Digital Marketing Strategy: Creating Conversion Experiences to Gain Competitive Advantage

Digital Marketing Strategy:
Creating Conversion
Experiences to Gain
Competitive Advantage©RobertE.Johnson,Ph.D.2017
BOB JOHNSON, PH.D.
AMA SYMPOSIUM FOR THE MARKETING OF
HIGHER EDUCATION, 12-15 NOVEMBER 2017
ATLANTA, GA
DECEMBER 4-7, 2016BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC... CUSTOMER CAREWORDS, LTD ...
@HIGHEDMARKETING
1

Who is Bob Johnson?
Higher education marketing since the 1980s.
Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC since 2006… 87 clients.
Gerry McGovern partner at Customer Carewords, Ltd.
“Your Higher Education Marketing Newsletter” monthly
to 3,600 subscribers + “Link of the Week” websites.
Chair of AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher
Education, 1994-2003.
Twitter: @highedmarketing
LinkedIn top task group:
www.linkedin.com/groups/8478858
BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC... CUSTOMER CAREWORDS, LTD ...
@HIGHEDMARKETING
2

We all have a personal bias…
“The OpenEDU” marketing planning book from idfive
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Skepticism is good…
https://marketoonist.com/
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Before we start…
Your
questions?
Your
challenges?
@HIGHEDMARKETING
5

Let’s start…
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Our 5 goals today…
Attend to the top element… your website.
Focus on what’s most important… top tasks.
Plan what’s most effective… targeted
messages (right person, right content).
Emphasize a key online ingredient… speed.
Adopt a strategy goal… increase conversions.
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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7 points to begin…
TO SURVIVE & PROSPER IN
DIGITAL MARKETING.
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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1. Love your
website
YOUR WEBSITE IS (STILL) THE CORE
OF EVERYTHING.
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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2. Focus on top
tasks
IDENTIFY TASKS IMPORTANT TO
VISITORS TO YOUR WEBSITE.
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3. Be smart about
Content Marketing
PEOPLE DON’T RESPOND TO TYPICAL
“BRAND-CENTRIC” PR CONTENT NO
MATTER WHERE IT APPEARS.
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4. Make landing
pages work
REPEAT & REINFORCE THE MESSAGE
THAT BROUGHT PEOPLE TO THE PAGE.
KEEP INQUIRY FORMS BRIEF.
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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5. Respond rapidly
RAPID RESPONSE TELLS PEOPLE YOU
CARE ABOUT THEIR INTEREST IN YOU.
FIRST RESPONSE: <24 HOURS.
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6. Be wary of
Responsive Design
BY ITSELF, IT IS NOT A SOLUTION FOR
WEB SUCCESS IN THE MOBILE
WORLD.
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7. Embrace “Big
Data”
ESSENTIAL TO DELIVER THE RIGHT
MESSAGE AT THE RIGHT TIME TO THE
RIGHT PEOPLE.
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Caveats…
BE AN ANGEL…
NOT A RUSHING FOOL.
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Be wary of shiny objects…
http://tcrn.ch/2f1JP4X
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And new technology marvels…
SMART TV? SMART WATCHES?
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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New shiny object in 2016…
http://bit.ly/2esjyJC
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Now shining in 2017… AI
http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2017/08/marketers-use-
artificial-intelligence/
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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AI in perspective…
http://bit.ly/2yl4vhD
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Speed is critical…
https://testmysite.withgoogle.com/intl/en-gb
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Can you match Amazon speed?
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Test for speed, win a book…
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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ABC… “Always Be Checking”…
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3 key definitions
• MARKETING STRATEGY.
• DIGITAL MARKETING.
• CONTENT MARKETING.
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Marketing strategy definition…
Marketing strategy is sorting out who your
audience actually is, and then finding out
what has meaning for them. What do they
care about, and how does this relate to your
offer? What message can you deliver that is
both true and meets your consumer squarely
at the level of their needs?
http://www.tronviggroup.com/marketing-strategy/
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Digital marketing definition…
Digital marketing is an umbrella term for all
of your online marketing efforts. Businesses
leverage digital channels such as Google
search, social media, email, and their
websites to connect with their current and
prospective customers.
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/what-is-
digital-marketing
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Content marketing definition…
“Content marketing is the marketing
and business process for creating and
distributing relevant and valuable
content to attract, acquire, and engage
a clearly defined and understood target
audience – with the objective of driving
profitable customer action.”
http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2012/06/co
ntent-marketing-definition
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Content marketing elements…
http://idfive.com/marketing-strategy-openedu-marketing-strategy-model/
If content is not “relevant & valuable” these
will fail…
◦Press releases
◦Monthly newsletter
◦Blog posts
◦Social media campaigns
◦YouTube videos
And let’s add: your website, your email,
your text messages.
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Marketing filters are strong…
BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 31

