With more and more students interested in professional education and diminishing resources to meet these demands, Paul Allen, Director of Recruiting at the Professional MBA program at the University of South Carolina helped create a fully automated, dynamic, and reactive communication model. Join our webinar to review the case study of his program and learn best practices that led to achieving an average open rate of 50% across all communications. In addition, this session will walk attendees through the stages of evaluating, planning, designing, and implementing their own similar model.

1. Creating a Dynamic, Reactive
Communication Model from Scratch
Paul Allen, University of South Carolina

2. • Strategic Recruiting
• Communication Modelling
• Email Development
Paul Allen
Director of Recruiting
University of South Carolina
Professional MBA Program
AboutMe

3. • Over 5,000 undergraduate students
• 1,000+ graduate students
• Ph.D. programs
• 4 Masters programs
• 3 unique MBA programs
DarlaMooreSchoolofBusiness

4. • ApplyYourself
• Connect
Products
DarlaMooreSchoolof
Business&Hobsons
Records Filters E-mail Templates
168,000+ ~300 475

5. Agenda
• Professional MBA Case Study
• Process of Building a Model
– Evaluation
– Planning/Design
– Development
– Implementation
Today’s Conversation
• Advice

6. University of South Carolina
Darla Moore School of Business
Professional MBA Program
CaseStudy

7. Limited Staff
Wheredidwestart?
Underutilized CRM
1 manual email sent
from Outlook once
per week
0 automated emails
being sent

8. Metrics:
• 7 active plans
• Average of 6-8 touches per plan
• Over 45 live, unique communications
Wherearewenow?

9. Wherearewenow?
50%
20-30%
75%
8%
• Fully automated, fully reactive, multi-staged
communication model
• All 4,000 prospects receive a personalized
communication plan
o 50% average open rate
o 75% or higher open rate on key communication nodes
(some are at 85% or higher)
o 20-30% average interact rate across entire plan
o Enrollment is up 8%
o Conversion rate from started app to admitted is up 17%
o Yield (admit to enroll) is strong at 85-92%
Success metrics
Success!

10. How do you create a communication model?
Process

11. Process
Step 1
Evaluation
Questions
• What do you have now? Is it working?
• Is the current model meeting the needs of
students?
• What is your competition doing?

12. Step 2
Planning/Design
List Your Goals
• Automated
• Reactive
• Comprehensive

13. Bought a house?
Been married?
Shopped on Amazon?
Haveyouever?

14. Funnel Approach:
• What is the desired outcome of each
part of the funnel?
• Define key behavior that helps student
reach the goal
• Create communications that encourage
those actions
DesignYourModel

15. Planning/Design

16. Step 3
DevelopmentImportant Considerations
• Naming conventions
• Email Creation Workflows

17. NamingConventions
CP 12.1a
Automated message,
not one a “one timer”
Stage in the funnel
Specific plan in a
group of plans
Email or communication
in that plan
Variation of that email
if it exists

18. Development
Idea
Copy
Edit
Code
Filter
Test
Implement

19. Step 4
Implementation
What is important when implementing?
How do you know if you’re successful?

20. Remember
• Write down processes
• Communicate processes
• Create reports
• Measure success over time
• Keep lots of notes!
Implementation

21. Success Factors
• Open rates
• Interact/click rates
• Opt-out rates
• Progression through the
funnel
• Trends over time
KeyMetrics

22. Pro Tips
BitofAdvice
Know your student
Give them the communications
they need, not what you want to
give them
Plan, plan, and
plan some more!
Be organized Be flexible

23. Paul Allen
Director of Recruiting
paul.allen@moore.sc.edu
@ptallen63
Questions?