Content is one of the most misunderstood communications concepts out there. Do I mean newsletters? Do I mean blogs? Do I mean video blogs? Actually, you might be surprised to learn that content is all about lead generation. For Taylor University to continue to position themselves as a leader in a Christ-centered college experience, the content must match the needs of the prospective students and fit neatly into the lead process.
Your lead generation process and online communications program should be designed to specifically engage, attract, and convert prospective students from shopper to student.
Six steps to help with the conversion of prospective students:
1. Prayer: Too often we forget to pray about business related situations. Before establishing a formal content and engagement strategy, we should ask God for His direction and that the Holy Spirit would guide the decisions made for His kingdom. After all, the University exists for His Glory.
2. Give them a reason to stay on the site beyond a digital brochure: The web site should have a prominent and lasting call to action that gives them a reason to stay on the site and opt-in to receive on-going information. For example, many organizations have found success by publishing a white paper or resource guide. Taylor may want to consider putting together a digital Christian college resource guide offering students tools and resources to help in their decision. For example an engaging banner that says: "Choosing the right college isn't easy - download this free resource guide to choose the right path for your future with Christ."
Who does this well? Familylife.com: http://www.familylife.com/
3. Stay in touch the way they want to be communicated with: After you have your call to action nailed down and in action, you will also want to think through the whole lead process. They have filled out their information and we know that they are interested but now what? How do we continue to stay in touch? One approach is to offer alerts anytime new information is available related to the preferences they specified in the opt-in form (here is what a really good one looks like). Another option might be to offer an instant chat option where a prospective student can ask their questions on the fly to real students who are living and studying there each day.
Who does this well? Worldvision.org: http://www.worldvision.org/
4. Nurture them throughout the decision-making process: High School students are inundated with mail from colleges usually beginning junior year. Taylor University should have a defined lead nurturing program. These are students who are interested but are on the fence. Obviously, not all students will choose Taylor and attracting the right kind of student is very important. Nurture this relationship with a follow-up communication addressing their specific needs and determining what else they might need to help in their decision. Some colleges are beginning to use a landing pages solution to personalize the experience which is a solid outreach option for this stage.
Who does this well? Christianity Today: http://www.christianitytoday.com/free/features/newsletters.html
5. Ensure timely and relevant communication: When we get email or a communication that is at the wrong time and about the wrong topic, we delete it - plain and simple. Our inbox is a personal space and so is the inbox of prospective students. It is vital to respect their preferences and listen to what their needs are in regard to when they want to hear from Taylor and what they want to hear about.
Who does this well? Billy Graham Evangelistic Association: https://www.billygraham.org/default.asp
6. Close the loop: Once a student has made a decision to enter Taylor University, ensure that the back-end experience aligns with the front-end. Once that is secured, the online content should still be driven based on their preferences that they set-forth at the beginning of the relationship. Following up with a survey on their experience and determining how we could have better helped them reach a decision is vital to understanding the needs of prospective students.
Who does this well? Pepperdine University: http://www.pepperdine.edu/
These tips sound great but implementing them around a larger strategy must become the next step. Deploying this lead generation process requires a full "think-through" so that any holes in the process can be identified and other departments can be pulled into the loop.
In Christ,
Todd
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