July 9, 2013

People Behind Hobsons: Students care about shared values, not brand

Jul. 9, 2013 at 08:00 AM | By Marlysa Connolly | Comment Count

Are you guilty of using words like “best fit” or “you’re a name not a number” when talking to prospective students? How about “dream big?” If you’re in admissions or enrollment management, my guess is that you have used or come across these phrases before.

Read more People Behind Hobsons

Dr. Jennifer Beyer-LeFever, admissions veteran and Hobsons Solutions Consultant, is a pro when it comes to engaging prospective students with personalized communications. According to Dr. Beyer-LeFever, “communicating with prospects effectively is much more than dropping a few ‘buzz’ words here and there. Traditional cookie cutter examples just don’t work.” Hobsons Admissions and Enrollment

Today’s millennial student wants something different. They want colleges and universities to define experience, and they want schools to do this by illustrating what it means to attend their institution.

What does this mean for you? What students really care about is finding an institution that demonstrates values and ideals that mirror their own. Unless you are an Ivy or a large state-school with a killer athletics department, students aren’t going to buy-in simply based on your name or history. Communicating your institutional values and demonstrating student experiences, are the difference in inquiries and enrollments.. The key to success is taking your brand beyond buzz words and moving it into action.

For example, does attending your institution mean that undergrads will be in research labs with professors or does it mean they can anticipate a traditional lecture hall experience? Or, maybe your school has a deeply rooted relationship with volunteerism, international studies, or STEM. Communicating shared values focuses on the wants of the student – do they want to major in entrepreneurship, participate in campus organizations, take advantage of an urban setting- by doing so, students are empowered to cultivate their own college experience.

To communicate shared values to prospective students Dr. Beyer-LeFever recommends:

Identify your successful student - Having a clear idea of who successful students are at your institution by using predictive modeling is the first step to determining what your shared values are. Go beyond “who is likely to apply” by identifying “which students are likely to stay.”
Be Specific – Emails, viewbooks, and other materials should address the student by their name; offer information about interests and programs specific to them; and devoid of stock photos. Students want to envision themselves on your campus with other like-minded students. They don’t want to see the cookie cutter example of a group of students on the quad with backpacks and notepads in hand.
Show then tell – Value statements are great but often counterintuitive. Why? Students may have a hard time understanding “how” your values are relevant to them. Don’t just say you provide a “hands on education,” show how your school achieves this with visuals, stories, and accolades.
Use your students – The best way to communicate what it means to attend your college or university is through the stories of your current students. Learn about life on your campus through focus groups, and be sure to use students as tour guides, bloggers on your website, or tele-counselors. They are living your experience so who better to share the real story - in their own words.

Lastly, convey a consistent message by . . .

Stay in touch with prospective students throughout the enrollment lifecycle. Send emails, brochures, or get on the phone at least once per week for the first month or so.
If a student reaches out to you first, follow-up immediately. Let them know you are excited to hear from them by responding to their inquiry within 24 hours if possible.
Take a multichannel approach when reaching out to students. Some students might respond better to traditional collateral like viewbooks or postcards while others will respond better to a personalized video or social media campaign. Park University is a terrific example of using personalized videos to communicate shared values to prospects. Whatever strategy you decide to take, make sure your message (shared values) is consistent across all channels.

More ways to convey shared values: Adopt Best Practices to Entice New Prospects.

Don't be shy? What ways does your team communicate shared values to students (comment below)?