While the traditional transfer student moves from a two-year university to a four-year institution, “reverse transfer” students are leaving four-year universities to attend community colleges. According to a recent article in Inside Higher Education, “reverse transfers” may be an overlooked growing student population. As cited in the article, according to the American Association of Community Colleges, about a third of all two-year students attended a four-year institution prior.
As tuition continues to increase and the recession goes on, many students are returning to the less expensive two-year option closer to home. Many community colleges see this as an excellent opportunity to market to this often overlooked segment. Remember, when a student decides to leave a four-year program, they have a number of choices as to where they will continue their education including online programs, community colleges and vocational/technical schools. This is the time to create that differentiating message about your institution.
The key marketing message to this audience should not only be about affordability (because everyone in your category can claim that), but also about the personal and more engaging learning environment (with smaller classes, etc.). What sets you apart? Why are you the best choice for a “reverse transfer” student? What services do you have in place that will cater to their learning needs? How flexible are your course schedules? Can you make the complicated process of transferring credits easier? Asking a few simple questions can help you determine where you may need to “fill in the gaps” to capture the attention of this fast-growing population of students.
A microsite is a mini Website that contains about five or so pages of content. They are often used to capture the attention of prospective students who have seen/heard an advertisement and visit the site. It offers a great opportunity to continue the conversation, and obtain contact information (as an alternative to sending the prospective students directly to the institutional Website).
Here’s a great example of campaign microsite for an ad campaign running in Orlando for Valencia Community College.
http://educationisin.com/
This edgy campaign is running primarily on radio and TV, all driving to this site. Now, compare the microsite site to the institution’s site. While this is a very well-designed Website with a fresh look, it doesn’t continue the conversation cleverly started by the engaging advertising campaign.
Other benefits of an education campaign microsite include:
- Goes up quickly (usually contracted by outside agency to produce)
- Can be highly measurable through the use of unique URLs
- Can actually be cost effective (depending on how many bells and whistles!)
- Typically has a higher response rate for requesting additional information
- Provides a flexible option to pair a Website with an ad campaign that may change every year or two
And with that, I would like to wish everyone a happy and safe Thanksgiving!!
The 2008 annual conference for the Florida Association of Community Colleges is coming to a close in Orlando today. Not surprisingly, the hot topics of conversation were related to budget and funding (or lack thereof), and how to do more with less. When it comes to marketing and branding for community colleges, I reassured attendees that we can work with most any budget to keep the marketing efforts alive—which is so critical right now.
On another note, while many community colleges are experiencing a surge in enrollment because traditional students are choosing more affordable local colleges, some colleges outside metro areas are seeing just the opposite. In fact, 2-year institutions in more rural areas of Florida are experiencing a decline in enrollment. This is because students are being forced to work more hours to make ends meet (in many cases more than one job). There simply isn’t enough money or time at the end of the day to pursue education opportunities.
These are all conditional market factors we need to keep in mind when planning our marketing strategies for 2009. Thank you to all the college representatives who took the time to speak with me at FACC. I look forward to next year!
The annual conference for the Florida Association of Community Colleges kicked off today in Orlando, and I will be attending starting tomorrow. Interestingly enough, the latest findings from the Community College Survey of Student Engagement was released this week as well. According to the article in Inside Higher Ed: Helping Community Colleges Raise the Bar, the findings suggest that two-year institutions may need to “raise the expectations for students and improve access to services.”
While community colleges need to be flexible in terms of meeting the needs of their students (who are often working full-time and caring for families), it shouldn’t come at the expense of offering a challenging, engaging and rewarding educational experience. From a marketing perspective, two-year colleges may consider a message that states their education experience is something to the effect of: “Easy to Access . . . Challenging to the Mind.” It boasts the flexibility benefit, while at the same time making a bold statement that you will learn and succeed here.
Next week, I will be attending the Florida Association of Community Colleges annual conference in Orlando. I would predict the “hot” topic of conversation will be about the economy and how it is affecting enrollment (either positively or negatively). The recent buzz has been that community colleges are seeing a rise in enrollment because students are choosing more affordable local colleges over larger, more expensive state and/or private colleges. An article in today’s Orlando Sentinel, Times Get Tougher for Higher Ed, seems to reinforce that message—especially for Florida schools. I’ll report any interesting trends or insights I learn at the conference next week.