 29th, 2022

Cultivating personal connection in the recruiter outreach process

Your recruiting and admissions process is a complex machine made up of several touchpoints. It’s designed to give you a full picture of your prospect — qualifications, culture fit, and potential for success. But it’s important to keep in mind that while you are gathering data on them — test scores, GPA, and references — your prospects are forming their opinions on your school throughout the recruiting process as well. Here we’ll examine how staff can use personal relationship building in different ways to pull prospects through the funnel.

It starts with a conversation

In a digital age where everyone is flooded with emails, texts, and a 24/7 news feed, your prospects are overloaded. While you may not think a phone call would be welcome, it’s possible that it’s just what you need to break through the clutter. You can begin by setting the expectations low and leading with a short script asking them something personal about themselves and seeing what questions they have. This takes the pressure off of them to have a carefully curated list of career goals and just opens the door to a personal connection in graduate recruiting. In your initial conversation, be sure to focus more on them — what they like and where they are in their journey versus what your program can do for them — that will come later.

Continue the momentum by following up

Although we just mentioned above that prospects are often digitally overloaded, it’s important to note that there is space for meaningful, authentic follow-up communications. Start with a personal email letting them know that you heard them and that they’ll be receiving some information from your program. This opens the door to engaging them in your automated CRM, but it also reassures them that they can reach out to you if they have any questions along the way.

Offer meaningful information

When your recruiting process involves active listening, you will be able to determine the barriers your prospects have — what motivates them, what’s holding them back, and what things they are curious about. When you have collected this valuable data, you can use it to customize your messaging and offer meaningful information that will help them make decisions.

Are they worried about the time commitment? Offer a conversation with an alum.
Are they concerned about the cost? Send them your latest ROI report.
Do they live out of state? Provide a video series about campus.
Do they want to experience the program and learn more about the curriculum? Invite them to an event.

Guide the process and answer their questions

Perhaps the most common mistake made by recruiting teams is to rely too heavily on a CRM to pull prospects through the funnel. Building multiple opportunities for human connection, remaining accessible, and following up with guidance can make all the difference. Sometimes even being available to answer a brief question over an online chat can help a prospect advance to the next step. Make sure to develop a personal connection in graduate recruiting.

If you’re looking for ways to integrate new recruitment strategies into your enrollment plan, GPRS can help. With years of experience working in the higher education industry, we are skilled at customizing your message for your unique audience to increase enrollment. Contact us today to start the conversation.

Insights from the Higher Ed Experts

BY Techteam | April 15th, 2022

The University of Arizona Eller College of Management enjoys rapid enrollment growth without breaking the bank

Challenge

The University of Arizona needed to increase awareness for its three existing MBA programs, while also launching a new online MBA program. Eller College leaders were concerned with the investment required to accomplish both objectives simultaneously. Moreover, there was also concern about how quickly a return on investment could be attained.

Solution

To generate awareness for the Eller MBA programs, GPRS utilized its proprietary Conversion Optimization Management (COM) process to create demand among interested professionals in the Arizona market. GPRS selected the appropriate media channels and types of advertisements (i.e., display ads or paid search) to connect with the target audience. We also designed the display advertisements to include content and images focused on motivating and engaging the desired prospective students. Using GPRS to do content development and lead generation ensured alignment and consistency in the messaging and execution of the campaigns.

To refine the campaigns and continue to improve the lead quality, GP Insights™ was deployed to determine the highest performing ads and media channels throughout the campaign. In doing so, we were able to optimize the Eller MBA media spend by investing in media channels and placing ads that were achieving the highest results.

Results

Using the combination of COM and GP Insights, we delivered a very healthy volume of pre-qualified leads to the Eller admissions team at a cost per lead (CPL) of $125 — well below the higher ed industry benchmark of $200. This cost savings accomplishment was surpassed by the success the admissions team had in converting these leads into enrolled students. 35% of enrolled students were identified through a GPRS campaign over two years resulting in $3.9M in tuition revenue and a 2,200% return on investment.

Percentage of enrolled students generated by GPRS

Return on investment

Insights from the Higher Ed Experts

BY Anthony Campisi | April 13th, 2022

The secret to successful graduate program marketing

“Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” — Albert Einstein

As marketers of the higher ed industry, success is often what we focus on. Salaries, promotions, and title changes are king — and we often use them as the reported end goal to show what our students will “become” to entice them to attend our programs. But in marketing our programs, we must remember to strike a balance when composing our messaging and lead with how success is obtained — by adding value and contributing to important conversations in meaningful ways.

Why a degree?

There is an overwhelming amount of data showing that an advanced degree can advance your career. To understand what’s important to your prospective student though, it’s imperative to go beyond what title they are striving for and learn what’s behind their desire to pursue higher education. After all, it is a large investment of both time and money. Maybe they are in an industry that doesn’t suit them or come naturally to them. Maybe they have hit a ceiling with their current career path and need to expand their knowledge base. Or perhaps, they even have aspirations to be in the boardroom, but they need help articulating their points to add to the conversation.

To meet your prospects where they are in their journey, it’s important to dig into what they need to make it to the next step — and usually this can start with finding a way to add value in their current situation, or be seen in a different light. A degree program can set them on a path to achieving these goals. In addition, your prospects may be seeking professional fulfillment that adds value to their lives and makes them feel like they are making a difference. Therefore encouraging self-exploration in the context of business is key.

Here are some questions you can aim to address in your marketing messages based on your prospects’ personas:

Where are you on your career journey?
What does success look like in data: salary, title, promotion?
What does success look like in working relationships?
What do you want to gain from your career?
How do you want to be seen by your peers, team, and management?

Why a degree from your institution?

