Alumni giving rates have dropped by more than 50% in the last twenty years. Mega-gifts continue to expand while the number of donors has declined primarily because philanthropic support from millennials has decreased. The net impact of all this is that while the total dollars raised has increased, the total number of donors has declined. […]
Thought leaders are created through persistent leaning into critical issues with a distinct point of view and expertise. Here are our guidelines for positioning yourself as a thought leader using blogging and social media: Goals Build your personal or institutional reputation as a thought leader in your core expertise. Create a readership that engages with […]
What was once considered high-priced influence — to change customer buying habits, or impact voter behavior — is now within reach of anyone with a smart phone and a few hundred dollars. I see this commoditization from multiple angles — as the CEO of a digital marketing agency, as a digital policy wonk (computer science/Cornell, […]
User experience design handles the strategic, narrative and structural design of digital experiences in service of persuasion, conversion and delight. There is a science and art of user experience design for marketing websites. Here is the list of best practices we have developed over the last 25 years: 1. Recognize that customers, not you, are […]
Enrollment managers at colleges and universities are running a machine. Whether it has a soul or not depends on the mindset they bring to their jobs. The most admired enrollment managers are running a humanized enrollment system. In serving more than 100 enrollment managers, we have gleaned the following best practices: 1. Balance Institutional Priorities […]
Every year, a silent, high-stakes dance takes place in all the 4,000+ colleges and universities in the US. To meet their enrollment targets, the colleges look for the best-possible group of students who will apply, and then accept the offers extended to them. Lead generation with College Student Search is the first step in this […]
Making a business case to ROI-minded business leaders is vastly different than making a case to marketing leaders because they speak different languages.
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990/2008 (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 require colleges and universities to provide individuals with disabilities equal access to programs, services and activities. This extends well beyond making sidewalks, entryways and classrooms accessible. It includes websites too. Why has this topic become important lately? Growth of non-traditional student […]
In working with over 100 colleges in the last 25 years, we have learned that website projects are a means for transforming an organization — Power structures are realigned, organizations are energized, inflection points are created, organizational trajectories changed, and destiny becomes more attainable.
After serving 100 colleges over 25 years, here is what we have learned. The most successful college and university brands embody these 7 best practices. In fact they have turned into living habits and have led thus become schools of consequence.