Saied Amiry presents what LinkedIn is doing for Higher Education at the Converge 2017 Conference in Palm Springs, California on Thursday, February 23rd, 2017

1. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
How the Enrollment Journey Has Changed
And How to Best Influence Prospective Students Today
CHANGE BRINGS
OPPORTUNITY
#LinkedInEDU

2. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
SPEAKERS
Saied Amiry
Global Marketing Director, Education Vertical
LinkedIn
@saiedamiry
#LinkedInEDU
#LinkedInEDU

3. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
AGENDA
SECTION 1
The Trap of Short-Term Thinking
SECTION 2
Connecting with Today’s Prospective
Students
SECTION 3
How LinkedIn is Adapting Its Platform
for Higher Education
#LinkedInEDU

4. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
The Trap of Short-Term Thinking
#LinkedInEDU

5. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
The marketing world is
consumed by short-term
thinking
#LinkedInEDU

6. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
Short-term thinking is dominating
our personal lives too
#LinkedInEDU

7. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
Short-term thinking is rooted
in our human biology
#LinkedInEDU

8. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
As marketers, are we
in danger of failing the
Marshmallow Test?
#LinkedInEDU

9. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
Are we too enticed by short-
term results, to stay focused
on greater long-term
rewards?
#LinkedInEDU

10. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
“Digital has spent a decade telling us you
can measure everything instantly and that
it’s a good thing. The reality is it’s a very
bad thing.”
Peter Field, Author
Yes, we are in danger of ONLY chasing short-term metrics
#LinkedInEDU

11. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
2 Rules to Rethink Advertising
for Long-Term Effectiveness
#LinkedInEDU

12. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
Rule #1
Think Beyond
Direct Response
#LinkedInEDU

13. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
The optimal mix between brand
and direct response is…
#LinkedInEDU

14. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
60/40 Rule
“The two must work together.
Investment in long-term brand
building, combined with short term
activations reap the sales benefits
of those investments.”
The optimal media mix is 60% of
budget spent on brand
#LinkedInEDU

15. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
Direct response and brand
campaigns go hand in hand
#LinkedInEDU

16. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
Rule #2
Rethink Measurement
#LinkedInEDU

17. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
How long does it take to see long-
term effects of building a brand?
#LinkedInEDU

18. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
It may take 6 months to see the long-term effects
of building a brand (and more likely 3 years)
#LinkedInEDU

19. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
1. Net Promoter Score: “The One Number You Need to
Grow”
2. Brand Sentiment Tracking: Quality vs. Vanity Metrics
3. Multi-Touch Attribution: Go Beyond Last Click
Ideas to Rethink Measurement
#LinkedInEDU

20. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
How marketers can best influence
the student decision journey
Connecting with Today’s
Prospective Students
U.S. Version #LinkedInEDU

21. #LinkedInEDU
LinkedIn’s Mission
#LinkedInEDU

22. #LinkedInEDU2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
32M
467M+
professionals
40M+
students and recent
college grads
The largest global community of professionals
#LinkedInEDU

23. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
Market to who matters on LinkedIn
Reach a higher
quality prospect
QUALITY
Align your message
with a professional
mindset
MINDSET
Use our accurate
data to target your
audience
FIRST-PARTY
DATA
Only LinkedIn provides this unique combination of benefits
#LinkedInEDU

24. #LinkedInEDU
Why Publish on LinkedIn?
Recruiting
Social media
Self-Esteem
Employee Engagement
Coaching
Integrated Marketing
Learning Management
Onboarding
Hillary Clinton
Anna Faris
Maggiano’s Little Italy
Amber Heard
Kanye West
Chipotle
Kristen Wiig #TogetherMess
#DatingIsHardBecause
Press in the Era of Trump
#Tuesday Motivation
Trump Foundation
Trend Topics as of 11/22/16
#LinkedInEDU

25. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
1 – 2016 Survey of College and University Admissions Directors, Inside Higher Ed
2 – Job Growth and Educational Requirements through 2020, Georgetown University, 2014
of admissions directors
met their 2016 enrollment
goals
37%
of all American jobs will
require some sort of
education beyond high
school by 2018
63%
It’s challenging to convert prospects to students
but the value of the degree is still there
#LinkedInEDU

26. #LinkedInEDU
How can higher
education marketers
impact the decision
process of today’s
empowered prospect?
?
#LinkedInEDU

27. #LinkedInEDULinkedIn Survey and Internal Data: August 2015
This deck features U.S. Results
1,627 total respondents including:
• 502 MBA / Masters Intenders
• 524 MBA / Masters Grads
Understanding today’s higher education decision journey
We surveyed 15,000+ respondents on LinkedIn
Brazil
Australia
India
Germany
UK
France
USA
Canada
Hong Kong
Singapore
Netherlands
South Korea
Japan
Spain
#LinkedInEDU

28. #LinkedInEDU
Peer groups
and professional
networks are a
significant influence
Millennials are driven
by a different mindset
than Gen X
Prospects seek
specific content
at each stage
The prospects’
shortlist is exclusive
and critical
Key Findings
#LinkedInEDU

29. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
Overview
Chapter 1 The Importance of Making the Shortlist
Chapter 2 Understanding the Prospect Mindset
Chapter 3 Creating Content for Every Stage
Chapter 4 International Trends
Chapter 5 Connecting with Prospects on LinkedIn
#LinkedInEDU

30. #LinkedInEDU
Chapter 1
The Importance of
Making the Shortlist

31. #LinkedInEDU
The decision process is exclusive and critical
Only 3
schools make the
prospects’ shortlist
72%
develop their shortlist
before reaching out to
a school representative
93%
end up enrolling
at a school from
their shortlist
Base: MBA and Masters Grads (n=524)
#LinkedInEDU

32. #LinkedInEDU
Friends and peers are the 2nd biggest influence
Institution
website
Friends/
Peers
Information
Sessions
Professional
Networks
55%
50%
25%
Professional networks
are 3x as influential as
personal networks
Professional
Networks
Personal
Networks 8%
25%
25%
Top influential sources when considering further education
Base: MBA and Masters Intenders (n=502)
#LinkedInEDU

33. #LinkedInEDU
Recommendation:
Engage early in the
decision process with
a relevant social &
content marketing
strategy
#LinkedInEDU

34. #LinkedInEDU
Chapter 2
Understanding the
Prospect Mindset

35. #LinkedInEDU
Higher salary is the most influencing factor
26%
32%
48%
48%
54%
Increased confidence in my current job
Develop leadership skills
Passion for learning
The need to up-skill
Seeking a higher salary
Increasing Trend:
Skill development
to compete in
today’s world
Base: MBA and Masters Intenders (n=502)
Top 5 factors influencing the decision to undertake higher education
#LinkedInEDU

36. #LinkedInEDU
Millennials (18-34) Gen X (35-49)
Seek a higher salary Passion for learning
Need to up-skill Need to up-skill
Passion for learning Seek a higher salary
Develop leadership skills Develop leadership skills
Millennials and GenXers both have a strong passion
for learning, but for different reasons
1
Base: MBA and Masters Intenders (n=502)
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
Top factors influencing decision to undertake higher education
#LinkedInEDU

37. #LinkedInEDU
64%
71%
79%
83%
90%
Location of campus
Tuition fees
University reputation (overall)
Program format
Faculty/teacher quality
University Ranking
came in 7th
Base: MBA and Masters Intenders (n=502)
Respondents who intend to undertake a Masters or MBA
When deciding where to study, quality of learning
experience is more important than cost
#LinkedInEDU

38. #LinkedInEDU
Recommendations:
Build a presence
on digital platforms
that align with the
mindset of your
prospect and the
brand identity
of your school
#LinkedInEDU

39. #LinkedInEDU
Chapter 3
Creating Content
for Every Stage

40. #LinkedInEDU
Top types of information sought by intenders in each stage
of the higher education decision-making process:
Giving them relevant content at each stage
will help keep schools top of mind
AWARENESS DISCOVERY SELECTION
Career Advice
Information on courses and degree programs
Expert commentary and
reviews
Staff and lecturer profiles
Alumni profiles/achievements
Institution rankings
Education and industry news
Base: MBA and Masters Intenders (n=502) #LinkedInEDU

41. #LinkedInEDU
Prospects seek flexibility
But there are differences by age
Base: MBA and Masters Intenders (n=502)
48%
41%
33%
26%
24%
Part-Time Local
(within daily
commuting
distance from your
home)
Online (eg:
Coursera)
Hybrid
(Combination of
face to face and
online)
Full-Time Local (In
your current
country)
Full-Time Local
(within daily
commuting
distance from your
home)
GenXers are 58%
more likely to want
online study options.
Millennials are
21% more likely
to want part-time
local study options.
#LinkedInEDU

42. #LinkedInEDU
Recommendations:
Understand the nuances
of your audience
and target them with
relevant content by
decision stage
#LinkedInEDU

43. #LinkedInEDU
Chapter 4
International Trends

44. #LinkedInEDU
28%
of non-U.S. prospects plan to study
outside of their country
74%
of them said they would be interested
in studying in the U.S.
International students are
an important prospect audience for the U.S.
Base: All higher ed. intenders including interested in studying abroad (n=3813)
Those interested in studying in the US (n=2826)
#LinkedInEDU

45. #LinkedInEDU
UK
67%
FR
77%
DE
68%
NL
70%
ES
77% IN
83%
JP
71%
HK
78%
SN
80%
AU
71%
CN
71%
U.S.
79% of students in APAC are interested
in studying in the U.S.
#LinkedInEDU

46. #LinkedInEDU
Better quality education than home country
Understand the different reasons for in studying in the US
EuropeAPAC
Experience a different culture
#LinkedInEDU

47. #LinkedInEDU
Chapter 5
Connecting with Prospects
on LinkedIn

48. #LinkedInEDU
6.9%
5.4%
1.1%
0.6%
$386
$162
$111
$533
$0
$100
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
0%
1%
2%
3%
4%
5%
6%
7%
8%
Conversion Rate
(higher is better)
Cost Per Lead
(Lower is better)
*This is Converge Consulting aggregated client data from 15+ MBA, Executive MBA, Evening MBA and Part-time MBA programs across the US. This is benchmark data from many different types of schools in size and format.
DisplaySearch Facebook
Converge Consulting: MBA Lead Generation
Trends
#LinkedInEDU