Once you’ve honed in on the motivations behind why your prospects are pursuing a degree, it will be easier to connect your program features to what they are seeking. You can start this process by defining your school’s unique selling points, showcasing the tools you’re offering, and then connecting them to a direct benefit for the student. For example:

How is your program unique from the competition?

How does the curriculum focus on both the quantitative and soft skills needed to be influential?
How can your program prepare your prospects to add value in a professional setting?
How can your program add value to your prospects’ lives and career paths?
What will your prospects gain beyond extra letters behind their name?

Connecting the dots

In a market saturated with competition, it is key to connect with your prospects on multiple levels that show you understand them, their goals, and motivations — and that you can help them enhance both their personal and professional lives. These steps are often the secret to successful graduate program marketing.

If you need ideas for uncovering industry insights, developing a competitive analysis, or creating meaningful marketing strategies, contact GPRS today. We can help you develop a plan to fit within your strategy and budget.

Insights from the Higher Ed Experts

BY Anthony Campisi | March 29th, 2022

How well do you know your competition?

You’ve identified your program features and benefits. You’ve defined your audience segments through personas. You’ve determined objectives and created ways to measure success. But how will you stack up with your prospect pool once your well-vetted marketing plan hits the market? Unless you’ve done your research, your competition could eat your lunch. So where do you start?

Perhaps one of the most critical (and overlooked) aspects of creating a marketing strategy is competitive analysis. Building this base layer can provide guideposts for developing messaging that will resonate with your target’s journey. Here are a few ways to determine who your competition is and some key areas to evaluate:

Regional competition

For every school, geography is a key consideration in building a marketing strategy. How far does your brand reach and how are you perceived in your market? How do you stack up locally, regionally, and nationally? How far are students willing to drive for an in-person program?

To evaluate your competitive set, begin with building concentric circles around your school.

Who’s in your backyard? Even if they may not seem like a direct competitor, the geographic location may make their program more viable for a prospect who’d prefer to stay local.
Who’s within a 2-hour drive? Take stock of programs beyond state lines. Local prospects may be willing to drive farther for a bigger name, stronger alumni network, lower cost, or flexibility.
Who’s online? In today’s higher ed space, everyone is competing with online programs. The recent proliferation of remote programs has forced innovation and provided more accessibility that did not exist previously.

Aspirational competition

An aspirational competitor is a school that you may share similarities with — in program offerings, benefits, regarded faculty — but there is little direct overlap in your pool of prospects. You aren’t directly competing with an aspirational competitor, regardless of whether they’re in your time zone or not, and they are often regarded as a market leader.

It’s important to include these schools in your competitive set because you can glean insights by evaluating their programmatic innovations, new content and marketing strategies. Even though your ideal student may not be applying to their programs, it’s true that market leaders often set the bar for expectations and outcomes, and it can benefit your school to be aware of their presence.

How to evaluate the competition

When building a competitive analysis, using the template below can give you a holistic view of the playing field.

Programmatic

This is where your prospects will be spending most of their time doing their research. The insights you gain in evaluating these pieces can help you position your program’s unique features and benefits. Begin building your competitive analysis matrix using these criteria for a well-rounded evaluation:

Credit hours
Curriculum focus
Program length
Tuition
Specializations
International component
Faculty

Admissions

While every school’s admissions process is different, it’s important to understand when the competition is hosting events in your market, how often they are pulling students from your pool and how they are reaching out to prospects. You can also see what types of events they are hosting so you can modify your event strategy. Most of this information can be found directly on your competitor’s website:

Number of intakes & timing
Recruiting process
Events

Marketing

Reviewing a competitor’s marketing may take some extra effort. Beyond scouring their website, you may not be able to see their geo-targeted digital advertising if you’re not in their market. Doing a bit of sleuthing can benefit your marketing team. Here are a few suggestions:

Email communication – try signing up as a ghost student to gain VIP access to their CRM system
Social – Subscribe to competitors’ channels to monitor campaigns and messaging
Content – Take note of videos, podcasts, blog posts, and other unique content types

Competitive benchmarking

If you need help evaluating your competition, GPRS can assist. We have worked with over 150 programs nationally and can offer you insights and information that can help you enhance your marketing planning process.

Let’s start the conversation today.

Insights from the Higher Ed Experts

BY Techteam | March 26th, 2022

The University of Tennessee found the right channels to reach prospective students and reduce their advertising spend

Challenge

The University of Tennessee, Haslam College of Business needed support and expertise to market its growing portfolio of graduate business programs. The school sought out a partner that could help overcome the challenges of rapid growth, while simultaneously seizing the unique opportunities presented by each program.

Solution

GPRS led the development and execution of strategic, and highly targeted digital marketing campaigns for five unique graduate programs. They were:

Executive MBA – Healthcare Leadership
Executive MBA – Strategic Leadership
Executive MBA – Global Supply Chain
Physician Executive MBA
Professional MBA

We created persona-driven direct response ads and selected high performing online media channels to build the Haslam School brand, and target specific prospective candidates for each program. Our team optimized the performance of each campaign based upon analytics derived from our GP Insights™ platform, and evolving digital marketing best practices. Most importantly, the Haslam School leadership had real-time visibility into our progress, and collaborated with our team to determine next steps – based on insights and recommendations shared during our regularly scheduled meetings together. Furthermore, we enabled the UT admissions team to track progress across all five programs in one place; saving time and resources required to have clarity on progress toward their enrollment goals.

Results

Our campaigns turbo-charged qualified lead generation for Haslam’s graduate business programs. We delivered 200% growth in leads, month over month, due to improvements in audience targeting, advertising spend allocation and program-specific expert media planning.

Graduate business programs optimized

Month over month growth in leads generated