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Deceptive advertising... is the FTC likely to notice?

By Bob on January 12, 2012 3:00 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
Deceptive Advertising: Without injury to consumers, the FTC won't notice

An earlier post on using possible Pell Grant eligibility as a lead generation tool raised the question of whether or not individual schools might be held liable by the Department of Education and/or the Federal Trade Commission for third-party efforts by lead gen firms on their behalf.

After reading an advisory report prepared by the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities, I'm inclined to think that liability in the email Pell Grant example I wrote about is not a high probability.

Marketing that bothers the Department of Education

First, download a copy of the APSCU's Student Recruitment Task Force Report: "The Misrepresentation Rule and Third-Party Vendors." My conclusions after reading the report:
  • The Department of Education is most concerned about misleading advertising when it refers to outcomes such as employment promises and income earnings.
  • If advertising didn't cause substantial harm (as in getting people to spend money based on misleading employment claims), deception itself isn't likely to be noticed.
  • No matter the deception, an expectation that schools pre-approve of everything done by lead gen firms if done for a collection of schools is less strong than when an action is taken on behalf of an individual school. (This Pell Grant effort was done on behalf of many institutions who might have later received leads after screening.)
"Unethical or unscrupulous" violates FTC standards

The APSCU report includes an appendix on page 19, "General Marketing and Advertising Law Overview," that links to several useful publications from the Federal Trade Commission. Yes, "unethical or unscrupulous" advertising violates consumer fairness standards. Those are somewhat vague terms, however, and it is unlikely that the FTC would bother itself with an individual case that could not link an unethical campaign with substantial harm to consumers.

The Pell Grant email campaign, and other like it, therefore is not likely to draw attention from either the DOE or the FTC. See the original email in my first blog post and decide for yourself if it was "unethical or unscrupulous."

Reasons why this Pell Grant campaign was unethical and unscrupulous  

In my opinion, this campaign was both unethical and unscrupulous for at least two reasons:
  • I was "prequalified" for a $5,550 award only because I am a U.S. citizen. The firm sending the email had no idea of my income or my education costs at a future school. Technically accurate for some, but quite a stretch overall.
  • The call to action was to "click here" to apply for "this amazing opportunity." But once I clicked, there was never a mention again about Pell Grants or what it took to receive one.
Would you include this Pell Grant campaign in your Annual Report?

Your opinion may differ from mine. But I suspect that few of the schools included at various points beyond the email would include this campaign as an example of their advertising efforts in an Annual Report to alumni and friends.

A resolution for 2012

Make a New Year's resolution: if you participate in collective lead generation efforts, ask your firm to see the advertising in advance. Decide if something is ethical and scrupulous. If you're not proud of it, why are you doing it?

That's all for now.

Pell Grants... the student recruitment quest continues

By Bob on December 14, 2011 11:39 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
Pell Grants and Student Recruitment: The $5,550 offer campaign continues

Pell Grant enticement as a recruitment tool was the topic of my blog post last Friday. I had received three notices that I was pre-qualified for one of a limited number of $5,550 Pell Grants in just a few days. Lead generators were hot about their business.

Since then I've received two more notices (dates as included in the email):
  • December 21... similar to the first three.
  • December 23... a "Second Notice" reminder from one of the original senders about "Your $5,550 Pell Grant."
Here's the "second notice effort" (and yes, this is the original font size and spacing):

Re: 2nd Prequalification Notice


Attention Yahoo!Mail User:

 


The US Government gives out MILLIONS of DOLLARS worth of $5,550 


Pell Grants

 each year. The Best Part: You NEVER have to pay them back!


This is an AMAZING opportunity to change your life! Please apply immediately 


as there is a limited number of these $5,550 Grants given out each year.



Easier to Cancel Future Emails


The earlier emails had "unsubscribe" information in small type toward the end of the email. This one did a better job, with a visible link to unsubscribe just after the email message.


Do You Know Where Your Lead Generator is Today?


A thought comes to mind. Do the colleges that use services like this to generate and screen initial responses before sending them on to their clients know about these campaigns in advance?


New Department of Education regulations just might make colleges and universities liable for advertising activities done on their behalf by third party companies. More on that later. For now, see the review of the regulation provided to members by the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities in October in PDF format, "The Misrepresentation Rule and Third-Party Vendors."


That's all for now.



