Marketing your school wisely: paying attention to how you promote your school can save money, improve admissions and lead to a better incoming class

Matrix: The Magazine for Leaders in Education, Sept, 2001 by David Vaczek

5. Failing to get faculty and staff on board. Kappler recalls a recent incident at a university where, when the vice chancellor for student affairs at a faculty senate meeting told the group they would help with recruitment, a faculty member rose to say that it wasn't in their job description. "After a long pause, the vice chancellor said: `If you don't help us, some of you won't be here next year.' It was a scare tactic, but it worked," Kappler says.

It is one thing to form an integrated marketing committee made up of faculty, staff and the relevant department heads. But the group must also align behind clearly defined programs and goals.

"You need to create an environment on campus in which everybody--faculty, coaches, the music department, financial aid--feels responsible," says Peter Bryant, Noel-Levitz Consultants senior vice president.

Students visiting campuses often want to meet with faculty. But rather than provide that access, tour guides take them to "what they think they would like to see"--the commons, student center, the athletic facilities, says Merritt.

6. Underestimating the value of the Web for conveying information and interactive communication. Static Web sites featuring "brochure ware" lose visitors when they can't easily find specific information. At Villanova.edu, teens conduct "good substantive conversations," requesting more information, applying, getting their decisions and making deposits. "The response to our Web site has been overwhelmingly positive. We have not found the students applying online to be less qualified, or less likely to come to the school," Merritt says, noting that a strong Internet program also advertises a message about the school's commitment to technology.

Web sites support quick, unobtrusive polling. McGeorge School of Law at the University of the Pacific at McGeorge.com features "What Kind of Lawyer Are You?" where visitors answer multiple choice questions to learn about career opportunities based on their answers.

7. Under-estimating e-mail. Virtually all the testing services are now offering students' e-mail addresses as part of their search services. On average, 26 percent of names in a student file purchased from a testing service today include e-mail addresses, says Siegfried, who recently--using TargetX's e-mail management product--posted a 40 percent response rate in a campaign for Columbia University's masters in conservation biology program.

Using e-mail, the marketer can inexpensively inquire if a prospect is interested in receiving more information, embed a Web address in the message, and track the visitor's activity at the Web site for insight into their interests. "Viewbooks are nice, but as a marketer you want to give people information when, and if, they want it. E-mail is going to change everything" says Siegfried.

8. Underestimating the Web's capacity for outreach, real-time data collection and data analysis. Aiming to enhance its minority enrollment, Carnegie Mellon University this year turned to FastWeb, the resource site for college scholarships, to find students for the school's new Summer Academy.