GOAL-DRIVEN WEB STRATEGY �Implementing Technology with an Eye on ROI

Return on Investment:

the magic number that will make you look like a golden god

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What office do you work for on campus?

Do you consider yourself a “marketer”?

What is the difference between

MARKETING and COMMUNICATIONS ?

Communications makes

marketing tactics tangible “

”

Cartoon

THE DIRTY LITTLE SECRET OF

WEB MARKETING

MARKETING FRAMEWORK

1.  SET STRATEGY: What are your higher level goals? What does success look like?

2.  PLAN TACTICS: What types of communications will we use to achieve our goals and how will we measure results?

3.  EXECUTE COMMUNICATION: Communicate with your audience using planned tactics.

4.  ASSESS RESULTS: Did we achieve our goals? What can we do better next time?

SET STRATEGY

o  What does success look like?

o  Marketing goals should relate

back to the business goals

of the institution

What are “marketing goals” that can relate back to “business goals”?

PLAN TACTICS

o  What medium is the best way to

articulate your message?

o  What is the strategy for the

communication?

o  How are you going to measure it?

TIME IS MONEY

Planning not only includes

strategy, but also infrastructure.

Will an in-house solution or an

outsourced one be more cost

effective?

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8011986@N02

STEP ONE: �Employee’s Salary�+ 1/3 Salary (benefits)�==================�Total Salary STEP TWO: Total Salary / 2080 =============== Hourly Wage

STEP THREE: �Hourly Wage�X Number of Staff Hours�==================�Internal Cost

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EXECUTE YOUR COMMUNICATIONS

ASSESS YOUR RESULTS

o  What was achieved as a direct result of the communication?

o  Did that conversion result in a return?

o  What can I do better next time?

EXAMPLE: EMAIL MARKETING

Set up tracking for an email that is

sent out to prospects, encouraging

them to fill out an online

application for admissions.

SET UP TRACKING

Two Key Tools:

o  Goals

o  URL Builder

STEP ONE: SET UP�A GOAL / FUNNEL

http://www.google.com/support/googleanalytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=55578 STEP TWO: BUILD A CAMPAIGN URL

STEP THREE: PUT THE TWO TOGETHER

Goal Conversion STEP THREE: PUT THE TWO TOGETHER

Figure out ROI on an email

campaign that sent out 3,000

emails, had 358 click throughs,

resulting in 130 applications. The

email took 2 hours to complete, at

the cost of $40/hr staff time and

$0.015/per email.

EXAMPLE: EMAIL MARKETING

ROI CALCULATOR http://www.marketingtoday.com/tools/roi_calculator.htm

DOLLARIZE EVERYTHING

Assigning a monetary

value to your results

gives you a common

denominator to compare costs to

outcomes

ASSIGNING VALUE

Average Tuition Paid: $20,000/year

Conversion rate from application to enroll: 20%

20% of $20,000 is $4,000

$4,000 IS OUR “AVERAGE PROFIT PER SALE”

VALUES FOR THE CALCULATOR

o  Number of Pieces: 3,000

o  Total Program Costs: ($0.015 X 3,000) + ($40 X 2) = $125

o  Response Rate: 358 clicks/3,000 = 11.93%

o  Conversion Rate: 130 apps/358 = 36.31%

o  Average Profit Per Sale: $4,000

ROI Results

SHARE YOUR SUCCESS

o  Make it tangible

o  Give it context

o  Offer recommendations

BREAKING�DOWN�TACTICS

EMAIL MARKETING: WHAT IT’S GOOD FOR

⇒  Increase online

applications

⇒  Register online for an

event

⇒  Bring in online gifts

⇒  Start a conversation

FACEBOOK ADS

FACEBOOK ADS: WHAT ARE THEY GOOD FOR?

FACEBOOK ADS: WHAT ARE THEY GOOD FOR?

FACEBOOK ADS: WHAT ARE THEY GOOD FOR?

FACEBOOK ADS: HOW YOU MEASURE ROI

⇒  Use a Google Analytics campaign URL

⇒  Set up a goal or create a unique landing page to track

conversion.

⇒  Assign a value and use the ROI

calculator.

⇒  Number of pieces: The total number of impressions

⇒  Program costs: The total amount paid for the ads, plus staff time.

