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Building a Successful Adult
                                   Education Program
                                   Beginning with the End in Mind –
                                        Three Critical Factors to Examine First




1.877.261.6450
marketing@plattformhighered.com

15500 W. 113th Street, Suite 200
Lenexa, KS 66219

PlattFormHigherEd.com
Key Takeaways
Who We Are                                   After reading this document, you will better understand:
A pioneer of interactive marketing in
the higher education field, PlattForm         • What information needs to be reviewed to set realistic cost-per-
Higher Education has delivered high-            enrollment goals and expectations.
quality Internet inquiries to institutions
since the advent of online programs.          • Why enrollment marketing processes for adult education
More than 20 years ago, PlattForm               programs should be considerably different than those for
began partnering with clients to develop        traditional students.
marketing and enrollment strategies to
reach out to a new generation of adult        • How curriculum type and degree level affect the reach and
learners. Both practical innovation and         appeal of your programs.
exceptional customer service have
led PlattForm to become the largest           • Evaluating lead-to-rep ratios, conversion timelines and changes
marketing and communications firm in            in the marketplace to effectively determine conversion rates.
the higher education industry.


Today, PlattForm Higher Education
provides a full spectrum of advertising,
communications        and      marketing
services to a growing client base. With
more than 400 industry experts serving
our nearly 4,000 partner schools
located throughout the United States
and Canada, we work every day at the
forefront of higher education.
Beginning with
                                                                   the End in Mind

T
          here’s no question that higher education budgets         We will begin with the end in mind by outlining how to
          as a whole have been rocked recently by economic         evaluate these three key factors:
          change, and many members of this sector have been
          rattled by subsequent threats to their operational        1. Curriculum type and degree level offerings
integrity. As a result, more institutions are looking for other     2. Cost-per-enrollment (CPE) goals
areas of opportunity for growth. Many have turned to adult          3. Inquiry-to-enrollment conversion rates
ground and distance education programs as an economically
viable option to grow their overall student populations.           Let’s take a closer look at each of these considerations and
                                                                   how they should be evaluated to ensure success.
Some institutions, seeing these programs as an opportunity,
have a tendency to jump in headfirst without understanding
their competitive landscape or implementing a strategic
approach to ensure success. At the other end of the spectrum,
institutions can remain paralyzed by the notion of developing
adult ground and distance education programs because they
fear entering uncharted territory. Because the strategies that
drive successful adult education programs vary considerably
from those used for traditional undergraduate programs, it’s
important to know where to start in meeting the needs of
adult learners. How are the initial considerations for marketing
strategies and admissions processes different?


In this white paper, “Building a Successful Adult Education
Program: Part 1,” we offer three critical factors to examine
before launching adult education programs. We base our
insights on working with hundreds of institutions who have
successfully made the leap and from our interactions with
college and university leaders who have introduced or
expanded their adult education offerings.
1.
                            Considering the
                            Probable Market Effects
                            of Curriculum Type and
                            Degree Level
Where do you begin in examining the viability of adding                • Healthcare – Your research reveals that two of your major
adult education to the mix? Before we address the essential,             feeder schools (community colleges) who offer basic
“What comes first … the marketing budgets or enrollment                  nursing education consistently have one- or two-year
goals?” question – the higher education marketing version of             waiting lists, and that many of their graduates later go
the chicken or the egg – we should ask a different question.             on to earn their Bachelor’s degree in nursing. Because
Have you determined what your likely course offering will                your four-year B.S. in Nursing program is at capacity, you
be? What types of curricula will best fit your market demand,            were considering adding a Master’s degree in Nursing to
and how can the degree level of the program impact its                   an already crowded Master’s market. But now, you may
approximated appeal?                                                     add a BSN-bridge as a blended on-campus and online
                                                                         course instead.