Web content... 2 challenges for "Writing Right for the Web"

By Bob on November 30, 2011 10:08 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
Content challenges for both traditional and mobile websites

Just finished updating the second "Writing Right for the Web" webinar next week, focusing on social media and mobile content. That had me back reading the questions sent along a few weeks ago by people already signed up for the sessions. Two of those were content related; the answers apply to both traditional and mobile websites.

If you missed the earlier post on these questions, here is the question people answered:
  • "What is your most pressing challenge or area of concern when writing for and presenting content on" a traditional website and for social media and mobile sites?
Two of the challenges reported were related to content:
  • "Understanding how best to develop content pertinent to all audiences and optimize for search."
  • "Translating messaging from offline publications and communications to a style that is optimal for online readers."
And here are some notes on how to best deal with these related issues. Which ones will be of most help on various campuses will vary, based in part on local talent and understanding of what works online, politics, and available staff time.

Developing the best content
  • Start by asking each audience to identify the top tasks that are most important to them. Then let the answers to that search be your guide to priority content placement on first and second level web pages. That means surrendering considerable control of your website to your key audiences. Not many are yet willing to do that.
  • How to find out what your audiences want from your website? Hire Customer Carewords research or read a guide from the U.S. Government and do it yourself. 
  • The most important point: do this research before your next major website revision begins. Don't rely on usability tests after you have the initial design in place. Usability testing and top task research are not the same thing. Start with the right information in hand. Planning a mobile site? Identify top tasks before you do anything else. Those are the links that people should see first when your mobile home page opens.
  • Beware of marketers. It pains me to write this, but I have to agree with my Carewords partner from Sweden, Fredrik Wacka, that the marketing impulse can hinder and even destroy the effectiveness of your website. Very few people come to a higher education website (or most any website) to read marketing content. Too often that content takes precedence over top task content and creates a barrier to top task completion. When that happens, people will leave your site. 
  • The imperative to reduce marketing content is more important on your mobile site, where you have even less time to connect with your audience. Best way to boost your brand at your website: make top task completion easy.
Translating from offline publications
  • Resist the impulse to slap content on your website as a PDF or "flip tech" copy of your printed publications. The more important the content, the more important it is to take the time to prepare a "web friendly" version that people might actually read online. That's true for admissions view books, alumni magazines, transfer guides, academic program brochures and just about anything else I can think of.
  • Next, make sure the web content conforms to usability tested guidelines for content presentation.
    • Use subhead that people can immediately scan when a page opens. Long, dense blocks of text are deadly.
    • No paragraph longer than 5 lines. 
    • Use short sentences. If you find yourself using a semi-colon your sentence is likely getting too long.
    • Use short words used by normal human beings as often as possible. Yes, if you're writing about research in a discipline for others trained in the discipline you can take liberties.
    • Don't be afraid of the "you" word. The web is an informal place. Get bureaucratic writing filled with imperatives that "students must do" out of the content. Check this "Admission Requirements" page at St. Edward's University where you find "you" or "your" used 12 times. Also note the short paragraphs and white space between them.
Alertbox reports on web writing

Jakob Nielsen has 15+ years of experience testing how people use websites. Take advantage of this by subscribing (for free) to his of Alertbox newsletters. Be sure to read the series on web writing. Send these to everyone on campus you think might pay attention to them.

Writing Right for the Web next week... solving more challenges

Join us on December 6 & December 8 for "Writing Right for the Web"
  • Review what we'll cover for traditional websites as well as the social media and mobile worlds in the Academic Impressions webinar outline.
  • Register and invite everyone who might be interested.
That's all for now.



Higher education... when "marketing" weakens websites

By Bob on September 23, 2011 10:52 AM | 3 Comments | No TrackBacks
Higher education marketing: when marketers are a problem, not a solution

Just back on Wednesday from our fifth annual Customer Carewords partners meeting in Dublin, with Gerry McGovern and partners from Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Germany, United Kingdom and of course, Ireland. Always a special two days.

The focus this year was on the growing importance of "top task" completion on websites, especially in the mobile era, and the barriers that can keep organizations from moving more quickly in that direction. 

One partner reported that marketing departments are often a barrier to building effective websites. At first, that was a surprise. But after a bit of reflection, it isn't hard to understand why. An "effective website" is one where people entering a site can quickly complete the top tasks they want to complete. The focus is on learning what people want to do and helping them do it.

