Recently in Your Higher Education Marketing Newsletter Category

February greetings from Michigan in this most strange, warm mid-winter time.

Note a new feature this month: the most popular item from the previous newsletter is now included at the end of each new one. Scroll down for social media predictions for 2012.

This year I will be doing a new conference session on digital marketing strategy. The first rendition is set for the J.BoyePhiladelphia2012 Web and Intranet Conference in May. For details on a superb event where you will share ideas with people outside higher education, visit the website at bit.ly/wRxeCi

Next week I will start on a new 2-day "Writing Right for the Web" conference, also in May. The outline that includes traditional, mobile, and social media is at bit.ly/AfVgk3

Do you have a friend or colleague who might like this newsletter? To subscribe, send them to bit.ly/aRePLm

And now, here are your marketing notes for February.
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32 Words "Lazy PR Writers" Should Avoid

Whether or not you work in public relations, if you have any role in creating or reviewing marketing copy you should review this list from Tom Gable. Tom starts with "best of breed" and ends with "world class."

You will not want to miss the 30 in between these at bit.ly/sKDAfS
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NAICU and Today's World

NAICU presidents are meeting in D.C. this week, just after President Obama's State of the Union and University of Michigan speeches made many of them nervous about the possibility of "price control" measures from the federal government. Some, but not everyone, gave a standing ovation to a speaker who urged them to resist the "juggernaut" of accountability headed their way.

Question for marketers: Can schools openly resist accountability today? More on the meeting at bit.ly/xvvBKr
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Elite College Fakes SAT Scores to US News

Claremont McKenna College has admitted that for the past 6 years it has inflated SAT scores of new freshmen reported to U.S. News and World Report.

Higher education does not need sad and silly news like this. Sad because it just should not happen, silly because the actual score inflation was so low. The details are at bit.ly/zcDybs
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Google Gives Direct Marketing a Boost

Google plans to change existing privacy policy and consolidate information about people using Google sites in a single data base is creating controversy.

The advertising community, on the other hand, sees this as an opportunity to more carefully place advertising based on known preferences of the people receiving it. If advertisers adopt the right direct marketing approach, they will stop blasting ads to everyone regardless of interest and more carefully use available data to get higher conversions from fewer people reached.

Careful targeting is what good direct marketing has always been about. Online marketing from colleges and universities can benefit from the change. Read more in an AdAge article at bit.ly/xQJt4q
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Who Owns Tablets and E-Readers?

Yes, the time truly is coming when print view books for student recruitment will vanish. Not today and not next year. But somewhere between now and 2020 it will happen.

The folks at the Pew Internet and American Life Project continue their fine reports with 5 demographic segments using tablets e-readers now: gender, age, race, income, and education level.

Holiday gift-giving was responsible for an ownership jump from 18 percent of the U.S. population in December 2011 to 29 percent in January 2012.

Note that e-readers are not about to disappear. Kindle Fire is selling well, no doubt in part because of the low price point compared to more fully featured tablets. Talk to agencies that do electronic view books for the iPad and be sure to ask them what they can do for a Kindle.

Check the details at pewrsr.ch/y1cm2t
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Growing Percent of Students Taking Online Courses

The Sloan Consortium reports that nearly one-third of all higher education students were taking at least one online course in fall, 2010. The 10 percent growth rate for online enrollment is much higher than the 2 percent growth rate for higher education overall. Expect demand to continue to grow and include students at traditional, residential institutions.

The free report is available as a PDF or for your iPad, Kindle or Nook. Download your preferred copy of the 2011 report at bit.ly/zsHYWc
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Noel-Levitz Survey: Mobile Marketing and Social Media

Later this month Noel-Levitz will publish the results of a new survey of college-bound high school students about how they use mobile devices.

For now, you can review an early slice of the results on how these students use mobile to access Facebook and YouTube: 76 percent access Facebook from a mobile device and 63 percent do the same for YouTube.

From that point, Noel-Levitz notes the critical implication for people using these social media sites in student recruitment plans. If you link from social media to your website, you are in for a major failure if the website landing pages are not mobile friendly. You will not survive the high bounce rates that will happen when people using a smartphone attempt to visit a traditional website.

Check the early survey results and pre-order your copy of the full report at bit.ly/A188mQ
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Writing Effective Website Links

In our Carewords partners' world with Gerry McGovern, we have done nearly 20 surveys of people using higher education websites. The number one problem among every audience is now predictable: confusing menus and links.

Why is that the result? Most links are written from the organization perspective, rather than from an attempt to think like the potential students (and their parents) using the site.

Gerry has just written a great column on how to write links that work, including why the link to Frequently Asked Questions is most often "a very poor one" to use.

For tips on effective link writing that start with an admonition to write links as if they were headlines, visit bit.ly/Ab9905
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State Appropriations for Higher Ed at a Glance

OK, you know what is happening in your state. Are you doing better or worse than other states across the U.S.?

Scroll down just a bit in this Chronicle of Higher Education article on declines in state funding until you see the map that shows the two states that have increased funding for 2012, the 19 that have decreased funding by 10 percent or more and those that fall somewhere in between.

The Chronicle article is at bit.ly/yfhrdt
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Yale University: Continuing Budget Gap

Why should you care about an Ivy League university with the highest paid non-profit sector president in the U.S.? Perhaps just to see how even the most affluent of universities still has major problems adjusting to post-2008 economic realities.

Do not skip the comments following the Yale Daily News article at bit.ly/zeKGTV
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Deceptive Advertising, Higher Education, and the FTC

Do use lead generation agencies to identify enrollment prospects? If you do, do you know what advertising is being used? Are you in danger of violating Federal Trade Commission rules on deceptive advertising if the ads are, shall we say, just a bit shady?

If you answered "yes" to the first question, read my mid-January blog post at bit.ly/y8pIE6
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Most Popular Item from the January Newsletter

"30 Social Media Predictions for 2012 from the Pros" had the most clicks in January. If you missed it, visit bit.ly/w6QOZ7
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Conference Presentations in 2012

Attend a conference in 2012 to share questions and answers with people who are building a competitive advantage in higher education marketing.

May 8-10, Philadelphia: J.BoyePhiladelphia12 Web and Intranet Conference. Tutorial presentation: "Digital Marketing Strategy: 2015 and Beyond." See all sessions and register at bit.ly/wRxeCi

May 24-25, Atlanta: Academic Impressions Conference: "Writing Right for the Web: Improving Your Content." Program details and registration at bit.ly/AfVgk3

July 11-13, Chicago: ACT Enrollment Planners Conference. Visit the conference website at bit.ly/tnvnhR

July 30-August 1, Boston: eduWeb2012. Conference website is at bit.ly/z391iU

Expand the marketing skills of people on your campus. Host a campus workshop on any of the conference topics listed here.

Contact me at bob@bobjohnsonconsulting.com or call me at 248.766.6425.
____________________________________________
That's All for Now

Be a marketing champion on your campus.

Bob Johnson, Ph.D. (bob@bobjohnsonconsulting.com)
President
Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC
__________________________________________
Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC

Increase your online marketing success with these 6 services.
• Customer Carewords Research with Gerry McGovern
• Writing Right for the Web: Webinars, Conferences, Campus Workshops
• Marketing Communications Website Reviews
• Competitive Website Reviews
• Search Engine Optimization Reviews 

Greetings in the new year to everyone, here in the U.S. and around the world.

This first 2012 newsletter includes several items on the best of 2011 and predictions about what to expect in the coming year, from 32 words PR writers should avoid to 30 social media predictions "from the pros" to a new MIT effort to increase the value of its free online course offerings. The usual eclectic mix of topics included here will continue.

As always, I hope to meet many of you at conferences this year. At the end of the newsletter you can find recommended events in Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, and Boston.

And now, here are your marketing news and notes for January 2012. Happy New Year!
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Highest Student Loan Debt in 2010: The Top 10 Schools

Huffington Post has created one of those lists that nobody wants to be on, especially in a time of increased concern over the cost of higher education. This Top 10 list for a 4-year degree starts with Eastern Nazarene University at an average of $51,336 and ends with Bard College at $44,910.

Three of the 10 are in Massachusetts. See if your competitors are on the list that starts at huff.to/xGHaWE
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Lowest Student Loan Debt in 2010: The Top 10 Schools

The Huffington Post people are also highlighting 10 schools with the lowest loan debt levels for a 4-year degree. This list opens with Alice Lloyd College at a $3,108 average and closes with Cameron University at $7,200. One Ivy League university is on the list at $4,385.

See 10 low debt schools, including the only public university included, at huff.to/ybNbMm
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30 Social Media Predictions for 2012 "From the Pros"

Start your social media new year by reviewing the predictions of 30 experts gathered by Social Media Examiner.

Hard to pick a favorite, but mine just might be Number 8, Regularly Creating Unique Content Becomes Essential. Three predictions focus on a more important role for YouTube and two speak to a revitalization of email.

Pick the ones that will best keep your social media strategy alive and well at bit.ly/w6QOZ7
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Digital and Print: How Newspapers Might Survive

Almost everyone believes that print will survive in the marketing mix, and perhaps it will do that. What is less certain is how that survival will take place.