                                                                       • Business – Your institution is considering adding a generic
                                                                         MBA because your undergraduate business school is
                                                                         beginning to flourish and there is data that shows your
                                                                         B.A. and B.S. business alumni will likely help support
                                                                         initial enrollment goals in a Master’s program. But in
                                                                         collaborating with your local economic development
                                                                         entities, you learn that a sizeable light manufacturing firm
                                                                         has committed to relocating their headquarters to your
                                                                         area within the next 18 months. Do you have the capacity
                                                                         to adjust your plan and launch an MBA that’s more
Ideally, whether you are considering adding adult education              specialized toward the needs of lean manufacturing? Or
on-ground or online, you will be creating an effective balance           do you proceed to roll out a generic MBA that may or
between local vs. global market influences and generic vs.               may not stand out in the crowd a year or two from now
specialty curricula in sizing up realistic ways to both meet             – just when you need to be able to measure the ROI for
your potential student needs and to stand out against the                your next budget plan?
competition.
                                                                      Possible answers to these questions can also be affected by
Let’s start with on-ground programs. Unless your institution          your projected cost-per-enrollment goals, which we will be
has multiple locations or a plan for multiple locations, or you       addressing next.
are established as a commuter campus serving a wide reach,
the geotargeting for your potential program is automatically
limited. So, you will want to concentrate on the local
influences of the market, both now and in the near future.
Often in doing so, you will find yourself filling a fairly specific
niche in order to compete. Examples:
But first, how do these considerations interact in distance
                                                                        A critical question to ask is,
                                                                           “What does your
education or online adult education offerings? By definition,
geotargeting your potential audience becomes less important,
but still must be considered since localized name recognition still
plays a role in how the integrity of your proposed program will be      institution offer that
perceived. If part of your audience considering online education
is aware that you have a sound reputation for on-ground
                                                                         will set you apart?”
education success, they may be more inclined to view your
online programs favorably as well. That said, careful evaluation of      Here are three program areas that lend
the demand for programs both locally and nationwide is critical.         themselves to distance education and
                                                                         examples of considerations for each:
One way to do this is to carefully consider your competition
for a specific distance education program. Remember, your                • Business programs – If your institution is considering business-
potential students are choosing more than one institution to              related programs, be sure that your offerings are distinct.
evaluate. Most institutions tend to claim, in the face of significant     That can mean highlighting specialized concentrations,
competition, that their programs are “different and better.” Upon         unique capstone projects, faculty with unusual expertise,
further examination, there is often very little that separates these      connections with a nationally recognized leader in a business
programs (at least in the eyes of potential students). Typically,         field or applications that articulate well with expected growth
many competing programs employ similar descriptive verbiage,              areas in the local, regional, national, or even global business
which in terms of search engine optimization is something we              environments. While it’s true that much of the historic success
always address with our clients – but that is a discussion beyond         of distance education relied upon generic programs, especially
the scope of this article.                                                in business, and many students are still attracted to generic
                                                                          business degrees, the landscape is now very crowded with
                                                                          basic programs. With such a high level of competition among
                                                                          institutions seeking to attract business students, if your
                                                                          curricula are too general, potential students can be enticed by
                                                                          another school with a slightly more unique or powerful appeal.




                                                                        PlattFormHigherEd.com
• IT programs – Similar to business programs, these programs
                                          are more successful when specialized certifications
                                          or degrees are offered. However, in this case, demand
                                          drives the need for specialization, whereas with business
                                          programs, specialization serves more as a a differentiator
                                          from the competition. Most potential students are hoping
                                          to attain specialized IT knowledge, since it’s not enough to
                                          have experience in general digital sectors without technical
                                          certifications in the industry as employment trends require
                                          both. To follow the specialized IT path, it’s worth carefully
                                          researching what IT recruitment managers, both locally
                                          and nationally, are seeking beyond the perennial favorite
                                          Cisco and Microsoft certifications. It’s also vital to know
                                          what specializations competitors offer and where there
What resources can                        might be a market niche your school is qualified to fill.
your institution use                      Growth areas cited by experts include Certified Information