Traditional marketing content: "We are a perfect place and exist only to serve you" 

Few people visit a website to read traditional marketing content. Too many higher education websites still attempt to make a university appear as the higher education equivalent of Disney World. Every faculty and staff person exists only for the success of students and every student is smiling from start to end of the day. That's just not real. Most people dismiss messages like that.

Most important first task for potential students: find the academic programs available 

Smart online marketers know that what's most important to build brand strength on a website is delivering a strong visitor experience so that people leave happy and look forward to returning. Consider the top task of more potential students when first visiting a higher education website than any other: learning what academic programs are offered.  

Academic programs: one click from the home page

On your website, can people find your academic programs in one click from the home page?

Not just a link buried among a sea of other links, but in a highly visible location that visitors will see in a 5 to 8 second scan of the page when they arrive?

Visit the Devry University home page. Note that right across the bottom of the page, large enough that can't miss them, are the titles of the 6 major academic divisions of the university. Run your cursor over each one and the academic programs within each division drop right down. See a program that interests you? One click will bring you to the program.

Marketing as a solution: 8 to 10 most important home page links

Marketers will be especially challenged by the requirements of mobile websites for great simplicity. 

How, for instance, will marketers decide what 8 to 10 links deserve priority placement on the home page of a mobile site to boost student recruitment success? And if those links deserve prominence on a mobile home page, why are the same 8 to 10 links not also most prominent on the "regular" home page?

Marketers must be on the "solution side" of the answer to those questions.

Brand strength begins by identifying the 8 to 10 links that lead to completion of the top tasks that potential students visit the website to do and giving those links "can't miss" prominence from the home page. That's effective website marketing.

Brand strength is not built with pictures of campus buildings and smiling students, expressions of commitment to "academic excellence," or welcome messages from presidents and deans.

Presentations on Top Task Design for Marketing Impact
That's all for now.
 




View book in print... gone at Washington State University

By Bob on September 16, 2011 2:43 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
Student Recruitment Marketing... no view book anymore at Washington State

An email came along yesterday that reminded me of presentations done in 2009 on "recruiting without paper." 

Cheryl Reed-Dudley, communications coordinator in marketing and creative services at Washington State University sent an email with a link to a new, interactive online view book that was replacing a print version. Print isn't disappearing completely. There is still, for instance, a table piece for use at college fairs. But what has traditionally been the premier piece in recruitment communications in the U.S. is gone.

The view book gained traction in the 1980s as the first response piece to send to new inquiries to introduce them to a college or university. Most often it was sent late in the junior year or early in the senior year as a first response piece when someone filled out a card in response to a search mailing or at a college fair or high school visit. Remember those days?

Recruitment Communication in an Online World

And then came websites. And broadband Internet access in the home. And smart phones. Before many people quite knew what was happening, college-bound high school students were starting their college searches in the sophomore year, using websites to get their first information about schools they wanted to consider, and failing to fill out online inquiry forms.

What role for the view book when you don't have someone's address until they apply for admission?

The value of the old style printed view book was in flux. Downward flux. 

Opinions differ about the value of an online view book. Why, many say, create an online view book when the information in it should already be online someplace? "Someplace" of course is the killer phrase here. If navigation and content is designed to let future students beginning the college search to easily complete their top tasks, there might not be a need for an online view book. But that's not easy to do on many "admissions" websites. Putting everything in a single place and labeling it a "view book" may indeed be the best move.

Tracking Use with Google Analytics

WSU has the right idea re measuring results. Cheryl reports that Google Analytics is set to track use of the new piece. Six or nine months from now we'll know much more about how effective this approach is. And how to improve on the initial effort if that's needed. 

I'll be especially interested to learn which of the primary section tabs are most used by people on their first visit.

Visit the Online, Interactive View Book

Check an interactive online view book that doesn't rely on flip technology when you visit the new WSU online example.

That's all for now.

eduWeb2011... marketing & web design panel discussion topics

By Bob on June 24, 2011 10:15 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
eduWeb2011: Expert panels will discuss marketing & web design

Marketing and web design are the topics of 2 panel discussions planned for the upcoming eduWeb2011 conference in San Antonio in August.