An ongoing marketing war…
https://vtldesign.com/inbound-marketing/inbound-
marketing-vs-outbound-marketing/
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Outbound marketing…
Email marketing
Banner ads
Google Adwords
Retargeting ads
Native ads
Direct response display ads
“Custom audience” & “Lookalike” ads
Group or communal advertising
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3 conversion
strategy points…
1. A SELF-GENERATED INQUIRY IS BEST.
2. RESPOND RAPIDLY W/ TASK-RELATED CONTENT.
3. ADVERTISE TO INCREASE CONVERSION, NOT NEW
LEADS.
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Landing pages are success keys…
http://unbounce.com/noob-guide-to-online-marketing-infographic/
Email marketing
Lead gen
Organic search
Conversion optimization
Analytics
Content marketing
Pay-per-click ads
Social media marketing
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Does digital advertising work?
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Control advertising expectations…
http://bit.ly/2fo6kOG
“Search” ads perform
better than “display”
ads…
“Education” ad CTR:
◦ Search ads at 2.2%
◦ Display ads at 0.2%
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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The need for speed… <5 seconds
“A Microsoft study found that the
average attention span was 12 seconds
in 2000 and by 2014 had dropped to 8
seconds. (The attention span of a
goldfish is 9 seconds.)”
◦Gerry McGovern, Digital Transformation,
2016.
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Goldfish set a high speed bar…
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Content marketing guide…
http://bit.ly/1KjXFTT
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Stealth at the graduate level…
http://bit.ly/1KjXFTT
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Your website is
your most
important element
YES, THINK MOBILE.
BUT DON’T FORGET THE LARGE
SCREEN.
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Influential information sources…
Ruffalo Noel Levitz E-expectations survey, 2017
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To answer a question…
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Desktop engagement tops mobile…
http://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/chart/content-engagement-by-industry
A lesson for higher
education…
◦ “As a marketer you can
increase your customers’
overall engagement with
your content by knowing
your audience, ensuring
the content is relevant to
their needs and making it
functionally accessible on
their customers’ device of
choice.”
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Desktop for form completion…
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Keep. It. Simple.
What do most people want from your
website?
Fast task completion.
Potential students are very task-
oriented when they visit your website.
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Attention to Jakob Nielsen…
http://www.nngroup.com/articles/university-sites/
TOP 10 DESIGN
GUIDELINES…
MY FAVORITES…
#5
◦ “Make it easy to view a list of
majors and programs.”
#8
◦ “Follow the user journey: check the
main tasks for each of your
audiences.”
#9
◦ “Beware the perils of making your
website ‘cool.’“
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Top tasks for future students…
Top tasks at the start…
◦ Find the programs you offer.
◦ Visit the academic program(s) of interest.
◦ Learn what you will cost.
◦ See if your grads are successful (AKA, “outcomes”).
Other important tasks
◦ Who enrolls at this place?
◦ What’s required for admission?
◦ Where are you located?
For transfers
◦ What credits will transfer?
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Not top tasks…
Speed bumps on the task completion path:
◦ Reading mission statements… for the university
or for individual administrative departments.
◦ Reading messages from deans and presidents.
◦ Learning when a college was founded.
◦ Except international students?
◦ Scanning news story headlines.
◦ Watching home page carousels unfold.
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Combine 6 top tasks + search
http://www.bellarmine.edu/
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And task priority on mobile…
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Find top tasks via “search”…
http://www.xavier.edu/
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Tasks by recruitment cycle…
http://www.esu.edu/admissions/index.cfm
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Top tasks by department…
http://studyabroad.arcadia.edu/
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Rapid 6-step cost estimator…
http://www.wellesley.edu/admission/affordable/myintuition
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Online transfer credit info…
https://www.franklin.edu/transfer-credit-college-course-
equivalency-tool
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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The Golden Rule…
Less than 5
seconds to
connect when a
web page opens.
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Facebook speed quote…
https://www.facebook.com/business/news/introducing-canvas
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Slow download time…
https://testmysite.thinkwithgoogle.com/intl/en-us
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Slow speed is not inevitable…
http://executiveeducation.wharton.upenn.edu/
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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More mobile-fast websites…
BENNINGTON COLLEGE… MEDILL SCHOOL…
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Inquiry form
success secrets…
KEEP IT SHORT & SIMPLE.
RESIST DATABASE TYRANNY.
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Give people a reason to use
your form…
CORNELL UNIVERSITY
"Join our contact list and
receive emails,
electronic invitations to
programs, and
important admission
updates by completing
the form below."
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY
“To receive additional information
for Undergraduate Programs at
American University, please
complete and submit the following
form. To use this form, you must
have Java script enabled in your
web browser. AU is sensitive to
privacy issues and will not sell or
otherwise distribute information
obtained from this form. If your
browser does not support forms,
send mail to afa@american.edu to
request application materials.”
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Key to higher inquiry capture…
http://bit.ly/2eUJkqY
OLD INQUIRY FORM… NEW DATATEL FORM…
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Use people friendly response…
http://bit.ly/2dMkw73
2015 INQUIRY RESPONSE… 2016 ELLUCIAN RESPONSE…
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Professional school simplicity…
http://bit.ly/1aDruV9
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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“Captcha” decreases ROI…
The entire form is visible as it
opens.
Required data includes
phone number and email.
See “The Advanced Guide
for Form Conversion
Optimization” for why
“captcha” decreases leads.

