FE Marketing Secrets Stefan Drew
Welcome and housekeeping • Housekeeping – fire, toilets, breaks …….. and mobiles • Please do NOT turn off your mobile • Please turn you mobile to vibrate mode … and be ready to speak to the media • Handouts available plus online copies
Introduction • Name • Organisation / Role • Biggest Marketing Challenge
Course objectives At the end of the course you will understand how to – Reduce marketing costs Automate significant amounts of your marketing Test, Measure & Improve your marketing strategies and techniques Engage prospects & customers more effectively Simplify Your Marketing Use existing customer relationships effectively The above strategy can be utilised in all the markets you work in e.g. with employers, 14-19, HE, etc.
09.30 Registration and Coffee 10.00 How to increase applications and save £180k: A practical FHE Marketing Strategy that works 11.15 Coffee 11.30 Low cost Employer Engagement Strategies to engage hundreds of businesses a day .. And converts them into customers 12.30 13-15 Lunch 13.15 Free and low cost marketing techniques for FHE: a pragmatic approach 14.15 Coffee 3.00 Putting it into Practice: Defining a way forward that will work for your Institution 15.30 Summary of the day and final questions . 16.00 Close Seminar Programme
Chatham House Rules • Seminar (small group) Ask questions Join in • Use Resources (now and later)
A practical FHE Marketing Strategy that works This isn’t theory .. It works! A true story ….. How to increase applications by 31%, build a new website and save £180k
Case Study - What I discovered • Good staff • Big budget • Poor website • Long queues • ROI poorly measured • Staff not regularly trained/updated • No link between College strategy and marketing
11.15 My Strategy • Reduce costs – 100s of free tools • Automate as much as possible • Test, measure, improve – provide evidence of ROI • Engage more effectively • Simplify processes • Segmentation –customer profiles HOW? • Ask questions – assume nothing, (mystery shopping) • Listen -ask why! • Take ACTION plans only work when actioned • Trust staff – your greatest asset • Tell & Listen demonstrate and get people on board • SunTzu 2500 years of wisdom .. Read it
12.30 Low Cost Employer Engagement Strategies How to engage hundreds of businesses a day ..… And convert them into customers NB Many of these tools work for other FHE segments as well
12.30 Events
12.30 Events • Topic is vital .. Must interest audience E.g. How to market your business without spending money • Market via joint ventures, social media (esp. LI), media releases, word of mouth, website(s), CRM, “newsletter”, get “repeat business”, etc. • Good speakers • Tweet as you go… automate or use technician • Video and use on Google Hangout?
12.30 Open Evenings for Adults Use EventBrite • It automates admin processes • It’s free for free events • Avoid long queues by pre-booking • Provides contact details etc. as CSV file • Sends reminders • Can send post event emails attendees/non attendees • Can send surveys SurveyMonkey • Links to PayPal if used to sell courses
From 16-19 event but demonstrates principle
12.30 Taster Sessions for Adults Would you buy a car without a test drive? • Short sessions work best • Convincer or to Keep Warm • Bring a friend • Teaching staff benefits .. Get to know students
12.30 Webinars • Can study from home/office • Can be recorded to email / attend later • Long reach .. National & overseas penetration • Builds a Community • Interactive .. Surveys, raise hand or audio • Low cost • www.gotomeeting.co.uk/fec/Also consider Google Hangouts • www.gotomeeting.co.ukfor video conferencing
12.30 Autoresponders • Aweber, MailChimp, Constant Contact, InfusionSoft etc. • Simple installation • Simple to change/test & manage
12.30 • Don’t hide it .. Full profile on every relevant page • Offer a report or whatever of INTEREST • Don’t say “sign up for newsletter” • Ask for basic info only .. More decreases signup • Lots of systems but you need to be able to manage unsubscribes, tagging, moving groups, bounces, etc.
12.30 “Newsletters” • Free Advice NOT news or sales • Emailed versions are very powerful • Include in email or on website • On website can encourage response • Include different media (learning styles) Text, video, audio, Send regularly - few topics only … tail off effect
12.30 CRM systems • Most colleges have lots of d/bases and scraps of paper • Need one centralised system • Link to overall strategy and marketing plan • Not a sales tool (in most cases)! It is for engagement via an established process
CIM Courses on Google + OCM offer full CIM courses online via webinars
Sales Techniques • Base sales on previous impact / success • What was achieved last time, what was it worth, what do they need help with now? • Record details on CRM
12.30 LinkedIn • Groups • Research tool • Advertising platform • More ……..
Skype • Reduce costs • Accessibility • Talks employers’ language
12.30 Employer Groups • Pershore College • Honorary Fellow • Pershore Forward Group • NOT a curriculum group • 24/25 industry leaders agreed to support • External Chair (acceptable to all) • Gave advice and support • Saved money • Positive media profile • 4+ years .. Still going strong
12.30 Networking • Need a strategy • Build rapport • Demonstrate value • Ask right questions .. If I could help you with that would you be interested? • Not just offline
Free and low cost marketing techniques for FHE: a pragmatic approach Responsive website • Drupal 7 open source so free • CMS • Course database (one version of the truth) • Curriculum access • Virtual College • Online payments • Recommended books • Pubble
www.SouthEssex.ac.uk Navigable - logical Visible Contact details QA function Pubble Single CMS & D/base – one version of truth Prospectus Saving
3.00 CMS Marketing need to control this ….. NOT IT Allow curriculum and support services to use as well Put courses on auto-archive Use double moderation
SEO • DIY SEO, keywords, meta/alt tags, links, • CONTENT – (inc business info), relevant to audience • Video & audio give dwell time • E.g. • Getting in the media audio • Video .. Next slides
URLs & Simple Communication www.advancedthinkingstrategies.co.uk www.AdvancedThinkingStrategies.co.uk
Google Analytics • Use everyday … all marketing staff • Set goals • Set sales funnels • Analyse which sites send profitable traffic • Hotcourses, Yell (hibu), local papers, etc. • Analyse just about anything .. Segments, traffic source, mobile devices, etc. etc. etc. • Your websites powerhouse
Video • NOT just College videos • Content based videos • Warwickshire College
3.00 Make line drawing videos .. Without a camera
Make videos from stills http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJdnr-x8G2c
3.00
More video tools Please download Marketing Secrets Part 2 Final Cut Pro Camtasia Snaggit screen capture tool