⇒  Response rate: The percent of people who clicked on the ad

⇒  Conversion rate: The percent of people fulfilled the call-to- action

⇒  Average profit per sale: The value you assign to them fulfilling the action

FACEBOOK ADS: HOW YOU MEASURE ROI

FACEBOOK ADS: HOW YOU MEASURE ROI

BLOGS

Do Something Different

http://norwich.typepad.com/fall2007

SET STRATEGY: –  Keep enrolling students engaged throughout the summer, and convey important

information them; reduce summer sugar-off.

PLAN TACTICS: –  Blog format selected –  Coordination with admissions counselors for questions, videos and new student

profiles –  Coordination with Interactive Recruitment Manger and Assistant for updating, copy

editing and video editing. –  Marketing plan created –  Measurement Plan created: Number of hits relative to target audience, phone call

reduction.

EXECUTE COMMUNICATION: –  The blog launched at the beginning of June 2007 and ran through the end of August

2007, with updates running every day as planned. It was marketed on the home page, the admissions main page, and in email communications.

ASSESS RESULTS: –  20,000 hits over three months, against a target audience of 650. –  Anecdotal evidence from counseling staff

SET STRATEGY: –  Keep enrolling students engaged throughout the summer, and convey important

information them; reduce summer sugar-off.

PLAN TACTICS: –  Blog format selected –  Coordination with admissions counselors for questions, videos and new student

profiles –  Coordination with Interactive Recruitment Manger and Assistant for updating, copy

editing and video editing. –  Marketing plan created –  Measurement Plan created: Number of hits relative to target audience, phone call

reduction.

EXECUTE COMMUNICATION: –  The blog launched at the beginning of June 2007 and ran through the end of August

2007, with updates running every day as planned. It was marketed on the home page, the admissions main page, and in email communications.

ASSESS RESULTS: –  20,000 hits over three months, against a target audience of 650. –  Anecdotal evidence from counseling staff

Updated Daily

Information the audience wanted

It featured “people like them”

BLOGS: WHAT ARE THEY GOOD FOR? ⇒  Provide authentic stories of

the student experience

⇒  An opportunity for

interaction with current

students

⇒  Make institutional announcements and

calls-to-action

⇒  Gain insight into the minds

of your audience

BLOGS: HOW CAN YOU MEASURE ROI?

⇒  Conversion, if you have a call to action

⇒  Readers: Cost of advertising in a similar

content channel

⇒  Comments: Cost of a focus group, if it

provides insight

⇒  Anecdotal: Take it on a case-by-case basis

SOCIAL NETWORKS

Saying “We should have a Facebook page” is not a marketing strategy!!!!!

http://doteduguru.com/id2947-cafe-new-paltz-a-yielding-success.html

The Goal: Increase quality of incoming students

o  70% of the members who deposited were from the highest admissions selectivity group

o  Highest selectivity group jumped from 30% the previous year to 37%

SOCIAL NETWORKS: WHAT ARE THEY GOOD FOR?

⇒  Allowing your audience to become a friend/fan/follower of your institution (and then converting the to meaningful actions!)

⇒  Engaging incoming students over the summer to prevent “sugar off ”

⇒  Giving alumni volunteers a way to interact with each other and share tips

SOCIAL NETWORKS: HOW YOU MEASURE ROI

⇒  Easy dissemination of information: What would it

cost you in other mediums? What was your

conversion rate with calls-to-action?

⇒  Ease sugar off: Did the percentage of summer sugar off go

down? How much value does that translate into?

⇒  Support alumni volunteers: Where your volunteers more

successful as a result? What value does that translate into?

BOTTOM LINE ON MEASUREMENT

Are you brining in more

value to the institution than it is costing to

implement your strategies?

KEY TAKEAWAYS

⇒  Start with bottom-line

related goals, not with

the technology

⇒  Measure everything

⇒  Dollarize your results to

calculate ROI

⇒  Always ask what you can do

better next time

Karlyn Morissette www.dojo-web.com www.karlynmorissette.com www.fire-engine-red.com

www.doteduguru.com www.twitter.com/KarlynM karlynmorissette@gmail.com www.linkedin.com/in/karlynmorissette