Email Response
Marketing…
MOBILE FRIENDLY.
PERSONAL.
QUICK TO SCAN.
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Email is far from dead…
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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7 key points…
Subject line: Use the name of your school.
Be personal… Use the student’s name.
If you ask for personal information, use it
◦ Especially academic program interest
Use space between paragraphs!
Be personal… Close with the name of a real person.
Consistent schedule… weekly is fine.
Consistent design format.
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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This is good…
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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This is not good…
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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A “war on
advertising”…
THE GROWTH OF AD-BLOCKING
SOFTWARE.
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Why people hate online ads…
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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“Spray & pray” ads don’t work…
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Ad-blocking software grows…
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Ad-blocking made easy…
https://adblockplus.org
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Surviving ad-blockers…
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Unacceptable ad types…
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Learn more here…
https://pagefair.com/blog/2017/adblockreport/
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Teens respond to ads…
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Custom
Advertising…
THE FACEBOOK EXAMPLE…
TARGETING YOUR CURRENT AUDIENCE
ON A MASS MEDIA SITE.
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Creating a “custom audience”…
https://www.facebook.com/business/a/online-sales/custom-
audiences
Conversion ads to move
people through the
recruitment cycle.
◦ Send ads to potential students
already in your database.
◦ Inquiries or Applicants?
◦ Upload contact info (email,
phone, IP address)… FB will
match with its current
database.
◦ FB says 40% to 60% match for
email.
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Custom & Lookalike Audiences…
https://www.facebook.com/ads/manager/audiences/manage/?act=40154125&pid=p1
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“Customer File” first option…
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Based on people already on file…
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Data selections to customize…
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Use as many identifiers as
possible…
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Customize from web visitors…
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Customize from your contacts…
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Why are you advertising?
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Create a “LookaLike” audience…
https://www.facebook.com/business/a/lookalike-audiences
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Select your “Lookalikes” from
your current contacts…
Important…
◦ You can use geographic
selection to narrow a
“Lookalike” audience for
◦ primary recruitment areas
(including international),
◦ college fair locations,
◦ alumni gatherings,
◦ sports events.
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Select the ad campaign goal…
https://www.facebook.com/ads/manager/creation/creation/?act=40154125&pid=p1
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Start creating account detail…
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Start defining the audience…
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Add age, gender, education…
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Two more steps…
PICK A BUDGET, SCHEDULE… PICK A FORMAT…
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Image, text & destination link…
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Our landing page…
https://calvin.edu/offices-services/financial-aid/affordability/
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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An article to review & plan…
http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/facebook-custom-
audiences-for-increased-reach
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Retargeted
Advertising
CREEPY TO SOME…
SUCCESSFUL TO OTHERS.
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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The retargeting trail…
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Retargeting message strategy…
Recommended:
◦Focus on academic program page (or
series of pages) visited.
But you can retarget from any page you
wish.
Start soon after a first visit… 24 hours.
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Retargeting message tactics…
https://blog.retargeter.com/retargeting/8-best-practices-for-running-a-
retargeting-campaign
Key campaign points:
◦ Set a frequency cap (17-20 per
month).
◦ Burn code to stop one set of
ads when desired action
response is taken.
◦ Contextual targeting based on
website content visited.
◦ Creative that boosts response:
◦ Immediate brand recognition
◦ Short copy.
◦ Easy call-to-action.
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Retarget for specific programs…
http://onlinemba.neu.edu/
SCHOOL HOME PAGE… M.S. IN FINANCE…
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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WGU retargeting ad (16 Nov)…
And landing page (LA Times)
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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And landing page (TV Guide)
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Temple retargeting ad (17 Nov)…
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Landing pages…
REPEAT & REINFORCE THE AD MESSAGE.
USE SHORT & SIMPLE FORMS.
ATTENTION TO AUTO-RESPONSE FORM.
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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ABC… Avoid silly mistakes…
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An online ad…
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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3 steps to make an inquiry…
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Asking about motivation…
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Quick & simple contact info…
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Missed marketing opportunity…
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Typical auto-response message…

