Want to know how your school’s marketing and recruitment strategies and insight compare to the other schools out there? Then this month’s newsletter is for you.

Here’s a quick snapshot of what you can expect to find in our July newsletter:

-The Featured Article gives you the chance to test your Inquiry IQ and see how much you really know about inquiry generation

-Market Insights features our 2012 Benchmarking Report which highlights higher education marketing trends and challenges

-Product Spotlight on our Mobile Marketing Roadshow is packed with industry stats

-Monthly Webinar features our most popular webinar of the year!

What are you waiting for? Click here to view the newsletter for yourself. If you aren’t on our newsletter list, you can sign up here.

A few weeks ago, we were in a steamy Las Vegas at the annual APSCU Convention, unveiling our latest inquiry generation service called Inquiry IQ. Visitors to the awesome CUnet booth had the chance to test their own Inquiry IQ and learn about where their expertise lies, and where they might need some help when it comes to inquiry generation. The results were encouraging: the average Inquiry IQ of survey respondents was 106 (above average), which means that many schools are taking the right steps to diversify and optimize their media buying. Want to know how you compare? Well now, you too can take the test! Click here to take the five minute quiz now!

Knowing your score is the first step to improving your overall media buying results. The next step? Creating a  detailed, multi-channel plan to help reach, recruit and enroll students. And that’s where Inquiry IQ comes in.

What can Inquiry IQ do for me?

As part of the Inquiry IQ service, schools receive regular reporting on inquiry performance by campus, program and source, along with ongoing recommendations for ways to diversify and optimize media planning and pricing. The result is a targeted, transparent inquiry generation strategy that drives down cost per start, uncovers new opportunities and provides greater insight into overall enrollment marketing.

How does it work?

With Inquiry IQ, all inquiries are routed through Sparkroom, the industry’s leading platform for inquiry management, which processes over one million inquiries each month. With this powerful technology, CUnet can access a level of insight into inquiry performance that is unparalleled among inquiry providers. CUnet’s account teams leverage that data to work collaboratively with school clients to continually diversify and optimize their media mix, and identify those sources that best meet their requirements. This performance data also allows CUnet to target the right sources at the right prices, by negotiating lower pricing for those sources that under-perform, while increasing investments in areas that drive results.

CUnet’s Inquiry IQ multi-channel planning service takes a collaborative approach to media planning, uncovering untapped opportunities and targeting the right sources at the right prices through the following process:

1. Assessment & Analysis: CUnet’s account teams review the school’s start goals, followed by a detailed analysis of their current and past inquiry performance by channel, program, cost and campus.

2. Identify Anomalies: With Sparkroom, CUnet’s industry-leading technology platform, the account team reviews inquiry performance to identify sources that stand out.

3. Diversify & Adjust: The account team presents a customized plan offering a diversified media mix and adjustments to pricing, allocations and programs. The team then implements all agreed-upon changes.

4. Ongoing Optimization: CUnet follows up with weekly client calls, regular reviews and reports on results and ongoing suggestions for optimization.

Is this service only for new CUnet customers?

Nope! Inquiry IQ is available now for current and new customers. If you’re already a customer, contact your account manager to learn more.

How do I get more information?

View the recorded version of last month’s webinar to learn more about this exciting new service! For even more information or to arrange for your school’s multi-channel plan, contact  sales@cunet.com.

Reaching Prospective Students in an Always Online World Part Two – Now at LeadsCon East 2012 and CCST 2012!

I know I am not alone in believing that the biggest revolution since the invention of Internet is the shift from desktop PCs to mobile data-capable devices (and everything associated with it, from changes in marketing practices to an overall cultural shift). While most marketers are aware of how important this change is, many in our sector still struggle to clearly identify how mobile media can help their business – or specifically their college or university – to achieve their marketing goals.

This is the challenge that I, along with a highly distinguished panel of mobile and marketing experts, recently addressed at the 2012 APSCU Annual Convention. We spoke to a full room, and based on the questions and feedback, it was clear that many marketers in higher education are looking for guidance in this area.

During the session, I spoke about the success we have had in mobile campaigns for our clients here at CUnet. Using data from those campaigns, I walked through three areas that are of critical importance to advertisers:

1. Mobile volume: Can mobile media be a source of scalable prospect inquiries?
2. Mobile quality: Do mobile inquiries convert into students?
3. Risk and barriers to entry: What’s the barrier to test considering cost, compliance, and targeting capabilities?

