Recruiting Students for Niche Programs Using Search Engine Marketing
1. Steve Bacher Director, e-Marketing, Bucks County Community College bachers@bucks.edu (215) 504-8543 League for Innovation in the Community College Learning College Summit, June 8, 2010 www.slideshare.net/SteveBache r
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8. Overview 1. What is Search Engine Marketing (SEM)? 2. Why use SEM? 3. Steps to Create an SEM Campaign 4. Case Study: Bucks County Community College’s 1 st SEM Campaign
9. What is SEM? Users search for Keywords on Search Engines such as Google
10. Search for Bucks County Community College and www.bucks.edu comes out on top.
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13. How do we help people interested in Dental Assistant training programs find ours? One answer is Search Engine Marketing (SEM). Google and other Search Engines sell Sponsored Links , which appear at the top of the Search Results List, above the normal (or “organic”) search results.
14. Here is an example of sponsored links above organic search results.
15. Sponsored Links are shown to users who search for related keywords and phrases… Keywords and phrases in this example include: dental assistant dental assistant career dental assistant certificate dental assistant college dental assistant jobs dental assistant programs dental assistant resume dental assistant school dental assistant schools dental assistant training dental college dental hygiene colleges
16. Sponsored links are only shown to users in targeted zip codes who search for related keywords. In the Bucks pilot SEM campaign, sponsored links were purchased for zip codes that had at least five enrolled students last semester.
21. SEM combines the latest technology with old fashioned customer service: When a potential student submits an online form from the landing page, a designated person from the program receives an email instantly.
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23. She responds – usually immediately -- in no more than two business days. The sooner the call, the more likely the enrollment, according to some studies. Program staff follow up in a couple of weeks with those who filled out the form but haven’t yet enrolled.
33. Targeting SEM brings specific programs to the attention of people who are searching for the programs and don’t know that they are offered by your college.
34. Targeting Geographic: zip codes, city, county or state Keyword/phrase
36. Search is growing… The U.S. core search market grew 16 percent overall in 2009, driven by a 6-percent gain in unique searchers and a 10-percent gain in searches per searcher. —comScore 2009 Digital Year in Review
44. What to Advertise with SEM * new programs * existing programs for which your college has many competitors * online programs available to students nationwide
86. Questions? Steve Bacher Director, e-Marketing Bucks County Community College bachers@bucks.edu (215) 504-8543 www.slideshare.net/SteveBache r
87. Why use facebook ads? Social Networking Remains One of the Web’s Top Activities in 2009 Social networking continued to gain momentum in 2009 with nearly 4 out of 5 Internet users visiting a social networking site in December 2009. The activity now accounts for 11 percent of all time spent online in the U.S., making it one of the most engaging activities across the Web. —comScore 2009 Digital Year in Review
88. Why use facebook ads? Facebook surged to the #1 position among social networks for the first time in May and continued its strong growth trajectory throughout the year, finishing with 112 million visitors in December 2009, up 105 percent during the year. —comScore 2009 Digital Year in Review
89. Do it Yourself? Facebook vs. Google $50 each mini-campaigns, 2/9 – 3/9/10 promoting Historical Preservation nationally (no local targetting) Facebook: Targeting users over 18 who like Historic Preservation Results: 171 click-throughs, 320,00 impressions No enrollment data yet.
90. Do it Yourself? Facebook vs. Google $50 each mini-campaigns, 2/9 – 3/9/10 promoting Historical Preservation nationally (no local targetting) Google Adwords: Targeting searchers for one of 60 different keyword phrases generated by Google for me. Results: 60 click-throughs, 22,000 impressions No enrollment data yet.
91. Steve Bacher Director, e-Marketing Bucks County Community College bachers@bucks.edu (215) 504-8543 www.slideshare.net/SteveBache r
Editor's Notes
7800 students in Newtown, about 11,000 all together credit
LBC about 1800 students
UBC about 1,000, and online about 3,000. 70,000 con ed.