Converge recently presented at the 30th Annual NAGAP conference in Salt Lake City, UT. The session covered strategies for finding the right students through the appropriate digital channels, building brand awareness for your program, measuring and sustaining your budget and best practices for gaining buy-in across campus and ongoing momentum.

1. Building a Digital Marketing Strategy
For a New, Niche Program

2. About Michel & Jay
} Michel Frendian: Erikson Institute is the nation’s only independent
institution of higher education committed to ensuring that all children
have equitable opportunities to realize their potential.We prepare child
development, education, and social work leaders to improve the lives of
children and their families.
} Jay Kelly: Converge is a full-service digital agency for education.We are
distinct in our ability to develop sound strategy and translate it into
enrollment campaigns that deliver ROI in a crowded marketplace.

3. Overview
} Our Story: Erikson & Converge
} Finding the Right Fit Students
} Building Brand Awareness
} Measuring & Sustaining Budget
} Getting Buy-In for Ongoing Efforts

4. OUR STORY:
ERIKSON + CONVERGE

5. History
} 2014
Erikson Institute brings a new Master of Social Work program to market
Converge + Erikson launch digital advertising strategy to support
enrollment
} 2016
Analysis of data from advertising informs ongoing digital recruitment
strategy
} 2017
Enrollment goals exceeded by 40% with 15% of class from digital

6. Target Audience Research
} ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS: Start with 15 in entering
cohort and increase by 5 each year until year 5, then ramp up
} IPEDS
} Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE)
} Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)
} Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
} Faculty concerns
} DEMOGRAPHICS
} Improve upon diversity of previous dual degree program
} Desire to enroll students with supervised experience

7. Digital Enrollment Journey

8. BUILDING BRAND
AWARENESS

9. Hyper-Competitive Market: Chicago

10. Niche Audiences & Target Messaging

11. Developing Your Digital Strategy
} Build a media mix that includes
brand awareness, lead generation
and remarketing elements
} Develop social media audiences
with relevant educational and
professional backgrounds
} Determine keywords for your
program and target via Search
Engine Marketing

12. Measuring & Sustaining Your Budget
} Develop a startup budget (plan ahead
and make the case financially for this
kind of investment)
# Desired Students from Digital Advertising
Lead-to-Enrollment Rate
=
# Leads Required to Meet Goal
X
$150-300 CPL
=
Recommended Budget
Search
55%
Remarketing
10%
Social
30%
Display
5%
Percentage of Digital Ad Spend

13. Facebook Advertising
} Target ads to your target
audience based on key
demographic and
behavioral characteristics:
} Age
} Education level
} Field of study
} School
} Job Title
} Industry
} Employer
} Interests

14. Facebook Messenger Ads
} Reach engage prospects via email
list targeting or remarketing
with an opportunity to chat
directly
} Ad Clicks open chat with
Institution page
} Institution only notified if
Facebook user responds

15. LinkedIn Advertising
} Serve ads to LinkedIn users via
demographic, educational and
professional background

16. Search and Remarketing
} Identify keywords related to
your program, serve highly
tailored ads based on theme:
} ‘Master of Social Work’
} ‘MSW Programs’
} ‘School of Social Work’
} ‘Become a Social Worker’
} Leverage remarketing to
keep top-of-mind awareness
and provide opportunity for
conversion

17. Gmail Advertising
} Targeting users based on
publications they follow
(keyword in inbox)
} ymcachicago.org
} teachforamerica.org
} inccrra.org

18. Event Ads, Facebook Messenger Ads
} Target email and
remarketing list with
middle-of-funnel CTA,
such as event sign-ups

19. Landing Pages
} Where the conversion takes place!
} Conversion-centric design with good
balance of information
} Constant A/B testing to optimize
conversion

20. Communications Workflow
} Mix of communication channels:
} Phone calls – admission team coordinator (at inquiry)
} Mail/print
} Email drip campaigns
} Text messaging (purely transactional)
} Phone calls - faculty program director (once an application has been
started)

21. Direct Outreach
} Local organizations and social service agencies
} Idealist.org graduate school fairs
} Targeted college/university graduate school fairs with compatible profile of
academic offerings
} Social work/social service focused professional conferences
} CityYear and Teach For America

22. Engaging Influencers
} Hit: BSW faculty and program
directors, particularly field
directors
} Miss: Working professionals and
social service agencies

23. RESULTS & LESSONS
LEARNED

24. Results
} Class profile
} 52% students of color
} Average 3.75 years of professional experience
} Average age = 31.5
} 73% Illinois residents
} ROI of digital spend from the program
} 3.53 ‘ShortTerm’ ROI on Ad Spend ($512k - $113k / $113k)
} Look inside consumer behavior

25. Lessons Learned
} Examine and understand the functionalities of existing
applications, software, communication touch-points (UTM
parameters)
} Have a robust creative library - do your homework on the types
of collateral you’re going to need!
} Educate yourself as much as possible - AMA webinars and
trainings (focused, small bits) are a great way to become more
familiar with the language and best practices

26. Lessons Learned
} Arrive at consensus for balance between visibility and lead
generation
} Digital doesn’t replace events and personal outreach
} Research events that social work (insert your own program)
students are likely to attend
} Engage your community of faculty and staff

27. THANKYOU!
QUESTIONS?