For one view of the future of newspapers, read the thoughts of John Paton, a key industry person who started as a copy aide with The Toronto Sun in 1977.

In a nutshell, Paton believes the industry has to "stop listening to newspaper people" searching for how to revive print and move to digital as rapidly as possible in light of continuing drops in revenue from print operations.

The NY Times reports more on his views at nyti.ms/xe9u9N
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Best Publication Conversions to iPad in 2011

If print publications are fading, the tablet environment might be the best place for newspapers and magazines to thrive in the digital age.

AdAge highlights 10 newspapers and magazines that it believes have made noteworthy migrations to the iPad platform. Check the list at bit.ly/ucugTs

To see how universities are adapting view books to the tablet format, download these examples to your iPad: University of Dayton at bit.ly/zIY5Xr and Salve Regina University at bit.ly/yTSBIH and University of Chicago at bit.ly/xaA24N
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MIT: A Significant Marketing Moment

MIT has been offering free online course materials (for more than 2,000 courses) for about 10 years now in a unique form of self-study. To date, no formal recognition for taking these courses has been available.

Now, reports the Chronicle of Higher Education, MIT will introduce in the spring certificates that acknowledge course completion. Certificates will incur a cost, but nothing near the price of tuition for a student registered for an MIT degree. People will still have the option to study without seeking a certificate.

Is this a significant development in the higher education marketplace? Absolutely.

Read more about the future emerging in a time of cost concern at bit.ly/wbCg9Q
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32 Words PR Writers Should Avoid

Resolutions are not my thing, but we should all resolve to read through this list from Tom Gable and ban as many of these words and phrases as we can from our writing in 2012.

Some of my favorites: cutting edge, outside the box, state-of-the-art, and synergy.

Tom presents these as the favorites of lazy PR writers. See how many you agree with at bit.ly/sKDAfS
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Mobile Marketing: The Outlook for 2012

Mobile Marketing has issued a 43 page PDF with an eclectic range of comments, observations, and predictions for the upcoming year.

Usefulness will vary with the extent of your knowledge and experience with mobile marketing, but I suspect that everyone will find something of interest as you scan the 22 topics on the contents page. Read a summary of the report, including notes on platform fragmentation, texting, and social media, and download the full document at bit.ly/vex8u2
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$5,550 Pell Grant Eligibility to Entice Email Click Through

A flurry of emails arrived in my mailbox in December built around the theme that as a U.S. citizen I was prequalified to receive a $5,550 Pell Grant. The goal was to get me to click on a link and arrive at a landing page built by a lead generator.

The Pell Grant offer? That was not mentioned again. This, I submit, is the type of marketing that does not give higher education a good name.

To see the email offer itself, the 10 qualifying questions asked after I got to the landing page, and the four schools recommended after that, visit bit.ly/sTrg5T
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Big-Time College Sports: Is Immunity Weakening?

Is public scrutiny of higher education sports programs going to increase in 2012?

Penn State got the most attention in 2011, but a Bloomberg Business Week article in December reminded us of Ohio State's football coaching fiasco as well, including the university president's comment that he hoped the football coach was not going to fire him. References are made to head coaching situations at other major universities.

The Bloomberg article by Al Hunt calls for a government intervention to restore accountability. Absent that, he is not optimistic about serious change. Review his reasoning at buswk.co/ujERp7
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Conferences and Webinars in 2012

Attend a conference in 2012 to share questions and answers with people who are building a competitive advantage in higher education marketing.

Thanks again to everyone who attended a presentation in 2011 and enlivened and enlightened a session with your questions and comments.

May 8-10, Philadelphia: J.BoyePhiladelphia12 Web and Intranet Conference. Sessions and registration at bit.ly/wRxeCi

May 24-25, Atlanta: Academic Impressions Conference: "Writing Right for the Web: Improving Your Content." Program content and registration at bit.ly/AfVgk3

July 11-13, Chicago: ACT Enrollment Planners Conference. Visit the conference website at bit.ly/tnvnhR

July 30-August 1, Boston: eduWeb2012. Conference website is at bit.ly/z391iU

Expand the marketing skills of people on your campus. Host a campus workshop on any of the conference topics listed here.

Contact me at bob@bobjohnsonconsulting.com
____________________________________________
That's All for Now 

Be a marketing champion on your campus.

Bob Johnson, Ph.D. (bob@bobjohnsonconsulting.com)
President
Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC
__________________________________________
Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC

Increase your online marketing success with these 6 services.
• Customer Carewords Research with Gerry McGovern
• Writing Right for the Web: Webinars, Conferences, Campus Workshops
• Marketing Communications Website Reviews
• Competitive Website Reviews
• Search Engine Optimization Reviews
• Marketing Analysis for Google Analytics

December greetings to everyone and early wishes for a fine holiday season as you celebrate with friends and family. 

Special thanks to everyone who became a Twitter follower in 2011. If you have not done that yet, scan the short professional notes at bit.ly/t8LYyV and decide if want to join us. 

This is the month when 2012 conferences begin to search for paper presenters. If you have something to share with professional colleagues, check the paper calls for the ACT Enrollment Planners Conference at bit.ly/tnvnhR, and J.Boye Philadelphia2012 Web & Intranet Conference at bit.ly/rMBR36 

And now here are your marketing news and notes for December.
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Cappex Parents Survey: Mobile, Email and More

If you plan to work on mobile marketing in 2012, do not miss these survey results. You will learn, for instance, that 79 percent of parents prefer mobile websites to mobile apps. And note that 83 percent say using email is the best way to get a response from them. Phone calls to mobile or home phones do not do well at all.

Overall, this is a good guide to adding marketing strength to your communication program for parents. You do have one of those, yes?

The survey details are at bit.ly/sQxx9n
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Focus Group Results: Parents and High School Students

Focus groups both fascinate and scare me. 

The fascination comes from listening to the way people talk about important marketing topics, often in ways that marketers never do themselves. The scare comes when people jump to strategy or resource decisions based only on focus group conversations.

If you're as fascinated as I am, you'll want to read the transcripts of focus group sessions held last Friday by my colleagues at Zone 5 in Albany, N.Y. About 10 students and parents were in each 60-minutes discussion.

One comment got my special attention: agreement from several students with a person who was searching for the "cheapest" college that met her requirements. Do we undersell the marketing value of being the "cheapest" in a competitive set? Are we too reluctant to use that word for fear it clashes with images that people have of a quality institution?

For a copy of the focus group transcripts, email Ray Witkowski at ray.witkowski@zone5.com. 
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New SUNY Oswego Mobile Site

For insight into the process of creating a new mobile website, read about the path followed at SUNY Oswego outlined at bit.ly/ut8hUY

Alas, there is one not so small problem with the execution. Google SUNY Oswego from your iPhone and the home page that opens is for the regular website, not the mobile site. To make the best mobile-friendly first impression, redirect visitors automatically to the mobile site if they search for your site from a smartphone.
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Best Web Content: Not From Marketers

As I wrote in a new blog post last week, it pains me to note that marketers can be enemies of effective websites that score high with visitors.

Why? Visitors come to websites to complete top tasks. Reading overt marketing content is seldom a top task. More on that in the blog post at bit.ly/tr9dVH

But marketing can still have a place. University of Leicester, for instance, uses a home page that features top tasks for potential students in the prime upper left position, while still effectively using a third-party "Elite without being Elitist" brand statement on the home page that does not block visibility of the top task links. See an innovative approach to home page design at www2.le.ac.uk/ 
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Chicago Tribune Promotes Degree Completion Rates in Selecting a College

The headline in this story is about a handful of schools that will give students who cannot complete a degree through no fault of their own a fifth year of tuition. Most are relatively small and in the private sector.

Perhaps more marketing impact will come from the suggestion that people visit a site where they can compare relative degree completion rates for similar institutions. The paper did that forCarnegie Mellon University and Duke University and found a 68 percent four year rate at the former and an 89 percent rate at Duke.

See how the topic is presented and visit the comparative degree completion site after you visittrib.in/uBdpYr 
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NSSE Report for 2011

The National Survey of Student Engagement report for 2011 was released last month, with immediate media interest in the details of how much time students majoring in various academic areas spent studying.

There is much more to NSSE than hours studied of course. This year 751 school in the U.S. and Canada took part in the undergraduate research study, with more than 500,000 students responding. If you're not sure if your school uses NSSE, a search box on the NSSE home page will tell you about present and past use. Start your NSSE exploration this year atbit.ly/s0H9kt

To see how one university uses NSSE results to build a better brand impression, check theElon University effort that starts on the university website at bit.ly/tDcSgi 
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Dave Evans: Time to Drop Social from Media in Marketing

Way back in 2007 Dave Evans wrote a useful book on social media marketing, with an emphasis on how to move forward by investing just "an hour a day."

Whether or not you ever read that book, take a few minutes to read his recent ClickZ column asking if it might not be time to drop the word "Social" itself. His main point: social media was once considered one of several tools in the marketing mix. Today, it is the center of every important decision made in arenas as varied as consumer and corporate purchase decisions and political choice.