Now, if you were not able to attend the session at APSCU, and are interested in learning more about mobile marketing for lead generation, I wanted to share some upcoming opportunities to hear more about mobile and how it is impacting higher education marketing. I will be presenting at both of these sessions, and I welcome everyone to come by and speak with me directly.

The first session is at LeadCon East 2012 on Wednesday, July 25th, 2012 from 9-10am where I will be part of a panel discussion for a session titled “Mobile Lead Gen – What Works and When Will It Scale”

The second opportunity will be at CCST – Career Colleges and Schools of Texas Annual Conference on October 12 at the Westin Galleria in Dallas, Texas.

If you still aren’t sure if this is the year to jump in to mobile, let me leave you with a few thoughts to keep in mind:

1. There are more mobile devices than people in the United States.
2. In many cases, prospects are already searching on their mobile phone when they inquire.
3. Estimates show that 25% of all paid search clicks will come from mobile by the end of this year.

You can also download our latest mobile marketing flyer here, which outlines what CUnet can do to help improve your mobile marketing campaigns.

I hope to see you at LeadsCon or CCST!

Our most popular webinar of the year is coming up, so if you have been meaning to join in one of our monthly Market Insights webinars but have yet to do so, there is no better time than now.

This month’s webinar explores the results of our Third Annual Higher Education Benchmarking Survey, which was conducted earlier this year among over 300 higher education marketing professionals. The ensuing report has always served to establish trends and best practices among the higher education marketing community, and this year is no different.

Webinar participants will learn about trends related to a rising cost per enrollment, and will come along for the ride as we explore the shift from schools buying to directly generating their own inquiries. We will also unveil data that suggests a change in priorities for higher education marketers, and new ways that schools are attempting to diversify their revenue streams. Joining us will be Michael Ferree from LeadsCouncil who will add his own commentary on what might be contributing to some of these trends.

So what are you waiting for? Space is limited, and this one will definitely fill up fast. Sign up today to reserve your spot!

Well, faithful readers, it’s been just about two weeks since the start of the APSCU convention and that should be enough time for people to relax and reflect on the largest proprietary education convention in the United States.

Previously, we covered Michelle Rhee’s keynote session. In this post, we’ll take a look at:

• Inquiry IQ
• President Bush’s discussion on Friday
• How many calories you burned at the convention
• All of the (flattering) photos we took (non-flattering photos have been assigned to the blackmail folder)
• How our social media strategist won $80 playing cat-themed penny slots (okay, we won’t, but it did happen)

First, special props to Underground Elephant, who had a real-life mermaid swimming around at the booth, apparently unconcerned that we were located just a stone’s throw from the Mandalay Bay’s shark tanks.

(more…)

Michelle Rhee, Former Chancellor of DC Public Schools

In her keynote this morning, education reformer Michelle Rhee held a captivated audience as she told the inspiring story of her experience as chancellor of the Washington, DC public school district. In that role, she faced huge challenges as she worked to turn the district around and give all children in that area – not just the privileged ones – the education they deserve. This commitment to education resonated in the room, filled with educators on a similar mission. After sharing her own story Michelle went on to share her thoughts on how to turn the education system around.

According to Rhee, there are three steps that need to be taken to start the journey of reforming education in America:

1. Start treating teachers as the incredible professionals and heroes they are.

2. Regain our American competitive spirit and instill it in our children. We need to stop telling our children they are good at everything so they start striving to be better. We are not doing our children any favors by rewarding mediocrity.

3. Put aside partisan politics and come together in the name of children.

“As educators you know that every person that walks through your door is searching for their part of the American dream. There are people in this room that are doing the right thing by those students, and those people must hold their peers to that same high standard. Ask yourself, is your institution somewhere you would want to send your own children? The answer must be yes – that is the bar that we must all set for our schools.”

What did you think of Rhee’s session? What else can higher education institutions do to change the US education system for the better? Comment here or via #APSCU2012 on Twitter. We would love to hear what you think!