to develop realistic                      Systems    Security    Professional    (CISSP),    Microsoft’s
                                          Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE), Cisco’s Cisco
expectations for                          Certified Network Associate (CCNA) and various levels of
your proposed adult                       Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL).
education plan?
                                         • Healthcare programs – The focus here is to introduce
 • Researching     competitors.     Is    curricula with growth opportunities so your programs are
   your curricula type unique within      sustainable. Typically female-heavy, the inquiry volume
   the   market?   How     much    are    exists for healthcare programs in general. Although about
   your competitors spending on           10.7 million women are already employed in the healthcare
   advertising campaigns?                 industry, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics that
                                          number is only expected to grow, often dramatically, in the
 • The recruiting area. Where are         next decade. This means that related education programs
   your students coming from? How         will continue to see large numbers of female enrollments.
   many do you realistically feel your    The challenge is, again, to research the program or
   curricula can draw?                    programs that your institution is best equipped to handle
                                          well and grow, in terms of faculty support, outplacement
 • Job placement opportunities. Are       of graduates and externships, if those are required. Even
   graduates of the program you are       with distance education, these are factors that must be
   offering going to be highly sought     considered to attract the right students to your programs.
   after in the job market?


 • Competitive spending. What are
   your competitors spending both
   online and via traditional media?


Essential considerations
for adult education:
 • Are you going to target your local
   market?
 • Will your market be national?
 • Or, will you focus on both, and to
   what degree?
While understanding why specialization is important, you
also need to understand the potential drawbacks when
it comes to inquiry generation and how it will affect your
enrollment expectations. For example, institutions with
successful Master’s degree programs are typically those
offering degrees with specializations, such as a Master’s
in Business, with choices in 10 different areas of focus or
a Master’s in Healthcare Administration with three or four
possible concentrations, because there is less competition
for those programs.


However, a caution to take with this long-tailed approach
is the realization that offering specialized programs can
result in a narrower audience, as more focused degree
offerings will likely appeal to fewer people. When adding
degree concentrations, you’ll need to be sure not to narrow
the focus so much that your audience limitations make the
program no longer viable.




Program Rule of Thumb: Balance your
program offerings to be manageable and
to appeal to as wide a prospective student
audience as possible while still being specific
or unique enough to stand out from the
competition.

Once you’ve assessed the reach and appeal of your
programs, you have the information you need to move on
to the next step: setting realistic cost-per-enrollment goals.




                                                                 PlattFormHigherEd.com
2.                                Setting Realistic Cost-Per-
                                  Enrollment (CPE) Goals
Have you reviewed all the relevant information for setting
realistic cost-per-enrollment (CPE) goals? Or, for that
                                                                   Here’s an important note: Don’t underestimate the costs of
                                                                   distance education inquiries. Since the distance education
matter, why should you use cost-per-enrollment as a                market has become much more competitive, the cost of
factor in your essential analysis for adding adult education       inquiries has risen. Marketing for online programs used to be
programming? Frankly, by using a business-minded                   less expensive than ground schools, but now they are even –
approach, you can come up with a realistic budget and              and in some cases more expensive – as more and more schools
avoid a common mistake, which is to compare your online            add online programs.
CPE to your ground campus CPE.


There are two effective ways for schools to evaluate cost-
per-enrollment, which should be your “end in mind” when
determining your expectations. Using one of these two
approaches to determine CPE can help provide realistic
expectations for your adult education programs:


• Paid media only: This is the most common way institutions
 evaluate cost-per-enrollment – dividing the total number
 of advertising dollars spent by the number of students
 that actually attend class. For example, if your institution
 spent $100,000 in advertising dollars for the year and
 enrolled 45 students, the cost-per-enrollment would be
 $2,222.


• Fully loaded: This method is gaining popularity among
 institutions. With this approach, it is up to the institution
 to factor in what it determines should be involved.
 Commonly it is advertising dollars plus admissions costs.
 However, this number could also include fees such as rent,
 financial aid, staff salaries, etc. It may be important to look
 at it this way, to help you evaluate the financial impact of
 having ground campuses versus online.
In our second white paper in this
                                                series,   we’ll   delve   deeper   into
                                                “Building a Successful Admissions
                                                Program.” This paper will take an
                                                in-depth look at admissions’ best
                                                practices and evaluating ROI.