Intrusive marketing messages delivered by the old tools recede in value as social media exploration expands. Read more about the impact of that for higher education marketing efforts in the column at bit.ly/sOm9MB 
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QR Codes: 79 Percent of College Students Do Not Use Them

A survey of college students reports that 79 percent are not using them now and most are not likely to be using them next year either. So you do not have to rush to be an early adopter. A summary of the research is at yhoo.it/vLWNRf

A caveat: if you do use QR codes, make sure they take people to a mobile-friendly page and not to one of your regular website pages. If the end point is a special landing page, make sure the key points are visible as soon as it opens, without finger-flicking to enlarge the content.
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Beloit College Replaces Capital Campaigns

Fund raisers know that it is easier get people to give to specific projects they support than to general institutional well-being. Beloit College is taking that knowledge to a logical conclusion with a decision to replace a traditional capital campaign with a series of very specific, project based efforts. The result: donors will see faster results from their giving than is the case in campaigns that run for several years.

The first success: raising $3.7 million to renovate track and field facilities and introduce a lacrosse team to expand student recruitment potential among high income families. Time to raise the money: 10 months.

For more on the thinking behind the changed approach, read the report at bit.ly/sHApQI 
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Maryland Reduces Varsity Sports

While multi-million dollar compensation packages for top football coaches are not in jeopardy, the new economic reality will continue to force a closer examination of higher education sports activities in general. The result: sports that do not produce revenue and do not have strong public and alumni backing are in danger.

Case in point: University of Maryland plans to eliminate eight varsity sports by next July, while increasing fund-raising efforts in support of the remaining athletic program to offset a serious decline in revenue earned by the football and men's basketball programs.

For a glimpse at the future that might soon arrive at similar universities as well as links to athletic expenditure databases, read the InsideHigherEducation report at bit.ly/w4dtQ1
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Best Blog Post Length: Is Size Important?

As you might expect, the answer Heidi Cohen gives to this question is what you might expect: it depends. She divides blog length into small (350 to 500 words), medium (550 to 1,000 words) and long (over 1,000 words) and notes that some of her most successful posts are her longest.
For success at any length, she offers 7 guidelines. You might know each of these, but I found it a good exercise to read them all together at the same time. 

If you blog or know students or staff who do, have them read the column at bit.ly/sJXe27 
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My Last Webinars in 2011!

Attend an upcoming conference in 2012 to share questions and answers with people who are building a competitive advantage in higher education marketing. Join me at ACT Enrollment Planners Conference, eduWeb2012, J.BoyePhilly2012 or another. Look for a first listing for 2012 in the January newsletter.

Thanks again to everyone who attended a presentation this year and enlivened things with your questions and comments.

December 6, 8: Academic Impressions Webinars: "Writing Right for the Web: Social, Mobile, and Traditional Websites." Register at bit.ly/n5S83d. 

Improve your online marketing. Expand the writing, editing, and search marketing skills of people on your campus. Host a campus workshop on online marketing.

Contact me at bob@bobjohnsonconsulting.com
____________________________________________
That's All for Now 

Be a marketing champion on your campus.

Bob Johnson, Ph.D. (bob@bobjohnsonconsulting.com) 
President
Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC
__________________________________________
Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC

Increase your online marketing success with these 6 services. 
• Customer Carewords Top Task Research with Gerry McGovern
• Writing Right for the Web: Webinars, Conferences, Campus Workshops
• Marketing Communications Website Reviews 
• Competitive Website Reviews 
• Search Engine Optimization Reviews 
• Marketing Analysis for Google Analytics

Start now at www.bobjohnsonconsulting.com/whatwedo.html

In this new emerging era for higher education, innovations in enrollment building strive to take advantage of the new landscape rather than struggle to maintain or restore the past. This month's newsletter highlights new ventures from each U.S. coast: Northeastern University andCalifornia State University.

Does your interest in mobile marketing include the best way to use QR codes? If so, make sure that you do not doom your experiment to failure with landing pages that are not mobile-friendly and placements where smartphones don't work. More on QR codes in my interview article with Academic Impressions at bit.ly/v8mind

Last month I visited Adelaide, Australia for a workshop presentation on mobile marketing for the Australian International Education Conference. Review the slides and download a copy atslidesha.re/w5debM 

November 18 at 3 PM I join Brian Niles for a "Free on Friday" mobile marketing discussion broadcast on Facebook from the TargetX offices outside Philadelphia. Join us aton.fb.me/vBHNoU 

Two Writing Right for the Web webinars in December will close the conference and webinar season this year. Register for one or both parts at bit.ly/n5S83d

And now here are your marketing news and notes for November.
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California State Plans Expansion of Online Undergrad Programs

Faculty may be uncomfortable with online programs but that is not stopping the inexorable growth underway. The latest example comes from California State University, where a recently announced plan calls for an initial consolidation of online programs underway at several campuses into a system-wide effort.

Overall, 44 master's degree and 19 bachelor's degree programs are offered now.

Market demand is a factor. Planners envision that some students will pay higher tuition for an online course that is overcrowded and unavailable as a regular undergrad offering.

More on the plans and faculty reaction at bit.ly/u0FL7n 
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Northeastern University Expanding Graduate Programs outside the Northeast

Boston is a fine city, but Northeastern has larger plans to open graduate degree programs and form research partnerships across the U.S. The first new center has opened in Charlotte, NC. Look for future sites in Seattle, Austin, Minneapolis, and the Silicon Valley.

Each city is a market where the university believes the demand by adults for master's programs is growing but is underserved. An initial investment of $60 million fueled a major expansion of faculty who will travel to teach in the programs that will combine online and in-class education.

Review the Northeastern effort in a Chronicle article at bit.ly/sWGNmN
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Jakob Nielsen and Ruthless Editing for Mobile

Web sites for every large organization have an enormous amount of useless content, added over the ages but never deleted.

People who are thinking about mobile websites need to think first about content elimination. Yes, this is politically difficult but it is also imperative. 

The latest Nielsen Alertbox usability report provides ammunition for anyone who needs help in advancing this argument on their campus. See "Mobile Content, If in Doubt Leave it Out" atbit.ly/qjo3Uj
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10 Tips for Best Facebook Writing

When and how often should you post to Facebook? How long should a post be? What days and times are best?

Andi Graham gives us 10 clues to more effective writing for Facebook based on her reading of what will make your content score higher on Facebook's EdgeRank factors.

One plus for Twitter fans: posts of less than 80 characters get 66 percent more engagement than longer posts. Yes, brevity counts here as everywhere online.

For more on Facebook success, read her column at bit.ly/pVD3VP
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Test Your Website: 31 Criteria for Mobile Effectiveness

Brian Niles sent this along after our first "Free on Friday" conversation.

Visit the mobiReady website, enter the URL for your site, and get back a rating for how your traditional site performs on 31 factors that help or hinder viewers from a mobile device.

Harvard.edu, for instance, passed on 10 elements and failed on 9 others. It will not do well when visited from a smartphone. And neither will bobjohnsonconsulting.com.

Neither result was surprising. Yours will probably be similar. But if visits to your regular site are increasing and you need something to shock people into the need to create a mobile friendly web presence, share the results for your site after you visit bit.ly/rNX4t9 
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Results of the Quest for Full Pay Students

Enrollment managers were treated to an indictment of the current emphasis in higher education on enrolling more students who do not need financial assistance. Competition for that Holy Grail has increased since the economic bottom fell out a few years ago, often seen as a search for more international students and, in the public sector, more out-of-state students.

At the ACCRAO SEM conference this week Kati Haycock took the enrollment profession to task for not resisting this focus, with the result that income inequality at colleges and universities in the U.S. inevitably will increase.

Compare your school to the picture she paints after you read the InsideHigherEducation article at bit.ly/vv26VF
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University Magazines on an iPad

Thinking about making your university magazine available on an iPad or other tablet device?

If so, do not miss the AdAge review of the success of commercial magazines and newspapers on these devices. In short, you cannot take the quick and easy route of an "enhanced PDF" format on the iPad. That does make the sophisticated readers on these devices any happier than PDF publications do on regular websites.

For factors that will increase the success of your magazine on a tablet, check the report atbit.ly/uh5H3U
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Text Messaging in the U.S.

A September report from the Pew Internet and American Life Project reports a leveling off of the frequency of text and phone use on mobile phones from 2010 to 2011. More people overall prefer to phone than text. Heaviest text use is by people 18 to 24 years old, who send about 109 texts each day or about 3,200 each month, but texting is very strong right up to 49 years of age.

Download a PDF of the 14 page report at bit.ly/tVgeME 
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In the Chronicle of Higher Education: College Not Worth the Debt

Yes, a sentiment that higher education does not need to see spread starts off this month of November in the Chronicle.

Do you think this belief will spread? With few exceptions, the unemployment rate for current college graduates is unacceptably high in relation to the debt incurred and that is not likely to change in the immediate future.

The opinion piece by Frank Donoghue is at bit.ly/tYyQsb 
__________________________________ 
My Upcoming Conferences and Webinars in 2011

Attend an upcoming conference to share questions and answers with people who are building a competitive advantage in higher education marketing. Join me at these events.

