Increasing (or Decreasing!) Inquiry Conversion: Best and Not-so-Best Email Marketing Examples

INCREASING (OR DECREASING!) INQUIRY CONVERSION: BEST

AND NOT-SO-BEST E-MAIL MARKETING EXAMPLES

©ROBERT E. JOHNSON, PH.D. 2013

Bob Johnson, Ph.D.ACT Enrollment Planners Conference

July 10-12, 2013Chicago, IL

Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 1


Who is Bob Johnson?• Website marketing reviews and recommendations• “Top Task” partner w/Gerry McGovern at Customer Carewords, Ltd, Dublin, Ireland

• “Your Higher Education Marketing Newsletter”… 3,600+ subscribers

• @highedmarketing… 6,300+ Twitter followers• “Higher Education Marketing” blog• Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education… chair, 1994 to 2003

• Ph.D. UMass Amherst… political science


NO, EMAIL IS NOT DEAD…


Email use continues to grow…http://bit.ly/Q2Lm3B


Why is email important in recruitment?http://bit.ly/OEvHKw


Other notes from E-expectations…• Almost all students will give an email address if asked.

• 95% will give their personal email address.• 80%+ use email at least weekly.

• “Looking at academic performance, 86 percent of A-students and 82 percent of B-students answered yes to this question, compared to 68 percent of C-students.”


THE RESEARCH BACKGROUND…


Two “secret shopper” projects…

June 2012 – February 2012

• 5 private & 1 public schools in New York and New England

• Out-of-state student• High end of freshmen

academic profile• 2013 graduate• Female

January 2013 - Present

• 5 public and 1 private schools in mid-west

• Out-of-state students• High end of freshmen

academic profile• 2014 graduate• Female & male students


BEST INQUIRY FORMS…Are short inquiry forms…Ask only for info to respond


My favorite undergrad inquiry form…


A “blessedly brief” online inquiry form…


FREQUENCY & TIMING…


3 best practice tips…• First response within one day of inquiry• At least every two weeks after that• Once a week is not too often


First response variations…• Siena College… June 21• Fairfield University… June 21• SUNY Geneseo… July 13• Stonehill… July 16• Colgate… July 17• Providence… August 10


Most extended contact gap…

June 26, Campus Visit Oct 26, Early App deadline


Variation in campaign frequency…• Late June 2012 to February 2013…

• Siena College was the leader.... 42 emails• Stonehill College was next at 16 emails• Providence College sent 11 emails• Colgate University followed with 10 emails• Fairfield University sent 3 emails• SUNY-Geneseo sent 2 emails


“Apply knowing we are a great investment”… Oct 15

• #2 for salary potential among liberal arts schools

• Meet 100% of demonstrated financial need

• Average financial aid award… $40,943


September 11… 2 on the same day

Open house invite… Fast-forward app begins…


30 Fast-forward emails to Feb 16…• Subject line samples to the finish line…

• Important reminder: deadline tonight! Dec 1• Great news Rachel! Dec 2• Rachel, I’m still eager to hear from you Dec 14• A New Year’s gift for you: Apply now! Jan 4• I’m waiting to hear from you Rachel! Jan 9• Rachel, only two days left Jan 13• Siena app due when clock strikes midnight… Jan 15• I was able to get you an extension Jan 16• Siena wants more apps from students like you Jan 22…• Rachel, today’s your last day Feb 15• Need another day, Rachel? Feb 16


LEGIBILITY COUNTS…What gets attention in a <5 second scan?


Take care with text that runs wide…


Can’t scan dense text… 3 paragraphs here


CONSISTENT DESIGN…


Personal favorite for best design…


But not consistently used…


First design style… about 25%


Second design style… about 5%


Third design style… about 70%


MEET LINK EXPECTATIONS IMMEDIATELY…


Open house registration invite…3 links to same registration landing page


Link to high visibility registration point…


OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADVANTAGE…• Academic program of interest• Finances• Parents


Only one 1st response w/ academics…• Every online inquiry form asks for an academic area of

interest• In both secret shopper projects, only one 1st response

email mentioned the academic area provided• In most cases, no email ever addressed the academic

interest area• One email direct from academic department in 2 weeks• Competitive advantage to schools that add this content

early in the email response sequence… preferably right at the start.


Link to preferred academic major and a professor in that area… UW-Green Bay


Biology at Lawrence U in 2 weeks…


Health Careers Advisory Committee…


Net price calculator… not often found• Students (49%) say “web page” is best place to get cost and financial aid info.

• Early email can link direct to page with net price calculator.

• No school shopped did this.


Parents…• Involved from start to end of college selection cycle.

• 70% of 4-year privates and 47% of 4-year publics say they “collect” parent email address.

• No school in either project asked for parent email on inquiry form or in early email responses.

• First email for parents (to student address) came 4 months after the first email.


SUMMARY POINTS…


Crafting an email response series…• Swift first response… next day after receipt• Be personal… a name at start & finish• Consistent design… reinforces the brand• Attention to academic program interest

• And Parents and Cost• Once a week is OK… at least twice a month • Limited number of links in each email• Match link with landing page

THANKS FOR BEING HERE IN CHICAGO!Bob Johnson, Ph.D. (248.766.6425)[email protected]


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Increasing (or Decreasing!) Inquiry Conversion: Best and Not-so-Best Email Marketing Examples