Earlier this week conference chair Shelley Wetzel asked her advisory board members to share their thoughts with her on the most important elements for each panel. With just a bit of refinement, I'm also sharing with blog readers what I sent along. To add your thoughts, email Shelley at shelley@eduwebconference.com

Marketing Communications and Social Media: Panel Discussion 1
  • If we are talking about the recruitment cycle, we need first to define when and how in the cycle social media is most important in the marketing communications mix. For traditional students, this is from about the mid-point on, let's say after a person has visited campus and certainly after they have been admitted. 
  • We need to focus first on how to use 2 related elements: video as per YouTube and conversation as per Facebook.
  • Some people place inordinate emphasis on ROI. I'm not one of those. We do need to monitor and measure what's happening so we can adapt how we use social media, but there is no doubt in my mind that it is a mandatory element, similar today to the way people once used the telephone. (And the telephone of course remains important.) Fact is, few people in the past 25 years have had very precise ROI measures for things like view books and high school visit programs.
Design and Development and Information Architecture: Panel Discussion 2
  • We need more emphasis on first identifying the "top tasks" that people want to complete on a website and then designing the IA to help them get those tasks done. 
  • The tasks of course will vary with individual audiences and that will complicate the "design and development" process. The top tasks define the "content strategy." If something is not a top task for someone using a website, then why should it be content on a website? (Reasons might exist, but the design should not place mandatory content that is little used in a place that hinders task completion for people in your most important audiences.)
  • The "top task" approach is also useful in deciding what content to remove from a website. In the "design for mobile" era, content culling becomes important as mobile design must be more straight forward and direct than design has so far been for most traditional websites.
Examples of Site Design for Task Completion: 2 Favorites in Higher Education
Join us at eduWeb2011 in San Antonio

Review the program and register after you visit the conference website. Don't miss my Monday morning workshop: "Mobile Marketing in Higher Education: Challenges and Strategies.

New "Writing Right for the Web" Event
That's all for now.

Forecasting the online future... notes from J.BoyePhiladelphia2011

By Bob on May 9, 2011 11:54 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
Forecasting online tools and policies: J.Boye conference delegates speak

Forecasting the future is the theme of the closing Town Hall event each year at a J.Boye conference, a session that's both fun and informative. Two volunteer experts offer their respective "yes" or "no" opinions on possible future trends on the online world. And then the delegates vote on which possibility they think is most likely to happen.

Here, with a few notes about the discussions from yours truly, are the questions and answers from last Thursday at J.BoyePhiladelphia2011. 

Do you say "Yes" or "No" to these predictions of the future?

QR codes will be huge.
    • No. Several things are holding them back. Most people, at least in the U.S., don't know what they are. The apps to read them don't come installed on smartphones. Here is the U.S. you don't see them often on ads. For those who have the apps now (I have Bakodo), they simply don't always work on every QR code on every device.
Just pick the "cool tool" for social media or undertake a procurement process to decide what an organization should use?
    • Pick the cool tool. Many people cannot stand formal procurement processes and don't feel that a procurement review would result in better decisions about the most appropriate social media tools.
Websites are "sooo dead."
    • An emphatic "no" on this one. Present websites will adapt but some tasks that people expect to do online are best done on a regular website, now and forever.
Keyboards and a mouse will vanish.
    • No. Lots of division on this one, with some taking note that today's 5 year old child may not ever use a traditional keyboard or mouse. But for many in the room, keyboards allow much faster writing than smartphones and tablets and are not going away anytime soon.
"Governance" of websites is a waste of time.
    • No. Although few felt that present "governance" or "management" schemes were especially effective, even fewer could imagine letting anarchy reign.
Forgo text, video is the new thing.
    • No. Video is important, but almost nobody felt it was going to replace text.
Facebook is the next Google.
    • No. I couldn't sense how much of the sentiment here was a wee bit of latent hostility re Facebook but the best comments suggested that Google was a much broader enterprise than Facebook and was not about to lose its current position as had IBM and Microsoft.
Steve killed Flash.
    • No. Some discussion here of the HTML5 impact on web development, but Adobe remains vigorous in defense of flash and Adroid tablets use it. A majority felt it would continue to exist in the future.
How far away is the future?

At least one person asked just how far away everyone felt the "future" was. From the discussion, I'd say it was at least as far away as the working lifespan of everyone in the room. Safe to assume that's about 25 years old and up. Only a brave few were trying to imagine the future for today's youngest children.

J.Boye Future Conferences

Plan now to explore the future this year or next at a J.Boye Conference
New "Writing Right for the Web" Event

My first 2-day "Writing Right for the Web" Conference is set for San Diego on July 26 - 27. Check the detailed outline and register to improve your website content.

That's all for now.