November 6, AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education, Chicago, IL: "Mobile Marketing in Higher Education: Getting Ready for 2012 and Beyond" pre-conference tutorial. Link to the program PDF and register at bit.ly/hzODPI 

November 8-10, J.Boye Conference Aarhus11, Aarhus, Denmark: Tutorial on top task analysis for mobile communication and regular session, "Websites and Brand Strength: Achieving a 90% Customer Rating." Review and register at aarhus11.jboye.com/ 

December 6, 8: Academic Impressions Webinars: "Writing Right for the Web: Social, Mobile, and Traditional Websites." Registration is open now at bit.ly/n5S83d. 

Improve your online marketing. Expand the writing, editing, and search marketing skills of people on your campus. Host a campus workshop on online marketing.

Contact me at bob@bobjohnsonconsulting.com
____________________________________________
That's All for Now 

Be a marketing champion on your campus.

Bob Johnson, Ph.D. (bob@bobjohnsonconsulting.com) 
President
Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC
__________________________________________
Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC

Increase your online marketing success with these 6 services. 
• Customer Carewords Research with Gerry McGovern
• Writing Right for the Web: Webinars, Conferences, Campus Workshops
• Marketing Communications Website Reviews 
• Competitive Website Reviews 
• SEO for Effective Marketing 
• Marketing Analysis for Google Analytics

Start now at www.bobjohnsonconsulting.com/whatwedo.html

October greetings to everyone, as hard as it is to believe that September is already behind us. 

The AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education, a premier event for higher education marketers, will be here soon in November. Plan to attend and include my Sunday morning mobile marketing tutorial. Check the program and register at bit.ly/hzODPI 

Right after the tutorial I am off to Denmark and the J.Boye conference, where I will do a session on the marketing value of a top task orientation to website design. Conference details are ataarhus11.jboye.com/

To boost your marketing success in the competitive world of online programs, register for Carol Aslanian's October 21-22 seminar in Chicago on "Marketing Tactics that Work." Presenters and their topics are at bit.ly/r9SMpH 

And now here are marketing news and notes for October, from an invite to participate in a new Pew survey on the future of the Internet to 15 tuition discount plans to a new online view book and more.
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Top 10 Universities with Twitter Klout

Not sure how seriously to take Klout rankings of Twitter influence, but for a fun read visit the latest Top 10 list from the folks who rate impact on Twitter. Texas A&M is first with a 73 rating and Marquette is 10th with a 65 score. Size matters. No small colleges on this list. 

Scan the Top 10 universities at bit.ly/pt71gi
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Pew Survey on Future of the Internet in 2020

Even if you don't take the survey, it is worth a visit to see the questions being asked, including the future state of higher education, about what the online world will look like in 2020.

"The Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project and Elon University's Imagining the Internet Center are conducting an ongoing survey that asks people to share their opinions about the potential future impact of the Internet.

"It takes about 20 to 25 minutes to answer questions tied to eight intriguing issues about the potential future of education, money, our homes, and more (please use Firefox, Internet Explorer, or Safari as your browser)." The survey is at: survey.fs.elon.edu/surveys/9JREK7 
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How Fast is Your Mobile Website?

Given the impatience level of a typical person visiting a website, the faster your pages load the better chance you have of keeping someone on your site.

If you already have a mobile site, how fast does the first page load? If you are planning to have one, what is your target speed?

To compare, check the speeds of the 30 fastest commerce sites. You will find that the variance is huge, from less than 4 seconds for the Sears leader to many in a 20 second range. If you achieve 10 seconds or less, you will be in good company.

Check the Top 30 list at bit.ly/bFHRP1
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SmartMoney Highlights 15 Tuition Discounts

SmartMoney magazine writes about the "growing number" of colleges and universities offering tuition discounts in an article that reviews discount practices at 15 private-sector colleges and universities. Priority attention goes to a 66 percent discount for "academically qualified students" at Seton Hall University.

To see how your plans compare, visit bit.ly/phTCcR
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International Student Recruitment: 2 Paths to Success

Regional public universities and small private universities might learn from these examples of how to increase international enrollment if that is a marketing goal.

Missouri State University has increased from 31 students in 2004 to 701 in 2011 by focusing on a single academic program and a single country in a successful bid to raise additional tuition revenues. Westminster College, on the other hand, has used financial gifts to provide need-based aid to the "overwhelming majority" of students from 66 different countries.

Read more about the two paths at bit.ly/r0E3gz
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Mobile Marketing: Practical Notes on QR Codes

If you are planning to experiment with QR codes, take a few minutes to read practical advice from Brian Klais on how to optimize the size and density of your codes so that they work best for the people you expect to use them.

Brian's column complete with graphics is at selnd.com/pMB5yA

Personally, this is still my favorite caveat: if your QR code is going to a website, make sure the page is mobile-friendly for smartphone viewing. If you drop people into a regular web page, your chance for success is much lower.
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Mobile Marketing: New Usability Report from Jakob Nielsen

Nielsen is just out with a new Alertbox reporting on a gradual improvement in mobile website task completion since his first review in 2010. His conclusion: If mobile website usability improves at the same rate as it has for regular websites, the success rate for mobile will match today's regular website success in 2026.

Two major points might help you get to the Promised Land before 2026: design for a small screen and limit the number of features you put on that small screen. Read more from this expanded round of usability tests at bit.ly/aq2goa
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Recruiting Without Paper in 2011: Washington State Drops the Print View Book

Two years ago at the ACT Enrollment Planners Conference and the AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education I did pre-conference sessions on Recruiting without Paper. The iPad did not yet exist. We had some great, speculative conversations.

Most discussions since then acknowledge the increasing role of online communications, and add the note that print is not dead. The result: many electronic publishing budgets fail to grow while view books roll off the presses. Print might not be dead but there is still the key question of where to invest scarce resources when everything is not possible.

Washington State University has just taken a leadership position and replaced a print view book with an online version. Check the result when you follow the link to WS.You atadmission.wsu.edu/ 
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5 Killer Website Tips

Michael Klein at the University of Saskatchewan brought my Carewords partner Gerry McGovern to his campus last fall to talk about creating effective websites. This September he wrote about the 5 things that he remembers as most important from that visit.

From a marketing perspective, my favorite is number 4: Great websites are audience focused. Sounds easy but in truth few higher education sites reach that goal.

Read more about how to strengthen your website at bit.ly/nBzAnp
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Search Engine Optimization: Be Human

Horst Joepen reminds us in a Website Magazine article not to obsess about various fads to optimize our websites, from keyword stuffing to link frenzy. Instead, focus on the human side of things, especially writing good content and making it easy to find.

For a clear approach to an SEO plan for your website visit bit.ly/p8iv4i
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When Marketing Weakens Websites

Marketing weakens websites when promotional content interferes with easy access to the top tasks that web visitors want to complete on your site.

Web visitors are impatient people. They do not come to your website to read about your commitment to academic excellence, mission statements, or the detailed history of your school.

For more on how a top task orientation can improve the marketing strength of your website, see my new blog post at bit.ly/ou5tuL 
__________________________________ 
My Upcoming Conferences and Webinars in 2011

Attend an upcoming conference to share questions and answers with people like you who are building a competitive edge in higher education marketing. Join me at these events.

October 11-14, Australian International Education Conference, Adelaide: "Going Mobile: New Strategies to Promote Your Institution" pre-conference workshop. Review program, register atbit.ly/cpanFg 

October 20-21, Carol Aslanian Research - Education Dynamics, Chicago, IL: "Ramping Up Your Online Programs: Marketing Tactics that Work." Register at bit.ly/r9SMpH 

November 6, AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education, Chicago, IL: "Mobile Marketing in Higher Education: Getting Ready for 2012 and Beyond" pre-conference tutorial. Link to the program PDF and register at bit.ly/hzODPI 

November 8-10, J.Boye Conference Aarhus11, Aarhus, Denmark: Tutorial on top task analysis for mobile communication and regular session, "Websites and Brand Strength: Achieving a 90% Customer Rating." Review and register at aarhus11.jboye.com/ 

December 6, 8: Academic Impressions Webinars: "Writing Right for the Web: Social, Mobile, and Traditional Websites." Registration is open now at bit.ly/n5S83d. 

Improve your online marketing. Expand the writing, editing, and search marketing skills of people on your campus. Host a campus workshop on online marketing.

Contact me at bob@bobjohnsonconsulting.com
____________________________________________
That's All for Now 

Be a marketing champion on your campus.

Bob Johnson, Ph.D. (bob@bobjohnsonconsulting.com) 
President
Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC
__________________________________________
Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC

Increase your online marketing success with these 6 services. 
• Customer Carewords Research with Gerry McGovern
• Writing Right for the Web: Webinars, Conferences, Campus Workshops
• Marketing Communications Website Reviews 
• Competitive Website Reviews 
• SEO for Effective Marketing 
• Marketing Analysis for Google Analytics

Start now at www.bobjohnsonconsulting.com/whatwedo.html

September greetings to everyone as the first weeks of the new semester begin almost everywhere. Best wishes for happy, successful students in the weeks ahead.

