1. Master of Public Health – Digital Recruitment Strategy
12/13/14

2. Executive Summary
• Problem
– A small program of public health was launched four years ago within a
well-established social work school with a 100-year history and #1
ranking
– A new microsite was launched to act as a portal for prospective
students
– Brand lacks awareness
• Goals & Objectives
– Raise awareness of MPH program, recruitment goals are 35% increase
over last year

3. Executive Summary Continued
• Audience / Tactics by Channel
– Undergrads, healthcare career Advancers, career changers
• Metrics
– Click throughs to website, request information form
– SEO rankings, social engagement

4. Research
• Key Demographics
– Average age is 28 years old
• This number has skewed higher in the last couple of years
– Women make up 85% of those enrolling to social work/public health
programs*
– 62% have worked, volunteered, or lived abroad
– 19% have been a part of the service corp.
• Key Psychographics
– Introvert, low-profile approach, genuine concern for others,
confident decision maker, takes responsibility, but will ask for
support, prefers to work structured environment.**
*CSWE.org report 2012
**Macintyre Charity study 2010

5. Research
• Target Audience
– To grab the attention of the millennial audience, brands and
institutions must embrace them as partners not just customers
– Millennials care deeply about their communities
– Highly engaged through social media
– Tend to make highly informed purchase decisions
– Brands that reach this digital savvy audience have the opportunity to
capture a larger share
Source eMarketer

6. Research
• Mobile Matters
– Millennials are aware of and responsive to mobile ads
– The key to success in this platform is relevant messaging
– More than 90% of this generation owns a smartphone
– Mobile media consumption continues to increase
Source eMarketer

7. Research
• Mobile-friendly Website
- Brown’s responsive design website gives it an edge with the target
audience using mobile devices to research possible program choices.

8. Research
• Social Media
- The Brown School’s challenge is to leverage the reputation of both
the school and the university to promote the new
public health program.

9. Competitive Analysis
• Big Names in Public Health
– Johns Hopkins
– Harvard
– UNC
– Columbia
• Regional Programs
– Vanderbilt
– University of Michigan
– University of Chicago
– Saint Louis University

10. Competitive Analysis
• Washington University – MPH Brand Personality
– Collaborative, research-oriented, accessible faculty, smaller,
service-oriented, many disciplines

11. Customer Journey Map
SharingActionInteraction
InterestAttentionMotivation
- Learning about
graduate programs
that can lead to
serving careers
- Comparing the
costs and benefits of
select programs that
have been found
- Developing a
relationship with the
program through
social interaction
and administration
contact
- Requesting
additional
information about
the program or
scheduling a visit
- Sharing
information and
action with social
media
- Significant life
event or experience
drives a passion to
serve others

12. Persona #1 Straight from College

13. Persona #2 – Healthcare Career Advancer

14. Persona #3 – Career Changer

15. Key Insight
• Developing leaders from different disciplines to help
solve the world’s complex public health problems

16. Message Map
• Applied Learning in the Field
– Research centers, practicum affiliations, connection to NGOs, health
centers, policy makers
– Global opportunities, institutes
• Access to Professors / Leaders for Career Advancement
– Lecture series, career service dedicated, assistantships, present to
community groups, research symposia – posters / publications, world
renown faculty interact with students and teach courses
• Reputation of the University
– World-class med school, #1 ranked Social Work school, BJC connection,
Tier One Research
• Holistic Approach / Exposure to Disciplines
– Transdisciplinary problem-solving courses, free trade across university
to courses outside the program

17. Message Map

18. Content Strategy –
Drive prospective students to website
• Google Search SEO / SEM
– Hire a Digital Consultant to Optimize mph.wustl.edu
• Google Compliance, Title Tags, Google Analytics tracking tags, SEO
plugins (Yost), meta tag formats, content matches titles
• Back links from Institute for Public Health, undergraduate global
health programs at Washington University, msw.wustl.edu,
brownschool.wustl.edu
• Paid Ads
– Banner Ads – Gradschools.com, Petersons.com, Common Application
(SOPHAs), Association for Schools & Programs of Public Health
– Pay per Click – Google AdWords paid search (see keywords – MPH,
epidemiology, global health, biostats, master of public health)

19. Content Strategy
• Social
– Targeted Facebook advertising – series of promoted posts alumni
experience videos, international learning opportunity videos
(Haiti / India) and “like” our micro-site campaign
– LinkedIn – targeted paid ads
– Editorial Content of Admissions based posts, like Virtual Fair sign ups,
info session events
– YouTube paid ads, and more video content
– Add social media aggregator to microsite
• Blogs
– move current blog on Wordpress onto the microsite
– student perspective on the microsite based on topics that make the
program unique, alumni experiences captured in sharable stories

20. Metrics & Analytics
• Qualitative Measures
– Prospective students include Washington University in consideration
– Thought leaders (professors in public health) in the news
– Advisors / alumni (referrers) with a positive opinion of the school
• Quantitative Measures
– Request more Information (form visits)
– Engagement on social media
– Microsite click throughs
– Campus visits
– Higher search results
– Email response

21. Timeline & Budget
January 15 – April 15
This time period covers the critical yield period to retain applicants and
drive prospects to apply. This will serve as a pilot to test digital tactics. All
students enter in the fall semester. The most concentrated recruitment
period is September 15 – December 15.
Budget
We estimate the SEO consultation, social media editorial monitoring and
consultation, pay per click campaign execution and monitoring, along
with a discovery report, will cost $85,000 for six months.

22. QUESTIONS