Presented on behalf of the Texas Association of Graduate Admissions Professionals on December 14, 2011. As graduate admissions offices warm up to new technology, flashy CRM systems and social networking, the number of channels available to reach prospective students is immense. With a shaky economy and growing competition, growing the top of the recruitment funnel is crucial to boosting enrollments and deepening the applicant pool. Take your recruitment to the next level by determining which channels yield the best results, leveraging social media to expand your reach beyond your "fans," appropriately assessing results from each of your lead sources and identifying ways to efficiently allocate your resources. This session will delve into each stage of the recruitment funnel and discuss how you can collect your leads, engage them to inquire and apply and assess the results. Presented by Marcus Hanscom, Associate Director of Graduate Recruitment and Outreach at the University of New Haven and President of the New England Association of Graduate Admissions Professionals (NEGAP)

1. TxGAP Webinar
Sizing up a Monumental Task: Building Your
Recruitment Funnel and Measuring the Flow
Presented by:
Marcus Hanscom, M.B.A. (@MarcusHanscom)
Associate Director, Graduate Recruitment
& Outreach, University of New Haven

2. Overview
• Assessing the present
• Building the funnel
• Engaging your prospects
• Measuring and utilizing results
• Determining ROI and “selling” it

3. Learning Outcome for Today
• We will recruit more efficiently and deliver higher
ROI if we:
– Evaluate our current student base
– Use student information to make educated decisions on
marketing channels and relevant messaging
– AND track student data throughout the funnel including
activity on our website, social media

4. The “Informed” ROI Process
Assess
Incoming/
Current
Students
Lead
Tracking Generatio
n
Funnel
Managemen
t/Marketing/
Recruitment

5. Just the basics. Where are we now?
THE FOUNDATIONS

6. Consider leadership…
“Know thyself… and others.”

7. Your current students
• Assess the demographics and needs of current
students
– Average age?
– Male/Female ratio?
– Previous major?
– Referral Source?
• In an ideal world, assess by program
– Easier for decentralized admissions

8. A Case Study: M.S.E.D.
M.S. Education Applicants by Age and Gender
Three-Year Analysis: AY08-09 through AY10-11
400
350
300
250
200 Male
Female
150
100
50
0
Age 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+

9. A Case Study: M.S.E.D.
M.S. Education Applicants by Referral Source and Gender
Three-Year Analysis: AY08-09 through AY10-11
Referral Source n % of n Gender % of n n
Fair/Expo/Tour 15 1.6% Female 71% 653
Internet 169 18% Male 29% 267
UNH Mailing/Email 6 0.6% Total --- 920
Newspaper Ad 3 0.3%
Other 142 15%
Print/Web Directory 16 1.7%
Word of Mouth 506 55%
Empty 63 6.8%
Totals 920

10. Assignment #1
• Conduct a program demographic assessment
– Age/Gender
– Location (In/Out of State, International)
– Referral Source
– Previous Major
– …and others
• Present to program faculty
– Engage faculty in process if not already
– Faculty buy-in is crucial

11. We all want our cake, and we want to eat it, too.
BUILDING THE FUNNEL

12. Generating Awareness
• That’s so 2001…
– Printed Directories
– Bulk Snail Mailings
– Cold Calling
– Newspaper tombstone
ads

13. Generating Awareness
• …but this is so 2011
– Directory Sites (Gradschools.com, Petersons.com,
GraduateGuide.com…)
– University Website
– Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, FourSquare…)
– Google/search engines
– Blogs
– Virtual Information Sessions/Chats
– Open Houses

14. Lead Sources
• Purchased Lists • Word of Mouth
• Directory Sites • Click-thru campaigns
• Social Media • Mailings/BRC
• University Website • …and more
• Search Engines
(Paid and Organic)
• Graduate Fairs/Visits
• Open Houses
• Webinars / Chats

15. Key Questions
• What is the total budget allocated to generating
leads?
• Are lead generation techniques/processes
customized by program?
• What role do faculty members play? Administrators?
• How do you manage your prospect leads versus your
inquiries?

16. Assignment #2
• Do a lead generation audit
– List all current lead sources and costs
– Identify financial goals: spend more or less?
– Are you doing some things because “that is what we
always do?”
– We have a collective groupthink problem. Does your
institution suffer?
– Just the basics: How many students are applying or
enrolling from each source?

17. So, the funnel is flowing. Now what!?
ENGAGING PROSPECTS

18. Keys to Success
• Communication Plan (Automated)
• Relevant Messaging
• Cross-channel messaging
• Regular social media participation
• Personalization whenever and wherever possible

19. Communication Plan
• CRM is key
• Automation = efficiency
– Particularly for small offices
– Does not necessarily mean impersonal
• Integrated marketing opportunities
– Letters, emails, personalized portal pages
– Phone call management
• Ensure communication consistency to all audiences

20. Relevant Messaging
• Graduate students want personalization
• Avoid the fluff communications
• Provide program information as soon as possible
– Preferably through multiple channels – mail, email, phone
• Clear, succinct, “What’s in it for me?”
communications
Initial Email Communication Interaction
Rates
General 4% Program- 20%
Specific

21. Social Media
• Not a “set it and forget it” process
• Engaging students on SM means exactly that
– Regular interactions
– Go beyond the “press release” posts
– Offer contests
• Remember the audiences for each platform
• Create opportunities to request information, learn
more, “see” your experience
• Integrate with your website

22. Where are you sending prospective students?
• Generic page on your site?
• An inquiry form?
• A specific landing page for just the leads from a
particular source?
• A specific inquiry form?