CPE Rule of Thumb: Before you can evaluate
your expected cost-per-enrollment for your
proposed adult education program, you will
need to choose which method to use and
how to apply it based on what you already
know about your ground campus costs versus
online, as well as factoring in rising costs for
distance education inquiries.




                                PlattFormHigherEd.com
3.                              Determining Conversion
                                Rates
A third vital question to ask is this: “Is your institution
organized to handle the inquiry flow you will need to reach
                                                                 Are you staffed and operationally efficient to reach out to
                                                                 these students in a timely manner? Is your admissions team
your enrollment goals?” All other factors remaining equal,       ready to clearly communicate why your institution, as well as
employing an integrated marketing strategy should provide        a particular degree plan or program, is the right fit for them?
an adequate pool of inquiries for your adult education           Here are two common mistakes to avoid:
and degree completion programs. However, just as with
traditional undergraduate programs, you can’t stop there.         1. Incorrect lead-to-rep ratio – How many admissions
Once the inquiries are generated, your focus should then            representatives does your institution have? Do you have
turn to converting them into enrollments. How should                the correct lead-to-rep ratio? The correct ratio depends
you determine an acceptable rate of conversion for your             on various factors. If the curricula are ground-based,
institution? It all depends.                                        your institution should be able to handle 20-25 inquiries
                                                                    per admissions representative, per week. For distance
Setting realistic expectations for conversion rates starts          learning, that ratio becomes 45-60 inquiries depending
with evaluating your admissions process. Again, we are              on whether or not an outsourced call center is being
beginning with the end in mind. You must understand what            utilized. Most institutions are not prepared to handle
the strengths and weaknesses are in the enrollment process          additional inquiry volume without first examining the
as you currently have it structured in order to accurately set      current level of staffing or daily responsibilities for their
goals for inquiry-to-enrollment conversions for proposed            admissions representatives and then factoring in possible
programs.                                                           increases in global or specific inquiries.


                                                                  2. A rushed conversion timeline – The time frame required
                                                                     to convert an inquiry is growing longer due to the
                   The lead-to-rep ratio is different
                                                                     impact of a slow economy and the fact that prospective
                   for online programs because with
                                                                     students usually consider more than one institution when
                   ground-based programs, admissions
                                                                     making a choice about their education. The cycle of the
                   representatives are often handling
                                                                     conversions is much shorter for an undergraduate degree
                   other responsibilities at the campus
                                                                     than it is for a graduate degree. For graduate programs,
                   level. They are also leading campus
                                                                     the cycle can be 9-15 months. In the undergraduate
                   tours and conducting interviews with
                                                                     realm, it spans about 30-90 days.
                   students, and participating in other
                   activities that require their time.
Rule of Thumb:                                                       Ensure that if you’re using a third party vendor
                                                                     or marketing partner, you’re measuring each
To determine inquiry conversion                                      step of this process. What is your lead-to-

rate expectations for proposed                                       contact percentage? What are the rates and/
                                                                     or correlations of your contact-to-interview,
programs, evaluating the function                                    interview-to-application, application-to-start
and scope of your present                                            – both by service and by program?

admissions team, as well as knowing
current trends in conversion
timelines, is vital.




Summary:                                                          1. Determine how the curricula type and degree level affect
                                                                    the reach and appeal of your programs, including the
                                                                    prospective student audience in your recruiting area,
                                                                    locally and/or nationally


