Tag Archive: Steve Winchester

  1. When is a Past Inquiry Still Worth Pursuing?

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    Just because a prospective student doesn’t begin to move forward through the enrollment process at first, doesn’t mean that individual won’t at some point.  So, how do you continue to nurture that prospect to get to that point?

    We recently teamed up with our colleagues at Leads360 and Neustar® (formerly TARGUSinfo) to publish a joint white paper on the benefits of an inquiry nurturing program.  In the white paper, we cover the tools, channels and messaging you should be using to reengage prospective students, and ultimately when, how and at what frequency you should be reaching out.

    Schools that rely on a regular, rules-driven inquiry nurturing program can leverage their existing inquiry pool to drive more enrollments more cost effectively. The trouble is that not enough schools realize the power of inquiry nurturing programs, either that, or they simply think it is easier to buy new inquiries rather than reengage the ones they already have in their databases.

    We surveyed numerous private sector schools to learn to what extent they nurture existing inquiries, and at what point they stop pursuing them.  Here is what we learned:

    • Approximately 33% think it is easier to buy new inquiries rather than nurture stale ones, while almost 10% think it is a toss-up.
    • Almost 35% stop contacting inquiries within the first 90-days, while more than 60% halt outreach after 90 days.
    • Just over 38% don’t have a formal process in place for nurturing stale inquiries.
    • An overwhelming 76% indicate that their inquiry nurturing programs are irregular and difficult to track from an ROI perspective.

    The bottom line is that schools shouldn’t be too quick to discredit an inquiry if that individual doesn’t respond at first.  There are probably a variety of reasons why that person didn’t pursue the enrollment process right away, and likely a variety of reasons he or she will in the future.

    I encourage you to check out our white paper, “Inclined But Inactive: Strategies to Win Over Past Prospects”– you can download it for free on our website.

  2. Don’t Miss Our Two Presentations at APSCU

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    It’s that time of year again when nearly 1500 people from hundreds of private sector schools will gather to network, discuss the future of the industry and learn how they can better serve their students.

    This year, Datamark was selected to moderate two interactive panels at the APSCU Annual Convention.  We’ve lined up a stellar cast of participants to share their insight on growth strategies through remarketing and customer lifecycle management.  If you are planning on attending the event, you won’t want to miss these two presentations.

    Inclined but Inactive? Marketing Strategies to Win Over Past Prospects

    Thursday, June 21st, 1:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.

    Do you want to learn a practical approach to inexpensively generate starts from past leads?  Join myself, Sanaz Pentz, Director of Higher Education at TARGUSinfo, and Martin Lind, Education Vertical Manager at Leads360 to learn how to put a disciplined and structured approach in place to prioritize and follow-up with prospective students.

    Customer Lifecycle Management: A Simple Framework to Drive Stronger Financial Performance

    Friday, June 22nd, 10:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.

    Do you want to learn how to integrate marketing, enrollment and student services to deliver a better education experience and achieve increased top-line growth?  Join Paul Reddy, President of Datamark, Joseph Holt, Vice President of Enrollment Services at San Joaquin Valley College, and Kai Drekmeier, founder and President of Inside Track, to gain a better understanding of the entire education lifecycle and how the lifetime student tuition value compared to student acquisition costs can help you realized greater success.

    Don’t forget to stop by and see us in booth #343.

    We’re looking forward to seeing you in Las Vegas!

  3. 2010 News & Headlines: Did You Know?

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    As we wrap up 2010, colleague Steve Winchester and I took a look back at the top headlines and news that sparked discussion here at Datamark over the last 12 months. Enjoy!

    Student Learning: Measure or Perish (The Chronicle of Higher Education)
    The Chronicle’s reporters wrote a series of articles collectively titled Measuring Stick, describing the consequences of a higher-education system that refuses to consistently measure how much students learn.

    Government Says Self-Regulation of Online Privacy is Coming Up Short(AdAge)
    December 6, 2010 – “Government officials took a sharp stance on the issue of online privacy last week when the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Commerce voiced concerns over the current state of digital privacy and said self-regulation hasn’t been sufficient to this point.”

    Value of College Degree is Growing, Study Says (New York Times)
    September 21, 2010 – A report from the College Board makes the case for going to college first, then working.

    Expert: In U.S., Student Loans Trump Credit Card Debt (NPR)
    September 8, 2010 – “Americans now owe more in student loan debt than they do for all credit card debt, according to a recent report published by the financial aid information website FinAid.org.”

    Report: Be Mobile Or Be Dust (AdAge)
    August 31, 2010 – “If you need another reason–53 reasons, actually–to start taking mobile seriously, take a look at Burson-Marsteller’s latest report on the state of mobile.”

    Buying Local, Online Learning (Inside Higher Education)
    July 21, 2010 – “That online education knows no geographical limitations is considered one of the platform’s more disruptive qualities.”

    10 New Education Companies to Watch (Fast Company)
    June 1, 2010 – “These run the gamut of approaches to the challenges of better teaching and learning using technology.”

    DIY U: Edupunks, Edupreneurs, and the Coming Transformation of Higher Education
    “This is valuable reading for higher education leaders, entrepreneurs, and anyone interested in understanding how innovation and market forces can begin to drive real and necessary change.”–Josh Jarrett, Senior Program Officer for Postsecondary Success, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

    As Colleges Make Courses Available Free Online, Others Cash In
    (New York Times)
    March 30, 2010 – “The idea driving the movement is that information should be freely shared. Still, someone must pay for these materials, and with the recession squeezing university budgets, open course programs are vulnerable.”

    In Age of Friending, Consumers Trust Their Friends Less (Advertising Age)
    February 8, 2010 – “According to Edelman’s latest Trust Barometer, the number of people who view their friends and peers as credible sources of information about a company dropped by almost half, from 45% to 25%, since 2008.”

    Infographic of the day: Is College Really Worth It? (Fast Company)
    December 21, 2009 – “One out of 3 students drop out after the first year – collectively waiting $9 billion every year. And 57% of students require 6 years or more to finish their degree.”