On the professional development scene, there is still time to register for my September webinar on top task completion and website design at bit.ly/qzpAew

Look down below for upcoming conference sessions in October and November, from Australiato Chicago to Denmark. The season ends in December with updated webinars on Writing Right for the Web at bit.ly/n5S83d

Hope to see many of you in the months ahead. And now here are your marketing news and notes for September.
________________________________
Tuition Discounting with Groupon

Was it inevitable that someone would try this? 

National Louis University is offering a 57 percent tuition discount through Groupon for new students who enroll in Intro to Teaching, with the caveat that completing the course does not guarantee admission to the university. The discount reduces the usual price of $2,232 to $950.

Space available is limited. As of Sunday afternoon 18 registrations had been bought.

The offer is open until September 14. The Groupon ad is at gr.pn/qlDubB 
_______________________________
The Short Life of a Social Media Post

How long after you post it are people likely to see something on a social media site? According to stats reported by Search Engine Land, less than 3 hours for Twitter, just over 3 hours for Facebook, and nearly 7.5 hours for YouTube. After that, things get lost in the sea of ongoing posts.

What happens if you post the same item again on Twitter? Will many more people see it? Will many people complain if you repeat? Check the answers in the article at selnd.com/pyybyn 
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End of the Comprehensive Website

If you want to make people happy with your website, mobile or traditional, reduce content to what is needed for people to complete their top tasks on your site. By conservative estimates of people in my presentations this year, adopting that approach would reduce higher education content by at least 50 percent. How many pages do you remove from your website each year?

Will that ever happen anywhere in the web world? It just might. One major local government association in the United Kingdom is officially recommending adoption of a top task approach to members.

Read more from Gerry McGovern about the emerging top task revolution in website design atbit.ly/ov6mUK
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For-Profit and Not-For Profit Degree Completion Rates

How do adult students fare at 18 universities that specialize in programs for them? How much difference in degree completion rates is there between Regis University and Capella University? Between Charter Oak State College and Kaplan University?

Compare degree completion rates and much more for three schools at a time when you visit the College Choices for Adults website at bit.ly/q4yxKX
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5 Tips to Generate New Friends on Social Media

You may still find some people who tell you that the number of Facebook fans and Twitter followers you have does not mean anything. Gary Stein disagrees in a column that makes a good case that while the sheer number of social media friends is not the only important factor, from a marketing perspective being ignored is not the best path to brand success.

Gary offers 5 ways to build your base of friends. I had two favorites: use email to invite all your contacts to be a friend of your school and make sure links to your social media sites are on all outgoing communications.

Read the rationale for why more friends are better and review the other three recommendations when you visit bit.ly/qTniYm 

By the way, follow me on Twitter at bit.ly/njoeBx 
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Professional School Email Admissions Newsletter

The Boston University School of Management is a marketing-oriented place, from the website home page itself to continuing online engagement with potential students.

The September edition of the email newsletter includes "7 Keys to Finding an MBA program that fits your personal business plan" to prominent invites to join School of Management social media sites on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Read a strong example of how to cultivate prospects online at bit.ly/mWFqg8 
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Presidents vs. Public on Online Education

Our friends at Pew Research have another study that marketers should read: public opinion is not nearly as positive about the value of online courses compared to classroom courses as are university presidents. Among people under 30 years, 67 percent believe online instruction is inferior.

What does this mean for schools moving to expand offerings in online programs? What enrollment expectations does your president have?

Marketing suggestion: given public skepticism, do not take expanding online enrollment for granted. Plan now to expand positive experience stories from your current online students.

Visit the Pew report on The Digital Revolution and Higher Education at bit.ly/q1O3Bd 
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7 Ways to Reduce Your Online Conversions

If you are investing in any type of advertising to bring people to a website, read "Hidden Friction: The 7 Silent Killers of Conversion" by Austin McCraw to increase your ROI.

Two sample killers: offering more than one action option and using confusing color combinations on your landing pages.

Learn more about these and find the other 5 elements at bit.ly/mWlJMa 
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Writing Right for the Web: University Magazine Example

Johns Hopkins University knows how to do an online magazine. The latest issue done right for the web is at bit.ly/Fgt37

Scroll down to the bottom of the first page to a link to a Digital Replica Edition presenting the print version via flip technology. Which version do you think people are more likely to read?
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Jakob Nielsen on Mobile Web Content

If you are about to start planning for a mobile website on your campus, add the August Alertbox report "Defer Secondary Content When Writing for Mobile Users" to the list of required reading.

The question is simple: How much content is too much content? The answer is also simple: "Short is too long for mobile. Ultra-short rules the day."

Get everyone on your mobile website team to visit bit.ly/pftKhp
_____________________________________
My Upcoming Conferences and Webinars in 2011

Attend an upcoming conference to share questions and answers with people like you who are building a competitive edge in higher education marketing. Join me at these events.

September 28, Magna Publications, Webinar: "Top Task Completion: The Key to Marketing in the Mobile Era." Register now at bit.ly/qzpAew 

October 11-14, Australian International Education Conference, Adelaide: "Going Mobile: New Strategies to Promote Your Institution" pre-conference workshop. Review program, register atbit.ly/cpanFg 

October 20-21, Carol Aslanian Research - Education Dynamics, Chicago, IL: "Ramping Up Your Online Programs: Marketing Tactics that Work." Register at bit.ly/r9SMpH

November 6, AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education, Chicago, IL: "Mobile Marketing in Higher Education: Getting Ready for 2012 and Beyond" pre-conference tutorial. Link to the program PDF and register at bit.ly/hzODPI 

November 8-10, J.Boye Conference Aarhus11, Aarhus, Denmark: Tutorial on top task analysis for mobile communication and regular session, "Websites and Brand Strength: Achieving a 90% Customer Rating." Review and register at aarhus11.jboye.com/ 

December 6, 8: Academic Impressions Webinars: "Writing Right for the Web: Social, Mobile, and Traditional Websites." Registration is open now at bit.ly/n5S83d. 

Improve your online marketing. Expand the writing, editing, and search marketing skills of people on your campus. Host a campus workshop on online marketing.

Contact me at bob@bobjohnsonconsulting.com
____________________________________________
That's All for Now 

Be a marketing champion on your campus.

Bob Johnson, Ph.D. (bob@bobjohnsonconsulting.com) 
President
Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC
__________________________________________
Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC

Increase your online marketing success with these 6 services. 
• Customer Carewords Research with Gerry McGovern
• Writing Right for the Web: Webinars, Conferences, Campus Workshops
• Marketing Communications Website Reviews 
• Competitive Website Reviews 
• SEO for Effective Marketing 
• Marketing Analysis for Google Analytics

Start now at www.bobjohnsonconsulting.com/whatwedo.html

Hello from San Antonio where I am doing a pre-conference mobile marketing workshop today at eduWeb2011. After that, time to learn new things and to meet old friends and make new ones on the River Walk. 

A special welcome to new subscribers who joined at the San Diego, Chicago, and New York City conferences these past two weeks. 

The summer conference season is about over, but fall is soon upon us. Check 5 new presentations at the end of this newsletter. Things begin with a September webinar, "Top Task Completion: The Key to Marketing in the Mobile Era" at bit.ly/qzpAew and continue through "Writing Right for the Web" in December.

And now, here are your marketing news and notes for August. 
_____________________________________
Mobile Marketing & Student Recruitment

How are you using mobile marketing in student recruitment? My workshop from the ACT Enrollment Planners Conference is online now at slidesha.re/qiHdxH minus the questions and comments from the 50 or so people who attended. Thanks to everyone for a great two hours.

Examples from higher education range from texting to QR codes to top task navigation and more. 
_____________________________________
E-Expectations for 2011

The always eagerly awaited 2011 edition of the Noel-Levitz E-Expectations survey is online now.

The first thing to note: most things do not change much from year to year. The survey found again that about 20 percent of college-bound high school students will drop a college from their early exploration list if their first experience on the website is not good. 

And the single most important content area for students and their parents remains information about academic programs. How easy is it to find an alpha list of your programs? And what do people find when they travel from that list to a program of special interest? Does your content strategy address this primary marketing element?

Is text messaging in the mobile arena important? Do not jump to the wrong conclusion from the information that most students are not eager about texting early in the recruitment cycle. Focus, instead, on starting an early relationship with the ones who are ready to do that.

Read the full report at bit.ly/os20Go 
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NACUBO and Private Sector Tuition Revenue

Imagine this: the average tuition discount rate in the non-profit sector of higher education in the U.S. is now 42.4 percent. That means, of course, that many colleges and universities are discounting tuition at even higher levels in order to maintain enrollment.

For most schools, that not a sustainable business model. But some may adapt to it. Ten years ago, for instance, I knew of two places that were living with tuition discount rates of over 50 percent.

Read more about the reaction to tuition discounting at the annual meeting of the National Association of College and University Business Officers at bit.ly/n5wIvx
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The Impact of "Discountitus" on Brand Image

For more on the brand perils of relying on a discounting strategy to maintain market position, read the Al Ries column "Discountitus, the Disease That's Sweeping the Marketing Community" at bit.ly/p84yHe 
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Video in Your Marketing Plans

The folks at the Pew Internet and American Life project are out with a new research report on the huge use of video by adults in the U.S.: 71 percent of people online use YouTube and other video sites.

