Becoming a leading provider of high-quality online degrees requires a robust and efficient prospect communication plan – not manual processes. Learn how IU Online turned a fragmented workflow into an automated communication stream with focused, branded content for six campuses and 110 programs and get a glimpse of our analytics.
The Office of Online Education (OOE) is a university-wide office supporting the implementation and growth of online education across Indiana University’s seven campuses. IU Online is the brand representing 110 online program offerings, including associate degrees, bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, doctoral programs, and certificates. Approximately 4,700 students are currently enrolled in online plans; roughly 7,800 students have 100% online schedules regardless of plan; and more than than 28% of all IU students take at least one online course.
OOE engages in marketing and recruitment for all IU Online programs. At the point of application submission, applicants are “handed off” to campus-level representatives (i.e., undergraduate admissions, the graduate school, etc.) for nurturing and conversion. A spring 2017 project led by the Associate Director of Online Recruitment provided the first wrap around recruitment service for the campuses: cohesive, automated prospect messaging.
Previously, all prospect communication from OOE to prospects were manually generated and largely generic. The Request for Information (RFI) form on the IU Online webpage tied to a simple in-house database with no email or reporting functionality. OOE staff manually pulled prospects lists each morning and sent simple email responses through Outlook. With no ability to track the effectiveness of our prospect engagement, OOE was ready for a new solution.
Leveraging our CRM (Salesforce), we piloted an automated communication flow for one multi-campus undergraduate degree program in March 2017. After technical analysis and significant stakeholder engagement, all 110 programs were automated by the end of May 2017. The new process includes a Salesforce-linked web form that loads prospects directly into our CRM. From there, prospects are automatically loaded into an appropriate communication “journey” in Marketing Cloud based on their interest in a specific degree and campus they are likely to attend.
This improved process has allowed us to reduce the timespan from initial web form submission to start of targeted messaging, automate prospect rosters and disseminate information, and increase the total number of engagements with prospective students. We can now ensure standard messaging and reinforce the IU Online brand for online programs offered across a multi-campus system.
Using the power of analytics, we are reviewing open rates, click rates, and other metrics as we work to implement Phase II of our prospect communication plan. The goal is to move beyond patching an antiquated workflow and focus on building personalized relationships with online prospects.