introduction to inbound marketing for independent schools - leigh fitzgerald & scott allenby

35

Upload: blackbaud

Post on 31-Jul-2015

170 views

Category:

Economy & Finance


3 download

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Introduction to Inbound Marketing for Independent Schools - Leigh Fitzgerald & Scott Allenby
Page 2: Introduction to Inbound Marketing for Independent Schools - Leigh Fitzgerald & Scott Allenby

INTRODUCTION TO INBOUND MARKETING FOR INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS.

Leigh Fitzgerald and Scott Allenby present

Page 3: Introduction to Inbound Marketing for Independent Schools - Leigh Fitzgerald & Scott Allenby

Leigh Fitzgerald

Inbound Marketing Specialist, HubSpot

@LeighFitz

Page 4: Introduction to Inbound Marketing for Independent Schools - Leigh Fitzgerald & Scott Allenby

Scott Allenby

Director of Communications and Marketing

@scotteallenby

Page 5: Introduction to Inbound Marketing for Independent Schools - Leigh Fitzgerald & Scott Allenby

Agenda

1. What is Inbound Marketing?

2. Step 1: “Attract”

3. Step 2: “Convert”

4. Step 3: “Nurture”

Page 6: Introduction to Inbound Marketing for Independent Schools - Leigh Fitzgerald & Scott Allenby

WHAT IS INBOUND?

Page 7: Introduction to Inbound Marketing for Independent Schools - Leigh Fitzgerald & Scott Allenby

The way people search for information has changed dramatically.

If schools want to connect with their audience today, they have to update the way

they market.

Page 8: Introduction to Inbound Marketing for Independent Schools - Leigh Fitzgerald & Scott Allenby
Page 9: Introduction to Inbound Marketing for Independent Schools - Leigh Fitzgerald & Scott Allenby

At its core, inbound is about building

relationships with your audience by providing

them with value

Page 10: Introduction to Inbound Marketing for Independent Schools - Leigh Fitzgerald & Scott Allenby

Q: How?

A: By creating authentic content and personalized interactions throughout the admission process to attract and engage both prospective parents and students.

Page 11: Introduction to Inbound Marketing for Independent Schools - Leigh Fitzgerald & Scott Allenby

Cold Emails (SPAM)

Interruptive Ads

SEOBlogging

Social Media

INBOUND

Customer - CentricTRADITIONAL

Marketer - Centric

vs.

Page 12: Introduction to Inbound Marketing for Independent Schools - Leigh Fitzgerald & Scott Allenby

Inbound Marketing Funnel - Education

WebTraffic

Prospective Students

Inquiry

Application

Blog Keywords/SEOSocial Media

Calls to Action Forms Landing Pages

Segmenting Email Nurturing

Email Nurturing

Attract

Convert

Nurture

Close

Page 13: Introduction to Inbound Marketing for Independent Schools - Leigh Fitzgerald & Scott Allenby

1. Attract

Page 14: Introduction to Inbound Marketing for Independent Schools - Leigh Fitzgerald & Scott Allenby

Step 1: Define Your Target Audience

Create personas to better understand your target market.

• Fictional People• You can have multiple personas• Negative Personas• What to consider:

– Demographics– Geographic Location– Common Questions– Professional Background– Goals

Page 15: Introduction to Inbound Marketing for Independent Schools - Leigh Fitzgerald & Scott Allenby

Developing Your Personas - Proctor Academy

Tell each persona’s story using a five chapter format: • What is their job and demographic information?• What does a day in their life look like? • What are their pain points? • Where do they go for information? • What are their common objections to your school?

High Level Ski Father

Learning Skills Mother

9th Grade Girl Mother

Upper Classman Male Athlete

Off-Campus Program Father

Page 16: Introduction to Inbound Marketing for Independent Schools - Leigh Fitzgerald & Scott Allenby

Step 2: Identify Keywords (SEO)

●Know who YOU are in order to effectively target keywords

●Answer Questions ●Keyword Process:

○ Identify opportunities to shift from Paid Search to Organic○ Create list of “topics” ○ Expand on those topics○ Long-Tail Keywords○ Remember variations○ Monitor competitors

Page 17: Introduction to Inbound Marketing for Independent Schools - Leigh Fitzgerald & Scott Allenby

Keyword Process - Proctor Academy

• Identify programs that are most marketable for your school.

• Identify ranking opportunities with high search volume and are ‘easy’ to rank for.

• Develop content around those keywords.

Page 18: Introduction to Inbound Marketing for Independent Schools - Leigh Fitzgerald & Scott Allenby

Create Content

• Develop content unique to your school’s differentiating programs.