Forget YouTube for a moment and consider instead the content strategy message for your website: what content that you now have in text might be better presented in video format?

Student and alumni testimonials come immediately to mind. How many of these might you change to videos about 2 minutes (or less) in length? Words are powerful website elements. But personal experiences from real people are best told in video vignettes.

Ask for increased video resources for your website after you read the Pew report atbit.ly/ruxNXR 
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Can You Verify Your Marketing Claims?

A recent court decision defeated an attempt by the for-profit sector of higher education to strike down the Department of Education effort to more closely monitor marketing claims made by colleges and universities.

The ruling will have implications for everyone in higher education. How can you support, for instance, a statement on your website that a particular academic program is the "gold standard" for programs in that area? How can you demonstrate your commitment to "academic excellence"?

Learn more about the U.S. District Court decision at bit.ly/rgsmnu 
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FAQs as Useless Navigational Device

Many websites attempt to use Frequently Asked Question pages to help visitors find content that they cannot find using normal navigation.

Gerry McGovern makes a strong case against the utility of FAQ pages at bit.ly/ipPmhR

Check your FAQ pages. If "When were you founded?" and "What is your mission?" are on your list, you have a problem. If you know that certain questions are indeed often asked, change your navigation to make that content prominent on your website. And then remove the FAQ page itself.
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Advertising on Mobile Devices: Annoying and Ignored

Much of the ad world is buzzing these days about increasing budgets for mobile advertising. If you are thinking about adding mobile ads to your marketing mix, plan to track the results very closely.

A recent research report reviews how people respond to any form of mobile advertising. Response to text advertisements (which I assume people have agreed in advance to receive) is highest at 6 percent, while instant message advertising is lowest at 2 percent.

Find more details from the survey at bit.ly/qHqm6G
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Reducing the Cost of an Undergraduate Degree

Does higher education truly have an insatiable appetite for money as Derek Bok once claimed? Is there any way of significantly reducing the cost of an undergraduate degree in this time of scarce financial resources?

The Economist reports on suggestions from a University of Oklahoma professor that include: reducing degree time to 3 years, separating the cost of research from undergraduate tuition, and increasing class size. The possible result: an undergraduate degree that costs less than $7,000.

Is this crazy? Decide for yourself after reading more at econ.st/qOmnL2 
_____________________________________
Associate VP for Marketing Opportunity

Albion College is searching for an Associate Vice President for Marketing, reporting to the VP for Advancement and "responsible for developing, leading, and implementing a strategic integrated marketing plan."

More position details and requirements are online at bit.ly/odu3fA 
_____________________________________
My Upcoming Conferences and Webinars in 2011

Attend an upcoming conference to share questions and answers with people like you who are building a competitive edge in higher education marketing. Join me at these events.

August 1-3, eduWeb2011, San Antonio, TX: Pre-conference workshop: "Mobile Marketing in Higher Education: Challenges and Strategies for 2011." Visit www.eduwebconference.com/ 

September 28, Magna Publications, Webinar: "Top Task Completion: The Key to Marketing in the Mobile Era." Register now at bit.ly/qzpAew 

October 20-21, Carol Aslanian Research - Education Dynamics, Chicago, IL: Marketing Online Programs. Mark your calendar. Details are coming soon.

November 6, AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education, Chicago, IL: "Mobile Marketing in Higher Education: Getting Ready for 2012 and Beyond" pre-conference tutorial. Link to the program PDF and register at bit.ly/hzODPI 

November 8-10, J.Boye Conference Aarhus11, Aarhus, Denmark: Pre-conference tutorial on top task analysis for mobile communication and regular session, "Websites and Brand Strength: Achieving a 90% Customer Rating." Review and register at aarhus11.jboye.com/ 

December 6, 8: Academic Impressions Webinars: "Writing Right for the Web: Social, Mobile, and Traditional Websites." Registration opens soon.

Improve your online marketing. Expand the writing, editing, and search marketing skills of people on your campus. Host a campus workshop on online marketing.

Contact me at bob@bobjohnsonconsulting.com
____________________________________________
That's All for Now 

Be a marketing champion on your campus.

Bob Johnson, Ph.D. (bob@bobjohnsonconsulting.com) 
President
Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC
__________________________________________
Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC

Increase your online marketing success with these 6 services. 
• Customer Carewords Research with Gerry McGovern
• Writing Right for the Web: Webinars, Conferences, Campus Workshops
• Marketing Communications Website Reviews 
• Competitive Website Reviews 
• Content Copywriting Services 
• Marketing Analysis for Google Analytics

Start now at www.bobjohnsonconsulting.com/whatwedo.html

The first real days of summer are here in Michigan. Fingers crossed that everyone plagued by unusual weather these last few weeks has a better experience between now and Labor Day. If you have summer conferences in mind, know that the early registration discount for eduWeb2011 is open until Friday, July 8. Register at bit.ly/2B3ozP Two special days on Writing Right for the Web may be just what you need to create more effective web content. Check the program, including an expanded SEO section, at bit.ly/gbYAu4 Once Writing Right is over, I fly from San Diego to NYC for Carol Aslanian's latest conference designed to help you boost graduate enrollments. Program details are at bit.ly/mkBLfp Looking forward to meeting many of you this summer. Travel well. And now, here are your marketing news and notes for July. ___________________________________ Highest, Lowest Increases in Tuition Department of Education is out with new interactive website pages that let visitors see which schools in various sectors of higher education have had the highest and lowest tuition increase rates over the past two years. Increase rates, of course, are relative to the starting place. But a visit is still worthwhile to put discussions of tuition rate increases on your campus in perspective with what is happening elsewhere. You can also check the schools with highest and lowers sticker prices and net costs after financial aid, state by state. Take time to note the numbers at t.co/xW5v0FB ___________________________________ Mobile Marketing: Tablets vs. Smartphones Before you shift resources too quickly to web content for Android or iPad tablets, review the new report from the Pew Internet and American Life project. About 8 percent of Americans owned a tablet device in May, up just a little from 7 percent in January. Defying early forecasts, e-reader ownership is growing much more rapidly than tablet devices.  The lesson: continue to expect far more people to access your website from their smartphones than from tablets for the next couple of years if not longer. Check the mobile access trend monthly or quarterly in your analytics programs. Accelerate your plans for creating a mobile-friendly website ASAP.  The latest report is at bit.ly/kNh1QQ _____________________________________ Effective Writing for Search Engine Optimization Content that keeps people on a website page longer is more important now with changes in the search factors used by Google to rank websites. Simply put, if people stay on your web pages longer and visit more pages, your SEO level may increase. With that in mind, download "SEO Copywriting Made Simple" at t.co/wqFwyF2 Unlike most "free" offers this one does not ask for name, rank, and phone number. _____________________________________ Increase Enrollment Conversion with Personal Academic Program Videos Recruiters know that interest in academic programs is high on the list with potential students when they start exploring colleges. And so it makes great good sense to continue to focus on the preferred academic program right through to final enrollment. That is what what the Newhouse School at Syracuse University is doing, using successful alumni to welcome new students by name. It is a great way to add the growing power of video to the marketing communications mix. Watch a video when you visit bit.ly/lYCWP5  _____________________________________ Retiring Dean of Admissions Details the "Sea Change" Realities in student recruitment have changed dramatically over the past 10 years. This article by John Christensen at St. John's College does a marvelous job of noting just what those changes have been without making it sound as if he is escaping the barbarian hordes just before they breach the walls of civilization. The most significant, from my view: Admissions offices no longer oversee the flow of information to prospective students and the increasingly difficult challenge of increasing financial aid while controlling tuition discount rates. Find your favorite change at chroni.cl/mg3bM8 _______________________________ Higher Education Impact: Increased Reluctance to Spend Families with incomes under $100K continue to show reluctance to spend, fueled by wage stagnation and restricted credit access. A recent AdAge article reviews companies doing well and those not doing so well in today's economy. It does not take a major effort to substitute various colleges and universities for the firms listed in the article. At risk: private sector colleges with a high percentage of students from families in the $50K to $100K income range. Enrollment stability is possible, but how high can tuition discounting go to maintain it? The AdAge story is at bit.ly/kLuUfY For more data, see also the Yahoo Chart of the Day comparing family income levels and public sector tuition over the last decade at yhoo.it/jvpVl4 _____________________________________ QR Codes: City University of New York Gets It Right QR codes slowly are increasing their advertising presence in the U.S. overall and in higher education. If you plan to use them, do not make the mistake of taking people from your QR code to a traditional website landing page where they have to flick fingers to make the text large enough to read. That is guaranteed to reduce conversion. The School of Professional Studies at City University of New York knows how to do it right. Their QR code landing page lets you immediately see the key academic programs advertised in a recent airline magazine. More content about your program of interest is a quick click away.  See the CUNY example when you visit my article on "5 Tips for Making Your Website Mobile-Friendly" at bit.ly/kJa4Yg _____________________________________ Anatomy of a Disaster: Jakob Nielsen on WSJ iPhone App To see how a person's experience on a website can cause serious harm to a brand, read the latest Jakob Nielsen Alertbox report at bit.ly/m38Bmy  A key lesson: ratings at the app store represent social media in action. In this case, ratings from people who were already WSJ subscribers limit prospects for new subscribers, the intended purpose of the app.  _____________________________________ Killing Brand Identity on a Campus Visit Have you invested $$$ lately in creating and promoting a distinctive brand identity? If so, compare the core content of your campus visit talk with the brand-killing "Campus Tours Distressingly Alike" example given by Carole Philips on her blog at bit.ly/mbu7jv _____________________________________ Content Strategy and Top Tasks Content strategy is the hot topic of 2011 to increase website effectiveness.  Creating a content strategy plan? Be sure to include top task identification for your most important audiences as the first step. If you want a website with high marketing impact, identify first the top tasks people want to do on your site. Then create content and navigation that makes is easy to complete the top tasks. How to start? Gerry McGovern offers 7 top task management tips at bit.ly/ms2zaT  _______________________________ More Competition is Goal of U.K. Higher Education Plan The British government is out with a plan to increase competition for students at the top of the academic ladder, with the prospect that if some schools are especially successful others will shrink in size. If you think folks in Washington get overly involved in the future of higher education in the U.S. you will be happy for our War of Independence after you read the details at bit.ly/ml3SWf _____________________________________ International Student Recruitment Websites If you recruit international students, download a copy of my Customer Carewords webinar (slides and voice) reviewing 10+ examples of effective websites and introducing new social media elements. Examples are from sites in Australia, Canada, Norway, Sweden, U.K. and U.S. The show is at bit.ly/bqsV _____________________________________ My Upcoming Conferences and Webinars in 2011 Attend an upcoming conference to share questions and answers with people like you who are building a competitive edge in higher education marketing. Join me at these events. July 20-22, ACT Enrollment Planners Conference, Chicago, IL: Pre-conference workshop: "Mobile Marketing and Student Recruitment: What's Hot and What's Not in 2011" and regular conference session, "Explore a 90% Positive Website Rating by Future Students & Parents." Register at www.act.org/epc/  July 26-27, Academic Impressions Conference, San Diego, CA: "Writing Right for the Web: Improving Your Institution's Web Content." Program at bit.ly/gbYAu4  July 28-29, Education Dynamics - Carol Aslanian Conference Marketing Graduate Programs to Working Professionals, New York, NY: Sessions on mobile marketing and best website practices for graduate recruiting. Details at bit.ly/mkBLfp  August 1-3, eduWeb2011, San Antonio, TX: Pre-conference workshop: "Mobile Marketing in Higher Education: Challenges and Strategies for 2011." Visit www.eduwebconference.com/  September 28, Magna Publications, Webinar. Details available soon at www.magnapubs.com/  November 6, AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education, Chicago, IL: "Mobile Marketing" pre-conference tutorial. November 8-10, J.Boye Conference Aarhus11, Aarhus, Denmark: Pre-conference tutorial on top task analysis for mobile communication and regular session, "Websites and Brand Strength: Achieving a 90% Customer Rating." Review and register at aarhus11.jboye.com/  Improve your online marketing. Expand the writing, editing, and search marketing skills of people on your campus. Host a campus workshop on online marketing. Contact me at bob@bobjohnsonconsulting.com ____________________________________________ That's All for Now  Be a marketing champion on your campus. Bob Johnson, Ph.D. (bob@bobjohnsonconsulting.com)  President Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC __________________________________________ Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC Increase your online marketing success with these 6 services.  • Customer Carewords Research with Gerry McGovern • Writing Right for the Web: Webinars, Conferences, Campus Workshops • Marketing Communications Website Reviews  • Competitive Website Reviews  • Content Copywriting Services