23. Assignment #3
• Set up Unique Source Pages
– Set up landing pages or inquiry forms unique to each lead
source
– Create vanity urls (ie. www.newhaven.edu/nytimes) for
print advertising
– Create pages for your generic lead generation and for
event advertising management
– Use QR codes on mailings and advertisements with a
unique landing page

24. Assignment #4
• Create a referral source policy
– How do you accurately report where students came from?
– Identify how the created source versus a “How did you hear
about us?” question will vary in your data
• Create one data set/attribute to collect this data
– Greatly reduces reporting headaches

25. They came, we talked, but I have no idea what happened!
MEASURING AND
UTILIZING RESULTS

26. Measuring Results
• CRM System Results
– Email Results (Open rate, interactions)
Email Interaction Rates
General 4% Program- 20%
Specific
– Personalized portal results
• Source Coding (Referrals)
– Create definitions/guide
• Unique Landing Pages w/tracking
• Google Analytics (or other software)

27. Personalized portal results
• 9% of all visitors clicked an “Apply Now” link
• 69% of those completed and submitted an application
• Average visits per user: 4.9
• Average login time: 20 minutes
• 4,408 active visitors in last six months
• 675 engaged visitors (15%)

28. Google Analytics
• Great for assessing website effectiveness
• Learn what content works
• Determine how students get to your content
• Determine which content is generating the most
leads
• Determine information paths
• Be mindful of where you are sending students
– If sending to external sites, can affect your Analytics efforts

29. Google Analytics

30. Assignment #5
• Become a user on Google Analytics
– Learn how to find your specific site content
– Evaluate metrics as a whole
– No single metric on its own is helpful
• Use metrics to make educated decisions about page
content
– Do you need to adjust content on your admissions pages?
Program pages?
– Would new landing pages help?

31. Campaign Tracking
• Google URL Builder
– Other tools are available
– Ease of use for beginners and advanced users
• Use for web ads, landing pages, social media links,
blog posts, etc.

32. URL Builder

33. Campaign Tracking Results

34. Assignment #6
• Use the URL builder to create a tracking URL
– Try it with a social media ad
– Assess the results in GA after two weeks; a month; two
months
• Advanced option: create two ads that link to two
different pages on your website
– Use two separate unique tracking URL’s
– Evaluate which pages/ads have better results
• Bounce rate, time on site, pages per visit, etc.

35. Tips on Tracking
• Minimize options on how students get to your site
– Tracking does little good if you have too much to track
• Use vanity URL’s for ease of use or hidden tracking
URL’s
• Use short inquiry forms if directing students there
first
• K.I.S.S.
• All tracking involves a grain of salt

36. Utilizing Results
• Allocation of financial and human resources
• Development of new channels/expansion of current
ones
• Strategic advertising timing
• Strategic planning for links/awareness
• Restructure/rewrite existing content

37. A Starting ROI Argument
• Avg. Rev/Student x # enrolled from source =
Estimated Total Revenue/Source
– Can simplify numbers by funnel status
– Determine the “value” of a given inquiry
or applicant
• Compare revenue to annual spend per source
– Is your return worth the investment?

38. ROI Example
Directory Listing College Fairs
• Avg. Total Revenue/student = • Avg. Total Revenue/student =
$25,000 $25,000
• Students enrolled = 10 • Students enrolled = 2
• Total revenue from source= • Total revenue from source=
$250,000 $50,000
• Annual Directory spend: $32,000 • Annual Travel Spend: $30,000
• ROI: 681% • ROI: 67%
**Remember this is using a gross revenue figure.

39. Assignment #7
• Assign revenue to lead sources and determine
estimated ROI
– Gross revenue is a start
– Determine average revenue/student
• Can be most helpful at program level
– Can compare to other sources by percentage return on the
dollar

40. Assignment Review
1. Conduct a program demographic assessment
2. Do a lead generation audit
3. Set up unique source pages
4. Create a referral source policy
5. Become a user on Google Analytics (and use it)
6. Use the URL builder to create a tracking URL
7. Assign revenue to lead sources for ROI

41. Final Thoughts
• None of this happens overnight
• Need commitment of human (and in some cases,
financial) resources
• Involve faculty if not already doing so
• Be adaptable

42. If you enjoyed this session…
“Not Everything is Bigger in Texas: Small
Things That Make a Big Impact on
Recruitment Efforts”
NAGAP 25th Annual Conference
Thursday, April 26, 2012
10:45am – 11:45am

43. Marcus Hanscom
MHanscom@newhaven.ed
u
203.932.7277
Twitter: @MarcusHanscom
Questions?
THANK YOU.
View this presentation and the sample referral source guidelines
online at www.slideshare.net/mhanscom