                                                                  2. Determine your expected conversions by degree type:
                                                                     undergraduate programs vs. graduate programs.
The methods your institution uses to determine its enrollment
marketing and management processes for adult education            3. Reexamine your admissions process. How many
programs should be considerably different than the process           admissions reps do you have? Can they handle the
for more traditional students. Many schools arbitrarily choose       number of inquiries you are likely to receive within the
the types of programs they will offer without knowing the            appropriate timeframes?
marketplace or the appeal of the programs. Institutions
should begin with their end goal in mind, and there are          Establishing expectations – with the end in mind – helps
three critical factors that are helpful in determining that      provide a clear vision for the next steps. PlattForm Higher
end: program type and degree level, cost-per-enrollment,         Education will continue the discussion of enrollment
and conversions. All play a central role in expectations and     marketing best practices in parts two and three of this three-
the resulting ROI. PlattForm Higher Education suggests this      part white paper series. Our next paper will cover “Setting
simple, three-step checklist to make sure your marketing         Up Your Admissions Program for Success.” The series will
budget and enrollment goal expectations are set for success:     conclude with a discussion on “Marketing Best Practices.”
Contact us today for more information about how PlattForm can help
                                your institution experience success with its adult education program.




1.877.261.6450
marketing@plattformhighered.com

15500 W. 113th Street, Suite 200
Lenexa, KS 66219

PlattFormHigherEd.com

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Pfhe Building A Successful Adult Education Program White Paper 11.2011