Are you ready for the summer conference season? 

Mine starts with SUNYCUAD this week and ends with eduWeb2011 in August. Check the program details at the end of this newsletter and pick the one that best helps your marketing goals. I am hoping to meet many of you in person sometime in these next three months.

Writing Right for the Web is an especially favorite topic of mine. That is why I am excited about the new two-day web writing conference this July. Webinars are fine, but in-person conferences allow for much better exercises and overall interaction. Check the details at bit.ly/gbYAu4

Wednesday will be a fun day at SUNYCUAD. We four "core faculty" folk are opening with a panel discussion on how many of today's individual SUNY institutions will exist in 2025. Roll that challenge around in your mind. Will your school exist in 15 years? If so, just how different will it be from what you know today?

And now here are your marketing news and notes for June. 
___________________________________
Georgetown Report on Earnings by 171 Academic Majors

The Economic Value of College Majors report from Georgetown University is one of the more buzz-creating reports of this year.

No room to even attempt a summary here. You can select from 5 different approaches to the data, including downloading the nearly 200 page full report. My favorite was an easy-to-use interactive table to check the programs of most importance to your marketing goals.

Select from the options at cew.georgetown.edu/whatsitworth/ 
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Marketing for Hispanics: 10 "Required Living" Tips

How can you best understand what will work in marketing to Hispanics?

That question motivated Rochelle Newman-Carrasco to prepare a list of 10 ways to understand how to best do marketing communications with Hispanics.

The unconventional list starts with paying attention to Hispanic theatre productions and ends with thinking like a kindergarten student. 

See the 8 points in between those at bit.ly/lG4l23 
_______________________________
Tuition Discounting Hits All-Time High in 2010

Many private non-profit sector schools have been plagued with a nasty dilemma since the financial crash: increase tuition discounting or accept lower enrollment. Often, the response has been to increase discounting and live with lower net tuition revenue.

A new NACUBO report shows the average tuition discount rate at the highest ever: 42.4 percent in 2010. I will bet that is higher for 2011.

Read a detailed review of the report, based on responses from 381 schools, at bit.ly/kC47Ab
__________________________________
International Student Growth: New Challenges and Solutions

How are different campuses coping with surges in international students at the undergraduate level? How do the challenges differ from country to country?

Those questions are reviewed in a detailed Chronicle of Higher Education article that notes, for instance, differences between students from India (used to only one exam at the end of a course) and students from China (used to never sharing a room as only children.) 

Read the article and the comments that follow at bit.ly/jynSgy
___________________________________
Is Brand Advertising Dead?

Al Ries warns that brand advertising is close to death, replaced by promotion of specific products produced by the brand organization. 

This isn't completely new. Think Proctor and Gamble vs. Crest. But it focused my attention back to an old but still current discussion: will student recruitment benefit more from higher attention to specific academic programs or to the whole university that offers them.

The answer, of course, varies. Revisit an important issue after you read the Ries column atbit.ly/ka3TVw
____________________________________
Is Your University President Too Complacent re the Future?

Daniel Yankelovich reviews how the higher education world has changed since 2008 and asks if enough higher education presidents truly grasp the changes needed in the future. Most especially he points to stagnant or declining middle-class income levels that will not allow annual increases in tuition levels to continue.

Decide if your president is complacent or not after you read the Yankelovich Chronicle of Higher Education article at bit.ly/lQkVh6
____________________________________
Twitter Grows: New Pew Internet Survey Report

The Pew Internet people have just reported strong growth in Twitter use among adults 25-34, with special strength among African-Americans and Hispanics. About half of Twitter use is from mobile devices.

It is not yet strong enough to play an essential role in recruitment communication programs, but plan to continue tracking Twitter use and reassess how you might use it in 2012 if the upward trend continues.

Download the full report or read it online after you visit the Overview page at bit.ly/mwmzOp 
_____________________________________
Demographics of Social Media Users

AdAge offers graphics on who uses the most popular social media sites in the U.S. and around the world. 

Sites included: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and the ever shrinking MySpace. Missing but should be included: YouTube. 

Check the charts and the comments at bit.ly/luBzj6
_____________________________________
Writing Right for the Web: Questions, Answers

Check the answers to two questions (FAQ links, use of numbers) from my May "Writing Right for the Web" events on my blog at bit.ly/jLma1O 
_____________________________________
Print and Electronics in Higher Education

A new survey of college students reports that while most do not yet have tablet devices like the iPad, 73 percent of those who do prefer reading text books on the tablet over the print versions.

That obviously is a huge majority. And we can expect use of tablets to increase quickly over the next few years. Ponder that in your next discussion of "Yes, but print is not dead or going away soon." Help yourself define "soon" as you explore further at bit.ly/kEgULc
_____________________________________
Gainful Employment Rule

Did the for-profit sector win or lose with the long-awaited "gainful employment" ruling from the Department of Education released last week? On balance, I say they won and demonstrated the power of well-funded lobbying.

Explore the implications for higher education funding for everyone when you read the report atbit.ly/jnu7Uz
_____________________________________
My Upcoming Conferences and Webinars in 2011

Attend an upcoming conference to share questions and answers with people like you who are building a competitive edge in higher education marketing. Join me at these events.

