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.
According to a recent article in Inside Higher Ed, online enrollment is on the rise. Expensive commuting costs and a deteriorating job market are some of the factors contributing to the growth of online enrollment.
From a marketing perspective, this is an ideal opportunity for colleges to extend their geographic reach and capture those non-traditional students. As a former marketing manager for a company that specialized in developing and marketing online degree programs for traditional colleges and universities, I can tell you the key messages are simple, but powerful: convenience, flexibility, learning on your schedule. The flexibility of online learning, especially for non-traditional students and adult learners, opens up a whole new world of possibilities (and prospective students).
Recently, I cracked open a fortune cookie and it read (true story): “Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.” Well said. And, that’s why I work in education marketing. I like it.
My business is focused on providing branding, strategic marketing, creative advertising and Web services to the education sector. Whether it’s higher education such as colleges or universities, online degree programs at for-profit schools, or a product that serves the education industry, this is where my passion lies.
So, why are we passionate about working in education marketing?
For me, it’s about “selling” something much more meaningful than a “widget.” It’s about selling brighter futures, improving lives and making an impact beyond the “point-of-sale.” Call me an optimist, but I think the work we do as education marketers and communicators motivates people to make positive decisions in their lives. And, in some small way, may even improve the world. Just maybe.
Welcome to ExtraCredit, a blog dedicated to branding and marketing insight for education. Stay tuned!