  • 1. Building a Successful Adult Education Program Beginning with the End in Mind – Three Critical Factors to Examine First 1.877.261.6450 marketing@plattformhighered.com 15500 W. 113th Street, Suite 200 Lenexa, KS 66219 PlattFormHigherEd.com
  • 2. Key Takeaways Who We Are After reading this document, you will better understand: A pioneer of interactive marketing in the higher education field, PlattForm • What information needs to be reviewed to set realistic cost-per- Higher Education has delivered high- enrollment goals and expectations. quality Internet inquiries to institutions since the advent of online programs. • Why enrollment marketing processes for adult education More than 20 years ago, PlattForm programs should be considerably different than those for began partnering with clients to develop traditional students. marketing and enrollment strategies to reach out to a new generation of adult • How curriculum type and degree level affect the reach and learners. Both practical innovation and appeal of your programs. exceptional customer service have led PlattForm to become the largest • Evaluating lead-to-rep ratios, conversion timelines and changes marketing and communications firm in in the marketplace to effectively determine conversion rates. the higher education industry. Today, PlattForm Higher Education provides a full spectrum of advertising, communications and marketing services to a growing client base. With more than 400 industry experts serving our nearly 4,000 partner schools located throughout the United States and Canada, we work every day at the forefront of higher education.
  • 3. Beginning with the End in Mind T here’s no question that higher education budgets We will begin with the end in mind by outlining how to as a whole have been rocked recently by economic evaluate these three key factors: change, and many members of this sector have been rattled by subsequent threats to their operational 1. Curriculum type and degree level offerings integrity. As a result, more institutions are looking for other 2. Cost-per-enrollment (CPE) goals areas of opportunity for growth. Many have turned to adult 3. Inquiry-to-enrollment conversion rates ground and distance education programs as an economically viable option to grow their overall student populations. Let’s take a closer look at each of these considerations and how they should be evaluated to ensure success. Some institutions, seeing these programs as an opportunity, have a tendency to jump in headfirst without understanding their competitive landscape or implementing a strategic approach to ensure success. At the other end of the spectrum, institutions can remain paralyzed by the notion of developing adult ground and distance education programs because they fear entering uncharted territory. Because the strategies that drive successful adult education programs vary considerably from those used for traditional undergraduate programs, it’s important to know where to start in meeting the needs of adult learners. How are the initial considerations for marketing strategies and admissions processes different? In this white paper, “Building a Successful Adult Education Program: Part 1,” we offer three critical factors to examine before launching adult education programs. We base our insights on working with hundreds of institutions who have successfully made the leap and from our interactions with college and university leaders who have introduced or expanded their adult education offerings.
  • 4. 1. Considering the Probable Market Effects of Curriculum Type and Degree Level Where do you begin in examining the viability of adding • Healthcare – Your research reveals that two of your major adult education to the mix? Before we address the essential, feeder schools (community colleges) who offer basic “What comes first … the marketing budgets or enrollment nursing education consistently have one- or two-year goals?” question – the higher education marketing version of waiting lists, and that many of their graduates later go the chicken or the egg – we should ask a different question. on to earn their Bachelor’s degree in nursing. Because Have you determined what your likely course offering will your four-year B.S. in Nursing program is at capacity, you be? What types of curricula will best fit your market demand, were considering adding a Master’s degree in Nursing to and how can the degree level of the program impact its an already crowded Master’s market. But now, you may approximated appeal? add a BSN-bridge as a blended on-campus and online course instead. • Business – Your institution is considering adding a generic MBA because your undergraduate business school is beginning to flourish and there is data that shows your B.A. and B.S. business alumni will likely help support initial enrollment goals in a Master’s program. But in collaborating with your local economic development entities, you learn that a sizeable light manufacturing firm has committed to relocating their headquarters to your area within the next 18 months. Do you have the capacity to adjust your plan and launch an MBA that’s more Ideally, whether you are considering adding adult education specialized toward the needs of lean manufacturing? Or on-ground or online, you will be creating an effective balance do you proceed to roll out a generic MBA that may or between local vs. global market influences and generic vs. may not stand out in the crowd a year or two from now specialty curricula in sizing up realistic ways to both meet – just when you need to be able to measure the ROI for your potential student needs and to stand out against the your next budget plan? competition. Possible answers to these questions can also be affected by Let’s start with on-ground programs. Unless your institution your projected cost-per-enrollment goals, which we will be has multiple locations or a plan for multiple locations, or you addressing next. are established as a commuter campus serving a wide reach, the geotargeting for your potential program is automatically limited. So, you will want to concentrate on the local influences of the market, both now and in the near future. Often in doing so, you will find yourself filling a fairly specific niche in order to compete. Examples:
  • 5. But first, how do these considerations interact in distance A critical question to ask is, “What does your education or online adult education offerings? By definition, geotargeting your potential audience becomes less important, but still must be considered since localized name recognition still plays a role in how the integrity of your proposed program will be institution offer that perceived. If part of your audience considering online education is aware that you have a sound reputation for on-ground will set you apart?” education success, they may be more inclined to view your online programs favorably as well. That said, careful evaluation of Here are three program areas that lend the demand for programs both locally and nationwide is critical. themselves to distance education and examples of considerations for each: One way to do this is to carefully consider your competition for a specific distance education program. Remember, your • Business programs – If your institution is considering business- potential students are choosing more than one institution to related programs, be sure that your offerings are distinct. evaluate. Most institutions tend to claim, in the face of significant That can mean highlighting specialized concentrations, competition, that their programs are “different and better.” Upon unique capstone projects, faculty with unusual expertise, further examination, there is often very little that separates these connections with a nationally recognized leader in a business programs (at least in the eyes of potential students). Typically, field or applications that articulate well with expected growth many competing programs employ similar descriptive verbiage, areas in the local, regional, national, or even global business which in terms of search engine optimization is something we environments. While it’s true that much of the historic success always address with our clients – but that is a discussion beyond of distance education relied upon generic programs, especially the scope of this article. in business, and many students are still attracted to generic business degrees, the landscape is now very crowded with basic programs. With such a high level of competition among institutions seeking to attract business students, if your curricula are too general, potential students can be enticed by another school with a slightly more unique or powerful appeal. PlattFormHigherEd.com
  • 6. • IT programs – Similar to business programs, these programs are more successful when specialized certifications or degrees are offered. However, in this case, demand drives the need for specialization, whereas with business programs, specialization serves more as a a differentiator from the competition. Most potential students are hoping to attain specialized IT knowledge, since it’s not enough to have experience in general digital sectors without technical certifications in the industry as employment trends require both. To follow the specialized IT path, it’s worth carefully researching what IT recruitment managers, both locally and nationally, are seeking beyond the perennial favorite Cisco and Microsoft certifications. It’s also vital to know what specializations competitors offer and where there What resources can might be a market niche your school is qualified to fill. your institution use Growth areas cited by experts include Certified Information to develop realistic Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Microsoft’s Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE), Cisco’s Cisco expectations for Certified Network Associate (CCNA) and various levels of your proposed adult Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL). education plan? • Healthcare programs – The focus here is to introduce • Researching competitors. Is curricula with growth opportunities so your programs are your curricula type unique within sustainable. Typically female-heavy, the inquiry volume the market? How much are exists for healthcare programs in general. Although about your competitors spending on 10.7 million women are already employed in the healthcare advertising campaigns? industry, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics that number is only expected to grow, often dramatically, in the • The recruiting area. Where are next decade. This means that related education programs your students coming from? How will continue to see large numbers of female enrollments. many do you realistically feel your The challenge is, again, to research the program or curricula can draw? programs that your institution is best equipped to handle well and grow, in terms of faculty support, outplacement • Job placement opportunities. Are of graduates and externships, if those are required. Even graduates of the program you are with distance education, these are factors that must be offering going to be highly sought considered to attract the right students to your programs. after in the job market? • Competitive spending. What are your competitors spending both online and via traditional media? Essential considerations for adult education: • Are you going to target your local market? • Will your market be national? • Or, will you focus on both, and to what degree?
  • 7. While understanding why specialization is important, you also need to understand the potential drawbacks when it comes to inquiry generation and how it will affect your enrollment expectations. For example, institutions with successful Master’s degree programs are typically those offering degrees with specializations, such as a Master’s in Business, with choices in 10 different areas of focus or a Master’s in Healthcare Administration with three or four possible concentrations, because there is less competition for those programs. However, a caution to take with this long-tailed approach is the realization that offering specialized programs can result in a narrower audience, as more focused degree offerings will likely appeal to fewer people. When adding degree concentrations, you’ll need to be sure not to narrow the focus so much that your audience limitations make the program no longer viable. Program Rule of Thumb: Balance your program offerings to be manageable and to appeal to as wide a prospective student audience as possible while still being specific or unique enough to stand out from the competition. Once you’ve assessed the reach and appeal of your programs, you have the information you need to move on to the next step: setting realistic cost-per-enrollment goals. PlattFormHigherEd.com