• Use keywords to consistently address your personas’ Pain Points.

• Blogging • Social Media

Page 19: Introduction to Inbound Marketing for Independent Schools - Leigh Fitzgerald & Scott Allenby

2. Convert

Page 20: Introduction to Inbound Marketing for Independent Schools - Leigh Fitzgerald & Scott Allenby

Start the Conversation

• No family is ready to apply to a school on the first visit to the website

• Start the conversation early • Process to Convert Traffic on Your Website:

– Calls to Action – Forms – Landing Pages

Page 21: Introduction to Inbound Marketing for Independent Schools - Leigh Fitzgerald & Scott Allenby

Conversion Points

• What are we asking our website traffic to do? • Develop an “offer” • Examples

– Download sample curriculum – Frequently asked questions– Misconceptions of a (blank) school– Register for an on campus event – Schedule phone consultation with admissions or

financial aid counselor

Page 22: Introduction to Inbound Marketing for Independent Schools - Leigh Fitzgerald & Scott Allenby

CTAs on Proctor’s Website & Communications

Page 23: Introduction to Inbound Marketing for Independent Schools - Leigh Fitzgerald & Scott Allenby

CTAs on Proctor’s Website & Communications

Page 24: Introduction to Inbound Marketing for Independent Schools - Leigh Fitzgerald & Scott Allenby

CTAs on Proctor’s Website & Communications

Page 25: Introduction to Inbound Marketing for Independent Schools - Leigh Fitzgerald & Scott Allenby

CTAs on Proctor’s Website & Communications

• Leverage CTA’s to drive customers to the next actionable step in the admission process.

Page 26: Introduction to Inbound Marketing for Independent Schools - Leigh Fitzgerald & Scott Allenby

Landing Pages

• Calls to Action link to Landing Pages• Remember:

– Clear Action Oriented Header– Explain off in 1-5 Sentences– Use bullets, numbers and bolding in the copy– Include relevant image– Form fields that are important (relevant to what

you’re giving away) – Above the fold – No menu navigation or links

Page 27: Introduction to Inbound Marketing for Independent Schools - Leigh Fitzgerald & Scott Allenby

Redefine Your Forms for Inbound

• What information do you really want to capture?

• How does each form on your site allow you to leverage information for future communications?

• Reduce barriers to entry!

Page 28: Introduction to Inbound Marketing for Independent Schools - Leigh Fitzgerald & Scott Allenby

3. Close

Page 29: Introduction to Inbound Marketing for Independent Schools - Leigh Fitzgerald & Scott Allenby

Segment

• Create the correct segments based on what you know– Persona– Age of Child – Interests– Town/State

• Determine the next logical step in the process for that parent

Page 30: Introduction to Inbound Marketing for Independent Schools - Leigh Fitzgerald & Scott Allenby
Page 31: Introduction to Inbound Marketing for Independent Schools - Leigh Fitzgerald & Scott Allenby

Developing Email Nurturing Streams

• Identify how someone would enter a ‘workflow’

• Identify how someone will be removed from a ‘workflow’

• Determine the next logical step in the process for that parent

• Remain personalized• Stay helpful, not salesy

Page 32: Introduction to Inbound Marketing for Independent Schools - Leigh Fitzgerald & Scott Allenby

Examples of Nurturing – Proctor Academy

• Segmentation based on: – Status - parent/student – Interests - academics, arts, athletics, snow sports, off-campus

programs– Admission Stage - inquiry, visit, interview, apply, accepted,

enrolled

• Development of complex workflows based on segmentation.

Goal: To provide the right content to the right people at the right time through the right medium.

Page 33: Introduction to Inbound Marketing for Independent Schools - Leigh Fitzgerald & Scott Allenby

4. Questions?

Page 34: Introduction to Inbound Marketing for Independent Schools - Leigh Fitzgerald & Scott Allenby

Biggest Inbound Challenges for Independent Schools

• Content creation– Do you have a dedicated person/team who can generate

top notch content on a consistent basis?

• Data management– Your communication through segmentation is only as good

as your data - who is managing your data?

• Institutional Agility – Is your school ready to make really tough decisions on

which programs matters and which don’t? You can’t be an expert at everything…

Page 35: Introduction to Inbound Marketing for Independent Schools - Leigh Fitzgerald & Scott Allenby

Next Steps

• Inbound Marketing Assessment– Review SEO strategy – Get specific suggestions on how to improve your

website/online marketing

Leigh Fitzgerald

[email protected]

857-829-5702

@leighfitz