Marketing Online Programs... 10 notes after the conference

By Bob on November 1, 2010 4:32 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Marketing Online Programs: Top of Mind notes from Washington, D.C.

What stands out most from last week's Education Dynamics first "boot camp" conference with Carol Aslanian and friends in D.C.? Here are 10 points still floating on the top of my brain, in no special order:

  • Mixed acceptance of social media was not surprising. Still people/institutions reluctant to expose themselves to possible public criticism of their educational programs. Ball State University, on the other hand, has a Facebook site just for online and distance learning. University of Phoenix has an active Facebook site where they allow critical discussions that extend to faculty quality, financial aid service, and value of a UPhoenix degree.
  • Great tweeting of the sessions extended the impact of the program. Thanks to @spicymeatball and @cwech and @ann_tschirhrt. Review their tweets and more at #aslanian for lots of data on the growing popularity of online degree programs.
  • Panel participant from Bethel College reported turning around a FAFSA in 24 to 48 hours after completion. Rather fine customer service. Hodges University is also rapid.
  • Northeastern University's website for online learning is especially impressive. Unusual elements include pages on faculty quality control and competitive tution prices. And don't miss the quite short online inquiry form. Remember, the longer the form, the fewer the people who will complete it.
  • Overall, the online program site with highest marketing impact is at Walden University. Almost every page passes the 5-second scan rule for quick engagement and easier task completion.
  • Google Ad Words: good recommendation from Canisius College to allow about 8 months to evaluation results. Same applies to other online adversising well. Nobody at this meeting had used Facebook or LinkedIn ads but both are worth a try. A budget of $20K might be a good starting investment. If you're new to this, check the Beginner's Guide.
  • 62 percent of leads prefer email follow-up, 34 percent prefer phone.
  • Graduate students will pay more to graduate faster. Cost is not always the primary factor in picking a program. Regis University includes time to degree in online MBA Tuition Cost Comparision tables.
  • In the not-for-profit sector, 75 percent of students are part-time and prefer 8 week courses. Deadly marketing element: 16 week courses.
  • Most popular online graduate degrees: business (33 percent), health professions (22 percent) and education (20 percent.) Some report stagnation in business enrollment; some attibute this to increased programs available.

My Boot Camp Presentations are Online

Visit SlideShare to review my first presentation on best website marketing features for online degree programs and my second, an overview of social media and mobile marketing.

That's all for now 

·  Join me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HighEdMarketing

· Subscribe to "Your Higher Education Marketing Newsletter" at http://www.bobjohnsonconsulting.com/newsletter-subscribe.html 

Mobile websites... student recruitment marketing not a priority?

By Bob on August 26, 2010 5:48 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Mobile websites: marketing for student recruitment not yet a strong feature

Since the 2010 Noel-Levitz E-Expectations survey came out not long ago, more than a few people seem surprised by two points: the high level of interest on the part of potential students in learning what academic programs are offered and the high number (about 23%) who said they were visiting higher education websites from mobile phones.

That's the new and growing reality: more people are using mobile devices to access websites. And the rate of use will increase as more "mobile friendly" sites are built. 

Interest in academic programs shouldn't be a surprise either. You can't expect possible new students of any age to be interested in your school if you don't offer the academic program(s) that interest them. For many new visitors, their most important first task at your site is to find that program list.

"Academics" on the Mobile Home Page

Getting quickly to a list of academic programs isn't always easy from the home page on traditional websites. This week I decided to see how easy it was from the home (or entry) page on mobile sites. Nothing "scientific" about this. I looked at 7 universities available on the MobileAwesomeness site for an initial sample and then added more that were on the first page of a Google search for "university mobile websites."

The result: you can't get direct from the home page to something like "academic programs" from most of these sites. Navigation itself is simple: you scan a group of icons (sometimes) or a list of words (most often) and start to navigate the site. See for yourself when you visit the sites listed here.

Academics from the Mobile Home Page (or an immediately available "menu" from the home page)

· College of Charleston at http://m.cofc.edu: "Academic" is 2nd of 8 primary links.

· University of Evansville at www.evansville.edu/mobile/: "Areas of Study" is 4th of 9 links.

· University of Chicago at www.uchicago.edu/m: "Academics" is 3rd of 13 menu links. 

No "Academics" or "Academic Programs" Link for the Mobile Home Page

· Colgate University at http://mobile.colgate.edu: missing from 12 topics.