  • 8. 2. Setting Realistic Cost-Per- Enrollment (CPE) Goals Have you reviewed all the relevant information for setting realistic cost-per-enrollment (CPE) goals? Or, for that Here’s an important note: Don’t underestimate the costs of distance education inquiries. Since the distance education matter, why should you use cost-per-enrollment as a market has become much more competitive, the cost of factor in your essential analysis for adding adult education inquiries has risen. Marketing for online programs used to be programming? Frankly, by using a business-minded less expensive than ground schools, but now they are even – approach, you can come up with a realistic budget and and in some cases more expensive – as more and more schools avoid a common mistake, which is to compare your online add online programs. CPE to your ground campus CPE. There are two effective ways for schools to evaluate cost- per-enrollment, which should be your “end in mind” when determining your expectations. Using one of these two approaches to determine CPE can help provide realistic expectations for your adult education programs: • Paid media only: This is the most common way institutions evaluate cost-per-enrollment – dividing the total number of advertising dollars spent by the number of students that actually attend class. For example, if your institution spent $100,000 in advertising dollars for the year and enrolled 45 students, the cost-per-enrollment would be $2,222. • Fully loaded: This method is gaining popularity among institutions. With this approach, it is up to the institution to factor in what it determines should be involved. Commonly it is advertising dollars plus admissions costs. However, this number could also include fees such as rent, financial aid, staff salaries, etc. It may be important to look at it this way, to help you evaluate the financial impact of having ground campuses versus online.
  • 9. In our second white paper in this series, we’ll delve deeper into “Building a Successful Admissions Program.” This paper will take an in-depth look at admissions’ best practices and evaluating ROI. CPE Rule of Thumb: Before you can evaluate your expected cost-per-enrollment for your proposed adult education program, you will need to choose which method to use and how to apply it based on what you already know about your ground campus costs versus online, as well as factoring in rising costs for distance education inquiries. PlattFormHigherEd.com
  • 10. 3. Determining Conversion Rates A third vital question to ask is this: “Is your institution organized to handle the inquiry flow you will need to reach Are you staffed and operationally efficient to reach out to these students in a timely manner? Is your admissions team your enrollment goals?” All other factors remaining equal, ready to clearly communicate why your institution, as well as employing an integrated marketing strategy should provide a particular degree plan or program, is the right fit for them? an adequate pool of inquiries for your adult education Here are two common mistakes to avoid: and degree completion programs. However, just as with traditional undergraduate programs, you can’t stop there. 1. Incorrect lead-to-rep ratio – How many admissions Once the inquiries are generated, your focus should then representatives does your institution have? Do you have turn to converting them into enrollments. How should the correct lead-to-rep ratio? The correct ratio depends you determine an acceptable rate of conversion for your on various factors. If the curricula are ground-based, institution? It all depends. your institution should be able to handle 20-25 inquiries per admissions representative, per week. For distance Setting realistic expectations for conversion rates starts learning, that ratio becomes 45-60 inquiries depending with evaluating your admissions process. Again, we are on whether or not an outsourced call center is being beginning with the end in mind. You must understand what utilized. Most institutions are not prepared to handle the strengths and weaknesses are in the enrollment process additional inquiry volume without first examining the as you currently have it structured in order to accurately set current level of staffing or daily responsibilities for their goals for inquiry-to-enrollment conversions for proposed admissions representatives and then factoring in possible programs. increases in global or specific inquiries. 2. A rushed conversion timeline – The time frame required to convert an inquiry is growing longer due to the The lead-to-rep ratio is different impact of a slow economy and the fact that prospective for online programs because with students usually consider more than one institution when ground-based programs, admissions making a choice about their education. The cycle of the representatives are often handling conversions is much shorter for an undergraduate degree other responsibilities at the campus than it is for a graduate degree. For graduate programs, level. They are also leading campus the cycle can be 9-15 months. In the undergraduate tours and conducting interviews with realm, it spans about 30-90 days. students, and participating in other activities that require their time.
  • 11. Rule of Thumb: Ensure that if you’re using a third party vendor or marketing partner, you’re measuring each To determine inquiry conversion step of this process. What is your lead-to- rate expectations for proposed contact percentage? What are the rates and/ or correlations of your contact-to-interview, programs, evaluating the function interview-to-application, application-to-start and scope of your present – both by service and by program? admissions team, as well as knowing current trends in conversion timelines, is vital. Summary: 1. Determine how the curricula type and degree level affect the reach and appeal of your programs, including the prospective student audience in your recruiting area, locally and/or nationally 2. Determine your expected conversions by degree type: undergraduate programs vs. graduate programs. The methods your institution uses to determine its enrollment marketing and management processes for adult education 3. Reexamine your admissions process. How many programs should be considerably different than the process admissions reps do you have? Can they handle the for more traditional students. Many schools arbitrarily choose number of inquiries you are likely to receive within the the types of programs they will offer without knowing the appropriate timeframes? marketplace or the appeal of the programs. Institutions should begin with their end goal in mind, and there are Establishing expectations – with the end in mind – helps three critical factors that are helpful in determining that provide a clear vision for the next steps. PlattForm Higher end: program type and degree level, cost-per-enrollment, Education will continue the discussion of enrollment and conversions. All play a central role in expectations and marketing best practices in parts two and three of this three- the resulting ROI. PlattForm Higher Education suggests this part white paper series. Our next paper will cover “Setting simple, three-step checklist to make sure your marketing Up Your Admissions Program for Success.” The series will budget and enrollment goal expectations are set for success: conclude with a discussion on “Marketing Best Practices.”
  • 12. Contact us today for more information about how PlattForm can help your institution experience success with its adult education program. 1.877.261.6450 marketing@plattformhighered.com 15500 W. 113th Street, Suite 200 Lenexa, KS 66219 PlattFormHigherEd.com