Another typical example…

Unusual auto-response…
http://onlinemba.lynn.edu/thanks/
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Awkward 10-page PDF brochure…
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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In the (near)
future…
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Voice search…
https://www.highervisibility.com/resource/research/how-
popular-is-voice-search/
In the mobile world, no need to
touch anything.
What words will your visitors
use?
Must work better than your
“search” works now.
“Top tasks” even more
important than today… know
“Task words.”
2017: 50+% of mobile phone
owners in U.S. use “voice” daily
or weekly.
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Something wicked is coming…
http://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2017/03/14/google-
voice-search
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Virtual reality: Yes? No?
October 2017 news items…
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Virtual reality advertising…
https://virtualsky.com/
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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More video stories…
https://resources.causevox.com/ebook/video-storytelling
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Wrapping up…
Strategy points
for success
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Neglected strategy… academics
Academic program interest of potential students as
the starting place…
◦ Use academic program interest from first inquiry response
◦ Inquiry, application & finance options from every academic
program page.
◦ Custom advertising & retargeting based on academic program
page data.
◦ Academic content written for students, not faculty and their
friends.
◦ Social media plan for selected programs.
◦ Video stories from students and faculty in academic programs.
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Digital steps, strategy + tactics…
First website impression is critical…
◦ Top tasks from customer viewpoint.
◦ Abandon/reduce “marketing speak” content.
◦ Website remains most important digital element.
Focus on increasing conversions as priority goal.
Simple online inquiry forms boost ROI.
Immediate inquiry response…
◦ Telephone, email, or texting.
Continuing response unless told to stop.
Big Data to focus advertising.
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Thanks for being
here in Atlanta!
BOB JOHNSON, PH.D.
BOB@BOBJOHNSONCONSULTING.COM
WWW.BOBJOHNSONCONSULTING.COM
@HIGHEDMARKETING
@HIGHEDMARKETING
132

10 digital marketing
resources
SITES AND SUBSCRIPTIONS TO ADD
TO YOUR KIT BAG.
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Stay current with ClickZ…
http://www.clickz.com/
@HIGHEDMARKETING
134

Social Media Examiner…
http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Kissmetrics blog…
https://blog.kissmetrics.com/
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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WordStream blog…
http://www.wordstream.com/blog?camplink=mainnavbar&campname=Blog
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Search Engine Watch…
http://searchenginewatch.com/
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Content Marketing Institute…
http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Pew “Internet & Tech” research…
http://www.pewinternet.org/
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Customer Carewords…
http://www.customercarewords.com/
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Track U.S. legalities…
http://1.usa.gov/1oiQJLP
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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For the Futurists…
http://www.iftf.org/home/
@HIGHEDMARKETING
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Digital Marketing Strategy: Creating Conversion Experiences to Gain Competitive Advantage

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