· Duke University at http://m.tamu.edu/: not with 11 links.

· Pittsburgh State University at http://m.pittstate.edu: not among 8 links.

· Texas A&M University at http://m.tamu.edu/: not with 7 topics.

· University of Alabama at http://m.ua.edu/i: not one of 11 topics.

· University of Southern California at http://mobile.usc.edu: not one of 9 topics.

· University of Texas Austin at http://mobile.utexas.edu/: not with 11 links.

· University of Texas Dallas at www.utdallas.edu/mobile: not among 5 topics.

Notes: Mobile for Student Recruitment

 

When you read the topics that are included on these home pages, one natural conclusion is that the highlighted content areas are done primarily for internal use or for other people who are already "friends" of the university. The "marketing" element, especially as it applies to student recruitment, isn't yet strong.

That's easy to change. Adding a prominent link to "Academics" or "Academic Programs" would fit easily enough on most of these sites. Right now there isn't much pressure to do that. If mobile devices continue to grow in importance as access tools to higher education websites, that's likely to change.

Get ahead of your competition. Plan to add a link to a list of "Academic Programs" on your mobile home page soon. 

Mobile Marketing Presentation on SlideShare

The eduWeb2010 version of my mobile marketing workshop, "Mobile in the Marketing Mix: Crafting a New Communications Strategy," is online now at SlideShare.

Mobile Marketing with the American Marketing Association: September 22

Register for "Getting to the Core of of Social Media and Mobile Marketing for Higher Ed Institutions" virtual event.

That's all for now 

·  Join me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HighEdMarketing

· Subscribe to "Your Higher Education Marketing Newsletter" at http://www.bobjohnsonconsulting.com/newsletter-subscribe.html 

 

 

Mobile marketing... ready for the AMA webinar on September 22

By Bob on August 19, 2010 1:47 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Mobile Marketing: Register for the No-Cost Sept 22 AMA Virtual Event for Higher Ed

Yesterday was the "finish day" for my September mobile marketing presentation at the American Marketing Association's virtual spectacular: "Getting to the Core of Social Media & Mobile Marketing for Higher Ed Institutions." We are recording this in advance next week as I'll be flying back from Dublin and our annual Customer Carewords partners meeting on the AMA date.

My time share is 45 minutes... so it was quite fun revisiting the mobile marketing workshop for eduWeb2010 and reducing that 3-hour session to fit the reduced time. 'Tis done and time to share thoughts from the shrinking and updating process.

Here are some things that stand out:

  • The question of mobile apps vs. mobile sites is misleading. Fact is, a complete mobile marketing plan will likely have both elements. But if you can only do one, better to create a mobile-friendly site similar to what the College of Charleston has done. Search for C of C from your favorite mobile device (I used an iPhone) and enjoy the mobile friendly results. Or just enter the regular URL (http://www.cofc.edu/) and the website will sniff out that you are using a mobile device and switch you into the mobile site.
  • I came across a video interiew with Jakob Nielsen that is well worth watching. Nielsen makes a point that's especially worth remembering: some tasks just are not suited to the mobile environment. He believes in-depth product searches and complicated financial transactions are best done on regular websites accessed from regular computers.
  • The Nielsen note is important for higher education. You can, for instance, build an easy-to-find list of your academic programs for mobile access (right from the C of C mobile home page) but at some point you'll be tempted to link back to your regular website for complete information. At that point, mobile usability will plunge.
  • Simplicity is key to mobile-friendly form completion. I use a webinar example from Kettering University for an inquiry from a potential student: all that's needed is an email address.
  • Finding higher education examples of "mobile for advancement" tasks isn't easy, although I haven't yet checked to see if College of Charleston has included any on its new site. I did find one example: an offer to alumni to sign for text message updates for athletic events at MidAmerica Nazrene University.

That's enough on mobile marketing for today.

When you visit the AMA site to register, you'll see another mobile presentation from Kim Dushinski, author of the Mobile Marketing Handbook. I recommend visiting her website and signing up for Kim's regular mobile marketing updates.

Mobile Marketing Presentation on SlideShare

The eduWeb2010 version of my mobile marketing workshop, "Mobile in the Marketing Mix: Crafting a New Communications Strategy," is online now at SlideShare.

Mobile Marketing with the American Marketing Association: September 22

Register for "Getting to the Core of of Social Media and Mobile Marketing for Higher Ed Institutions" virtual event.

That's all for now 

 

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