June 8-10, SUNY CUAD Annual Conference, Saratoga Springs, NY: "Mobile Marketing in Higher Education: Challenges & Opportunities" and "Future Students and Their Parents: Exploring a 90% Positive Website Rating." Visit www.sunycuad.org/annual_conference 

June 14, Customer Carewords Webinar: "Recruiting International Students: 10 Top Website Features." Register for this free webinar at bit.ly/i7Zdjs

July 20-22, ACT Enrollment Planners Conference, Chicago, IL: Pre-conference workshop: "Mobile Marketing and Student Recruitment: What's Hot and What's Not in 2011" and regular conference session, "Explore a 90% Positive Website Rating by Future Students & Parents." Register at www.act.org/epc/ 

July 26-27, Academic Impressions Conference, San Diego, CA: "Writing Right for the Web: Improving Your Institution's Web Content." Program at bit.ly/gbYAu4 

July 28-29, Education Dynamics - Carol Aslanian Conference Marketing Graduate Programs to Working Professionals, New York, NY: Sessions on mobile marketing and best website practices for graduate recruiting. Details at bit.ly/mkBLfp 

August 1-3, eduWeb2011, San Antonio, TX: Pre-conference workshop: "Mobile Marketing in Higher Education: Challenges and Strategies for 2011." Visit www.eduwebconference.com/ 

Improve your online marketing. Expand the writing, editing, and search marketing skills of people on your campus. Host a campus workshop on online marketing.

Contact me at bob@bobjohnsonconsulting.com
____________________________________________
That's All for Now 

Be a marketing champion on your campus.

Bob Johnson, Ph.D. (bob@bobjohnsonconsulting.com) 
President
Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC
__________________________________________
Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC

Increase your online marketing success with these 6 services. 
• Customer Carewords Research with Gerry McGovern
• Writing Right for the Web: Webinars, Conferences, Campus Workshops
• Marketing Communications Website Reviews 
• Competitive Website Reviews 
• Content Copywriting Services 
• Marketing Analysis for Google Analytics

Start now at www.bobjohnsonconsulting.com/whatwedo.html

Greetings to everyone as spring flowers start to bloom here in Michigan. I hope the enrollment deposits expected at U.S. universities will arrive in good order this week.

If I had to pick a presentation topic as a personal favorite it would be 'Writing Right for the Web." That is why I am especially excited to join with Academic Impressions to present a new two day conference on that topic in July. Check the details at bit.ly/gbYAu4

If a "Writing Right" webinar better fits your plans, we have a new version of that popular session starting May 19 at bit.ly/fD4WtR

Mobile marketing continues as a topic of high interest this year. I will be doing workshops on that at J.BoyePhiladelphia2011 this week and later in the summer at the ACT EPC and eduWeb2011 events. If you have success stories to share now with your colleagues at these events, contact me at bob@bobjohnsonconsulting.com

And now here are your marketing news and notes for May.
_____________________________________
Reinventing Higher Education: A New Book

Reinventing Higher Education: The Promise of Innovation is a new collection of essays just published by Harvard Education Press. While I would not usually recommend something that I have not yet seen myself, this book will likely get much attention in the weeks ahead.

The promo blurbs are from very establishment folk indeed, including the president of Duke University. Is this a guide to how the old order can reform itself and survive in this new era of scare resources and increased scrutiny of higher education?

Part of me hates sending readers to an 8-page PDF to review chapter titles and authors and read the introduction but you can get there from the "Look Inside the Book" link on the announcement page at bit.ly/fEdrLo
_____________________________________
Price Pressure Continues to Grow

Higher education will have to react in a major way to public concern for the cost of earning a bachelor's degree. Increasing tuition to compensate for reduced public sector financial support is not a politically acceptable solution for any but the most selective institutions.

Expect pricing to be an even more important marketing element tomorrow than it is today.

Can expansion of 2 + 2 programs with community colleges and an expansion of online programs provide a bachelor's degree for about $10,000 in a public university system?

That solution to the higher education cost dilemma is getting serious study in Texas now. The Chronicle reports details at bit.ly/mh6Igm
_____________________________________
Mobile Communication Strategy at William and Mary

Without a doubt, this is one of the best articles describing one university's mobile communication strategy that I have read.

Key points include the need for simple design and content valued by your audience (which of course requires asking the audiences what to include).

If you are involved in anything "mobile" on your campus, do not miss the article by Susan Evans, director of creative services at the College of William and Mary, at bit.ly/dXC4Jw
_____________________________________
Mobile Marketing: Selecting Mobile App Alternatives

Marketing with mobile apps today requires at least iPhone and Android versions if reach is your primary goal.

If you have a special interest in enrolling people already working in health care, finance or law, then you had best narrow your focus to Blackberry and Windows users.

Mobile Marketer gives an overview of the various platforms and their expected market strength over the next year or two at bit.ly/fJrZB5
_____________________________________
Marketing to Young Adults

If you are recruiting people to graduate programs, recent survey research about attitudes to higher education might give insights into redesigning how learning takes place to gain competitive advantage against traditional programs.

People 18 to 24 year olds are more than a little skeptical of the value of traditional classroom teaching while placing high value on self-learning and internships. About 36 percent said the current higher education system was not relevant to their values.

Read the report on "Young Adults' Perspectives on American Higher Education" at bit.ly/eSvTJk
______________________________________
20 Year Evolution of Web Design: Infographic

Sometimes a quick look back at history can help us move forward to tomorrow.

If you have an interest in how web design techniques and priorities have changed since 1991, spend a few minutes with the Infographic from KISSmetrics at on.mash.to/i5208q
_____________________________________
Can Software Robots Replace Academic Advisors?

We all know the quality of academic advising varies widely. Now Austin Peay State University has introduced an automated system to help students identify and schedule the right courses better than real people.

The system, says the provost and math professor who created it, will help students find courses they might not have considered in the past.

Needless to say, reactions in 53 comments to article run the proverbial gamut.

Check to see if you think this is part of the future of academe at bit.ly/dTbwI1
_____________________________________
Using RateMyProfessor to Pick Courses: Advice from a Student

How do students use RateMyProfessor to select their courses?

Chance Carmichael, a student at the University of Kansas, uses ratings to pick his courses and professors. He compares the comments from students about their experiences to those found on Amazon and advises his fellow students to use ratings them with common sense and to read the detailed comments as well as the numerical scores.

This is interesting advice from one student to others at bit.ly/iw0l0t
_______________________________________
Mobile App or Mobile Website?

That is a popular question at my mobile marketing conference sessions, especially when staff time and money are limited. The answer is not the same for everyone.

From a marketing perspective, a mobile-friendly website is the best investment if forced to pick from one or the other. But in an ideal world, apps have a place in the marketing mix.

Tony Long spells out three decision points to consider, including how often the content requires updating, when deciding whether to build a mobile app or not in a Mobile Marketer column at bit.ly/hYTK7D
_____________________________________
Best Words to Link to Social Media: 11 Suggestions

Simple, conventional language is almost always best in online communications.

Best words to use to link to social media: Social Media. Not such good words: Connect with Us.

Check a collection of 11 recommendations from higher education web folk for the best words to use in linking to social media sites from regular websites in my blog post at bit.ly/hqsH0Y
_____________________________________
My Upcoming Conferences and Webinars in 2011

Attend an upcoming conference to share questions and answers with people like you who are building a competitive edge in higher education marketing. Join me at these events.

May 19, May 26, Academic Impressions Webinars: "Writing Right for the Web: Social Media, Mobile, and Traditional Sites." Register for one or both in 2-part series at bit.ly/fD4WtR

June 8-10, SUNY CUAD Annual Conference, Saratoga Springs, NY: "Mobile Marketing in Higher Education: Challenges & Opportunities" and "Future Students and Their Parents: Exploring a 90% Positive Website Rating." Visit www.sunycuad.org/annual_conference

June 14, Customer Carewords Webinar: "Recruiting International Students: 10 Top Website Features." Register for this free webinar at bit.ly/i7Zdjs

July 20-22, ACT Enrollment Planners Conference, Chicago, IL: Pre-conference workshop: "Mobile Marketing and Student Recruitment: What's Hot and What's Not in 2011" and regular conference session, "Explore a 90% Positive Website Rating by Future Students & Parents." Register at www.act.org/epc/

July 26-27, Academic Impressions Conference, San Diego, CA: "Writing Right for the Web: Improving Your Institution's Web Content." Program at bit.ly/gbYAu4

July 28-29, Education Dynamics - Carol Aslanian Conference Marketing Graduate Programs to Working Professionals, New York, NY: Sessions on mobile marketing and best website practices for graduate recruiting. Details at bit.ly/mkBLfp

August 1-3, eduWeb2011, San Antonio, TX: Pre-conference workshop: "Mobile Marketing in Higher Education: Challenges and Strategies for 2011." Visit www.eduwebconference.com/

Improve your online marketing. Expand the writing, editing, and search marketing skills of people on your campus. Host a campus workshop on online marketing.

Contact me at bob@bobjohnsonconsulting.com
____________________________________________
That's All for Now

Be a marketing champion on your campus.

Bob Johnson, Ph.D. (bob@bobjohnsonconsulting.com)
President
Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC
__________________________________________
Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC

Increase your online marketing success with these 6 services.
• Customer Carewords Research with Gerry McGovern
• Writing Right for the Web: Webinars, Conferences, Campus Workshops
• Marketing Communications Website Review
• Competitive Website Reviews
• Content Copywriting Services
• Marketing Analysis for Google Analytics

Start now at www.bobjohnsonconsulting.com/whatwedo.html