Welcome
Welcome to the Spring 2023 issue of Enrollment Marketing Minute, a newsletter created specifically to enhance the performance and satisfaction of our current clients. We invite you to take a minute to get to know the people who are committed to your enrollment success, to learn how your fellow clients are maximizing their Liaison systems, and to explore new options and ideas for achieving your goals today. Enjoy!
Tapping the Power of Parents
When it comes to the college search and decision process, today’s parents expect more attention and reassurance than ever before. Give it to them, these enrollment leaders insist. Thoughtful parent communications can make a real difference in your enrollment goals.
To explore these themes, we recently spoke to two clients about their parent communications experiences. From Franklin Pierce University, a private institution Rindge, NH, we interviewed Linda Quimby, vice president for enrollment and university communications, and Marissa Colcord, assistant VP of university communications and marketing; and from Peru State College, a public institution in Peru, Nebraska, we talked with Cindy Cammack, director of admissions. Here is what they had to share.
Evolving Expectations
Marissa (FPU) relates, “Today’s students are accustomed to receiving a wide range of support services, starting in kindergarten through middle school and high school. Maybe that’s been academic support services, maybe it’s been mental health services. The expectation for an array of services is simply higher than in generations past – and parents want to make sure their students are going to continue to have access to the network of support they need to succeed.”
“Parents have had access to daily reports since daycare. In high school, they’ve had on-demand access to their student’s grades and attendance via online portal,” continues Linda (FPU). “We need to recognize and respect this shift in how parents and students work together. It’s about financing a college education, but it’s also about so much more.”
Cindy (Peru State) agrees, “For us, Peru State is an open enrollment institution. Many of our families are first generation. We need to guide our students and families through the process. We are working with families who deeply appreciate our help and just want access, resources and understanding.”
With the importance of parents today, these institutions are committed to including parents in innovative ways. Each college has found an approach that fits their institution and offers some examples.
Parents as Partners
“At FPU, we’ve always emailed our prospective families, but we recently began working with Liaison Enrollment Marketing on a parent mailing piece, a calendar with general, evergreen information on what to do and when,” says Marissa (FPU).
“We’re also excited about a parent-to-parent video we have been sending out this spring. We worked with an alum to create a great video that highlights the parent experiences from various stages (first year through senior year) and includes footage of Move-in Day and Family Weekend. It’s very reassuring and builds parents’ confidence that we do have the supportive culture they want for their student.”
“At Peru State, we think of parents as our partners and leverage their influence,” says Cindy (Peru State).
“When we announce competitive scholarships, we target both students and parents; maybe mom will see the scholarship reminder and make something happen. We also send a checklist via postcard that’s fully customized to their students’ stage and status and we use that to drive next steps. Liaison is able to fully customize our checklist to the student.
“This postcard fits our philosophy. At our campus visits we provide a roadmap, so the postcard is a continuation of that idea. We focus on being helpful even if a student goes somewhere else, which is why they sometimes come back too,” Cindy (Peru State) continues.
“Print allows us to invite families into our partnership,” she says. Peru State also releases a social media postcard targeted to families.
Moving Forward
For Peru State the goal is to build an even more robust parent communication flow for the next cycle because as Cindy (Peru State) explains, “Admissions is always about continuous improvement.”
Linda (FPU) agreed but adds, “My biggest piece of advice isn’t about what to send, it’s to ‘get that data’. Find ways to capture parent information, even as early as the inquiry stage. Because these strategies are only going to work if you have robust parent info.”
Invite and Engage: Bringing families into your student events
While talking with our enrollment leadership group about their parent and family communications, we learned how they also thoughtfully incorporate families into their events. Here are the highlights:
Linda Quimby Franklin Pierce University
“Something we have done for a decade, and which Liaison Enrollment Marketing helps us publicize, is our Overnight Program for accepted students and their parents. I started this program ten years ago because I found that parents were also seeking an experience and we built off that. These events are definitely successful for us. The marketing pieces we are doing now with EM just reinforce that philosophy.”
Their parents concur as this testimonial from a recent parent attendee demonstrates:
“We really enjoyed every moment of the program. The effort that was clearly put forth by FPU personnel was evident. Further, the presentation gave us the feeling that the students at FPU are truly at the forefront of the minds of faculty and staff.”
Cindy Commack Peru State College
“We are partners with our parents in wanting the best for every student and encouraging their success in and out of the classroom, and we recognize that at our events.
“At new student orientation we do the typical parent sessions – financial aid, housing etc. – but we also talk about affirming your student’s college choice. We talk about encouraging your student to engage in their new college life, we talk about ways to support them.
“Peru State proactively offers financial aid meetings
to parents. When financial aid offers are released to students, admissions counselors contact the families as immediate follow up, offering a virtual meeting (or in-person if they prefer) for one-on-one review and to answer any questions.”
Maximize Your Digital Outreach: User-generated content
As the education industry becomes increasingly competitive, universities are seeking new and innovative ways to attract potential students. One strategy that has gained popularity in recent years is utilizing user-generated content (UGC) as a marketing tool.
What is user-generated content?
UGC refers to any content created by users, rather than by a company or organization. UGC is valuable because it provides a more authentic and relatable perspective than traditional marketing, which is often viewed as biased or overly promotional. For universities and colleges, UGC produced by students is valuable because it emphasizes the student perspective while offering a more trusted experience.
Benefits of UGC
Authenticity: Provides a more authentic, relatable and more trusted perspective.
Affordability: Created for free by current students, families, alumni or faculty.
Engagement: Encourages a sense of community among current and prospective students, alumni and others.
Social Proof: Adds credibility to your marketing messages.
Practical development strategies
Social Media Campaigns: Encourage students and alumni to share their experiences around an event or topic (such as Homecoming or favorite campus activity) on social media using a branded hashtag.
Student Blogs: Create a platform for students to share their experiences and valuable “insider” information through a university-sponsored blog.
Testimonials: Collect testimonials from current students and alumni – these are ideal for social proof.
Photo and Video Contests: Encourage students and alumni to submit their content.
UGC is about engagement and creating an experience. It can’t replace your paid digital marketing and lead generation efforts. Implementing some of the strategies outlined above can help your institution to stand out in a competitive market and attract the right students for your institution at a reasonable cost.
Welcome to Liaison Mia Nissen, Digital Marketing Analyst
“I love being able to provide information to people who are interested in furthering their education. Digital marketing makes access to those opportunities more available to those who need them.”
Mia comes to Liaison with 10 years’ experience within higher education recruitment and marketing. She has held on-campus roles with various institutions from UC Riverside to Colorado Mesa University and has worked within the full- service marketing agency setting. Mia has managed both digital and traditional marketing campaigns for education-based clients such as Pearson, Tulane School of Public Health, Northwestern University, and University of San Diego.
Email: marketingservices@liaisonedu.com | Phone: (845) 473-4400
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