The document summarizes findings from research on email marketing practices in college admissions. It found that the most effective email campaigns had swift first responses, maintained consistent contact every 1-2 weeks, personalized the correspondence, addressed the student's academic interests, included parents, and provided information on costs. The best-designed emails also had clear and consistent branding, limited the number of links, and ensured the linked pages met expectations. Ineffective practices included long response gaps, dense hard-to-scan text blocks, inconsistent designs, and failing to address academic interests or include parents.
2. Who is Bob Johnson?
• Website marketing reviews and recommendations
• “Top Task” partner w/Gerry McGovern at
Customer Carewords, Ltd, Dublin, Ireland
• “Your Higher Education Marketing Newsletter”…
3,600+ subscribers
• @highedmarketing… 6,300+ Twitter followers
• “Higher Education Marketing” blog
• Symposium for the Marketing of Higher
Education… chair, 1994 to 2003
• Ph.D. UMass Amherst… political science
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3. NO, EMAIL IS NOT DEAD…
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4. Email use continues to grow…
http://bit.ly/Q2Lm3B
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5. Why is email important in recruitment?
http://bit.ly/OEvHKw
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6. Other notes from E-expectations…
• Almost all students will give an email address if
asked.
• 95% will give their personal email address.
• 80%+ use email at least weekly.
• “Looking at academic performance, 86 percent of A-
students and 82 percent of B-students answered yes to
this question, compared to 68 percent of C-students.”
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8. Two “secret shopper” projects…
June 2012 – February 2012
• 5 private & 1 public
schools in New York and
New England
• Out-of-state student
• High end of freshmen
academic profile
• 2013 graduate
• Female
January 2013 - Present
• 5 public and 1 private
schools in mid-west
• Out-of-state students
• High end of freshmen
academic profile
• 2014 graduate
• Female & male students
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9. BEST INQUIRY FORMS…
Are short inquiry forms…
Ask only for info to respond
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13. 3 best practice tips…
• First response within one day of inquiry
• At least every two weeks after that
• Once a week is not too often
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14. First response variations…
• Siena College… June 21
• Fairfield University… June 21
• SUNY Geneseo… July 13
• Stonehill… July 16
• Colgate… July 17
• Providence… August 10
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15. Most extended contact gap…
June 26, Campus Visit Oct 26, Early App deadline
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16. Variation in campaign frequency…
• Late June 2012 to February 2013…
• Siena College was the leader.... 42 emails
• Stonehill College was next at 16 emails
• Providence College sent 11 emails
• Colgate University followed with 10 emails
• Fairfield University sent 3 emails
• SUNY-Geneseo sent 2 emails
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17. “Apply knowing we are a great
investment”… Oct 15
• #2 for salary potential
among liberal arts
schools
• Meet 100% of
demonstrated financial
need
• Average financial aid
award… $40,943
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18. September 11… 2 on the same day
Open house invite… Fast-forward app begins…
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19. 30 Fast-forward emails to Feb 16…
• Subject line samples to the finish line…
• Important reminder: deadline tonight! Dec 1
• Great news Rachel! Dec 2
• Rachel, I’m still eager to hear from you Dec 14
• A New Year’s gift for you: Apply now! Jan 4
• I’m waiting to hear from you Rachel! Jan 9
• Rachel, only two days left Jan 13
• Siena app due when clock strikes midnight… Jan 15
• I was able to get you an extension Jan 16
• Siena wants more apps from students like you Jan 22…
• Rachel, today’s your last day Feb 15
• Need another day, Rachel? Feb 16
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33. Only one 1st response w/ academics…
• Every online inquiry form asks for an academic area of
interest
• In both secret shopper projects, only one 1st response
email mentioned the academic area provided
• In most cases, no email ever addressed the academic
interest area
• One email direct from academic department in 2 weeks
• Competitive advantage to schools that add this content
early in the email response sequence… preferably right at
the start.
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34. Link to preferred academic major and a
professor in that area… UW-Green Bay
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37. Net price calculator… not often found
• Students (49%) say
“web page” is best
place to get cost and
financial aid info.
• Early email can link
direct to page with net
price calculator.
• No school shopped did
this.
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38. Parents…
• Involved from start to end of college selection
cycle.
• 70% of 4-year privates and 47% of 4-year publics
say they “collect” parent email address.
• No school in either project asked for parent email
on inquiry form or in early email responses.
• First email for parents (to student address) came
4 months after the first email.
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40. Crafting an email response series…
• Swift first response… next day after receipt
• Be personal… a name at start & finish
• Consistent design… reinforces the brand
• Attention to academic program interest
• And Parents and Cost
• Once a week is OK… at least twice a month
• Limited number of links in each email
• Match link with landing page
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41. THANKS FOR BEING
HERE IN CHICAGO!
Bob Johnson, Ph.D. (248.766.6425)
bob@bobjohnsonconsulting.com
www.bobjohnsonconsulting.com
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