49. #LinkedInEDU
3.0
3.2
3.4
3.6
3.8
4.0
4.2
25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64
Age
Average Grit Score
A validated measure that reflects the perseverance and passion
for long-term goals
US Adults LinkedIn Members
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
18-34 35-54 55-65
Age
% Financially Resilient
“Probably could” or “certain” they could come up with $2,000
next month for an unexpected need
US Adults LinkedIn (LI) Members
Grit Score: LinkedIn survey of 1,096 U.S. members (2015). Duckworth & Quinn survey of 1,554 in the U.S. (2009)
Financial Fragility: LinkedIn survey of 1,096 U.S. members (2015). Lusardi, Schneider, and Tufano survey of 1,931 in the U.S (2011)
#LinkedInEDU
LinkedIn Members Have “Grit” and the Ability to
Afford

50. #LinkedInEDU
5
Peer groups
and professional
networks are a
significant influence
Millennials are driven
by a different mindset
than Gen X
Prospects seek
specific content
at each stage
The prospects’
shortlist is exclusive
and critical
Implications for Marketers
Implication:
Engage early in the
decision process with
a relevant content
marketing strategy
Implication:
Nurture your prospects
down the decision
funnel with content that
is relevant to each
decision stage
Implication:
Customize creative and
landing pages according
to the unique drivers of
each age group
Implication:
Build a presence on
digital platforms that
enable awareness and
knowledge exchange
among professional
networks

51. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
How LinkedIn is Adapting
its Platform for Higher Education
#LinkedInEDU

52. #LinkedInEDU
Exceed
marketer
objectives
Prove value
through
analytics &
insights
Simplify
access to
products &
capabilities
Target
the
audiences
that matter
Evolving our platform in 2017
to increase advertiser ROI
#LinkedInEDU

53. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
Exceed
Marketer Objectives
#LinkedInEDU

54. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
Easily generate high-quality leads from your campaigns, based
on a variety of calls-to-actions and objectives
LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms
#LinkedInEDU

55. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
LinkedIn Audience Network
Scale professional reach beyond LinkedIn to high quality destinations
#LinkedInEDU

56. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
LinkedIn Dynamic Ads
Personalize your creative to resonate with prospective students
#LinkedInEDU
Drive engagement with premium audiences using
dynamically generated ads, powered by profile data,
customizable to meet your campaign objectives.

57. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
Prove Value Through
Analytics & Insights
#LinkedInEDU

58. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
Easily measure and optimize the business impact of your
LinkedIn Ads investment using native attribution tools
Conversion Tracking
#LinkedInEDU

59. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
Analyze the performance of your
campaigns using Campaign Manager
rich demographic reporting to
understand who your ads resonate
with best
Campaign
Demographic
Reporting
Beyond the Click
#LinkedInEDU

60. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
Third Party Impression Tracking
#LinkedInEDU

61. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
Simplify Access
to Products &
Capabilities
#LinkedInEDU

62. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
Simplify your brand experience…
+
University Page Company Page
#LinkedInEDU

63. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
Into a new, unified university experience
#LinkedInEDU

64. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
With the same Alumni Tool we all love…
#LinkedInEDU

65. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
And an all new, streamlined admin page
#LinkedInEDU

66. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
Brand new self-service channel for marketers to reach professionals in
the most personalized and direct way on LinkedIn
Sponsored InMail for Self-Service
#LinkedInEDU

67. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
Enhanced advertising APIs
#LinkedInEDU

68. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
Target Audiences
That Matter
#LinkedInEDU

69. #LinkedInEDU
Matched Audiences: Website Retargeting
Engage your website visitors with relevant content on LinkedIn as an
always-on strategy
#LinkedInEDU

70. #LinkedInEDU
Matched Audiences: Email & Company
Power your account-based marketing efforts and reach key prospects
#LinkedInEDU

71. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
New “years of experience” targeting facet
Reach people based on how many years they have worked
#LinkedInEDU

72. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
Better Achieve
Marketer
Objectives
Simplify Access
to Products &
Capabilities
Prove Value
Through Analytics &
Insight
Target Audiences
That Matter
Lead Gen
Forms
New Dynamic
Ads Formats
LinkedIn Audience
Network
Autofill
Years of
Experience
Targeting
Website
Retargeting
Marketing
Automation Contact
Targeting
Email Contact
Targeting
Conversion
TrackingThird Party
Conversion
Tracking
Campaign Insights and
Recommendations
Campaign
Demographic
Reporting
Enhanced
advertising APIs
Programmatic
Display
Sponsored InMail
for Self-Service
University
Pages Merge
#LinkedInEDU

73. #LinkedInEDU
We are Committed to Higher Education
And Investing in its Future
#LinkedInEDU

74. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
Q&A
Saied Amiry
LinkedIn
@saiedamiry
#LinkedInEDU

75. #LinkedInEDU#LinkedInEDU
Thank You!
#LinkedInEDU