The CUnet crew is in Vegas, the booth is up, and we are ready to rock APSCU 2012! We’ve got lots going on in the next few days so stay tuned to Twitter (@CunetCo), Facebook, and of course here for the latest APSCU updates. And now, some pics from Day 1:

Gone are the days when schools could rely solely on inquiry volume to reach their enrollment goals. In the last few years, the state of higher education inquiry generation has turned on its head: marketing budgets are down, enrollments are down, bad inquiry rates are up, and there is more regulatory scrutiny than ever before. Schools are becoming increasingly strategic in their inquiry buying out of necessity; they are spending their budgets wisely, diversifying the channels that they are using, and constantly analyzing their media plans. Today at APSCU’s Annual Convention, we are unveiling an exciting new approach to Inquiry Generation that tackles this new way of thinking, called Inquiry IQ.

What is Inquiry IQ?

In a nutshell, it is a multi-channel inquiry generation approach that shifts the focus away from buying leads to enrolling students. And schools that have already started using this approach have seen exciting results: cost per start is dropping (as much as 15% in some cases), inquiry quality is up, and schools are gaining insight into their media plans like never before.

Visitors to CUnet’s Booth 413 this week will have the chance to learn about the detailed process that we use to optimize schools’ media plans, as well as the customized Inquiry IQ approach that is intended to maximize ROI for each school. They will also have the chance to test their own Inquiry IQ, find out how they stack up to other schools, and where they can make improvements.

So, if you are in Vegas this week, make a beeline for our booth (you can’t miss it…it is awesome!) and test your Inquiry IQ today. You never know, you might just win a prize!

If you’re not heading to the desert (count yourself lucky…it is HOT here!) but are eager to learn more about Inquiry IQ, contact sales@cunet.com today.

Our 2012 Benchmarking Report will be released in a few weeks, but for those of you that are chomping at the bit for some exciting statistics, here’s a sneak peak!

If you think that generating higher education inquiries through digital marketing inquiry channels is a passing fad, listen up. Two years of consistent data show that there has been a shift from schools buying inquiries to directly generating more of them through investments in digital marketing, and everything points to this trend continuing. Regardless of school size, marketing budget, or program type, the majority of schools are reporting an increased budget for channels like SEO, paid search, and social media:

The movement toward direct inquiry generation through digital marketing channels has been so significant that now, just 44% of inquiries are generated by third party affiliates (a 33% decrease over last year):

What does all this mean for schools and vendors?

To find out, get your advance copy of the 2012 Annual Benchmarking Report at APSCU on June 22 (CUnet booth #413).

And if you’re looking for help with your own digital marketing efforts, apply for our FREE Digital Marketing Audit today!

If you’re like most schools these days, you’re thinking about ramping up your digital marketing efforts. In fact, according to our recent Benchmarking Survey, more than 60% of respondents indicated they were increasing investment this year in areas like SEO, paid search, and social media.

But it isn’t enough to just allocate more budget to these channels; in order to be successful, you must first assess your current digital marketing efforts. Once you understand what’s working and what isn’t, you will be able to build upon your strengths and unlock untapped opportunities.

That’s where we come in. For a limited time, CUnet is offering a free digital marketing audit to schools who are interested in growing their digital marketing programs. Our digital marketing experts will provide a clear, customized assessment of your current online marketing initiatives and will highlight areas for improvement.

Your complimentary audit includes:

Paid Search

CUnet’s Pay-Per-Click experts will evaluate your site links for best practices, assess landing page quality, review relevance against web page copy, and evaluate visible URLs for optimal keyword copy.

Search Engine Optimization

Our SEO audit starts with the basics—like domain age, Google Page Rank, and backlinks—then reviews your strategy against a checklist of sophisticated key indicators including on-page and off-page elements.

Social Media

CUnet’s Social Media audit not only looks at your presence on each major social media outlet, but also offers a sentiment analysis based on where and how your brand is portrayed in the social space.

Email Marketing

Our email audit evaluates your performance metrics against industry baselines, assesses your adherence to evolving best practices from code to copy to design, and offers insights on how to lift performance through strategic segmented messaging.

Targeted Display Advertising

CUnet will review any current display advertising campaigns and provide recommendations for ways that your school can use this channel to reach and engage students.

Ready to get started? Click here to register. Space is limited to the first 25 registrants before June 15!