GradMag 2024

THE HIGHER ED MARKETING MAGAZINE

Dear Community College Marketers and Leaders, Intro

As the world of higher education marketing continues to evolve, it is harder than ever to stay ahead of the game. As a former community college marketing director, I know what it’s like to feel like you’re playing “catch up” all the time. That's why I founded GradComm, and that’s why we created GradMag.

Sourced from our most successful podcasts, articles, and client work, each issue features the kind of practical tips and industry insights marketers like you need to succeed. Curious where and why your enrollment arc is failing? Check out the article about “Secret Shoppers.” Want to ace the social media game? Read about how some of our favorite community colleges are doing it. Did you say you’re an NCMPR member? Read about our recent member survey to see how your department aligns with national trends.

One more thing that makes this issue special is our cover. After asking our clients (who are awesome!) for submissions, our team chose this one because of the way it captures the uniqueness of community college students and the triumph that graduation represents. Big shout out to Southwestern College and photographer Ernesto Rivera for capturing an amazing moment.

Francis Bacon said “knowledge is power” but he was only partially correct. In my opinion, the one thing more powerful than knowledge is community, the kind of community your college creates, and the kind we hope you find here.

With admiration and respect,

Issue

NCMPR Survey Insights Revealed!

In the world of community college marketing, it’s easy to feel isolated and alone. But the truth is, we are part of a vibrant community of shared experiences and our recent survey of National Council of Marketing and Public Relations (NCMPR) members proves it.

The survey is being used to inform NCMPR programming and priorities—it’s also a great way to see what’s going on in the world of community college marketing. Here are seven things on NCMPR members’ minds.

Staff Expansion

Eighty-seven percent of respondents said increasing staff capabilities and size is one of their top three priorities, with 47% saying it was #1.

Limited Resources

Twenty-six percent said their top challenge was “facing unrealistically high expectations given limited resources.” It is no surprise that increasing annual marketing budgets was one of the top three priorities for 78% of respondents.

Professional Development

Professional development is the key to success with 76% marking it as one of the top three benefits of an NCMPR membership.

Digital Expertise

Experts in social media and digital marketing are a critical need for departments with 29% saying improving or increasing digital initiatives is one of their top three challenges.

Delivering Diversity

Survey takers noted their desire to see more diversity in NCMPR membership. This year’s survey participants skewed female (74%) and White/Anglo (84%), with no more than 5% reporting they belonged to any other ethnicity.

Driving Enrollment

Thirty-four percent of respondents marked “increasing enrollment” as their top priority. Many respondents shared that their most successful tactics involved collaborating with other departments—that’s why the next insight is so important.

Creating Buy-in

Respondents agreed that building a collaborative campus culture around marketing is important to campaign success. As one respondent noted, “Involving folks from different areas of the college to back the same initiative or event goes further than our department speaking alone.”

Cracking the Social Media Code

Because of the way social media can work as both a recruitment and retention tool, it offers community colleges a opportunity to support current students while showcasing qualities that can attract new ones. This is why an effective social media strategy is so important, and why we love seeing community colleges do it well. From spotlighting student successes to challenging community college stereotypes, these colleges are reaping the rewards of standing out in the digital realm.

01

Austin Community College (Austin, TX)

With a significant presence on Instagram (8K followers) and Twitter (11K followers), Austin Community College’s strength is how they actively involve students in content creation, creating an authentic and relatable representation of its student body. Through its engaging social media presence, the college is able to effectively communicate the diverse opportunities and vibrant atmosphere that it offers.

02

Santa Monica College (Los Angeles, CA)

Known for fun and engaging content, Santa Monica College's Instagram and Twitter accounts boast over 14k and 12k followers, respectively. By focusing on student life, campus events, and local attractions, the college is able to weave in more institutional messages (like its high transfer rates to UC and CSUs) without becoming overly academic.

Scan to see these colleges' social media in action

03

Valencia College (Orlando, FL)

Boasting an Instagram following of over 22K, Valencia College (VC) stands out for its compelling storytelling and celebration of student triumphs. In addition to showcasing student stories, VC uses its social accounts to spotlight the exceptional achievements of its esteemed faculty and accomplished alumni. By doing so, Valencia College fosters a sense of pride and community while giving current and former students a reason to stay connected.

Pasadena City College (Pasadena, CA)

With over 11k followers on Instagram, Pasadena City College embraces the latest trends incorporating them into Reels, injecting fun into their content. The college recently employed social media to unveil its new mascot, actively involving its followers by inviting them to help name it. This inclusive approach generated an enthusiastic buzz among their online community members and strengthened the bond between the college and its followers.

04 05

Cape Fear Community College (Wilmington, NC)

Standing out on TikTok with over 27k followers and 2.2m likes, Cape Fear Community College has taken on the challenge of dispelling stereotypes with a touch of humor and amusement. By debunking myths associated with community college education, the college is not only having a great time but also garnering substantial attention and building a thriving online community.

Secret Shopping Is Your College Making

Consumer businesses have long used secret shoppers to evaluate their own practices, customer service, and performance. That’s why GradComm started championing this tactic in higher education by adapting it to college admissions and marketing. Over the last few years, we’ve used this strategy to help community colleges across the country gain actionable insights into their own recruitment and retention efforts.

One common experience from our secret shoppers is the feeling that students are left to figure out the enrollment process on their own, a process that is typically made worse by unclear directions, confusing web pages, and a lack of direct support. In one case, one of our shoppers left over 25 voicemail messages asking for assistance and never received a response.

Why does it matter? Because if this happens to one student at your college, chances are it’s happening to hundreds more every year.

If secret shoppers have taught us anything,

it is the importance of examining processes

through the eyes of a student. After all, they are the ones we are here to serve.

- Cheryl Broom, GradComm CEO

Here are some ways you can make sure your campus isn’t leaving future students out in the cold.

1 2 3

Make sure your college has a process for answering ALL emails and phone calls within 24 hours.

4

Chatbots are a great feature for generic questions, but nothing beats the connection a real person can make.

Department and program web pages should only include emails and phone numbers that are regularly monitored.

5

Student-facing departments should always have representatives in their offices during posted hours of operation.

7 6 Automated emails are a necessary evil but make sure they don’t sound like a computer wrote them.

Personalize email communications with student names whenever possible and avoid cold, institutional signatures such as “Sincerely, the Admissions Department.”

Important departments that don’t accept phone calls make the student journey more difficult.

Want to stop losing students during enrollment? Contact us to learn more about secret shopping your college.

Tell All: These Critical Mistakes?

What do our secret shoppers do?

Adopt personas that are aligned with college demographics and project goals.

Complete an assessment rubric and report with insights and recommendations.

Visit your campus and interact with college staff (optional).

Track how long it takes to move through each phase of the enrollment process.

What happens when you secret shop the nation’s BEST colleges and universities? Find out here!

Apply to the college, search the website for guidance, and evaluate communications received.

Engage with frontline faculty and staff, note the quality of those interactions.

Community Engagement& Promoting Education

In a recent episode of GradComm’s Higher Ed Conversations with Cheryl Broom podcast, Dr. Kyle Dalpe, President of Western Nevada College, talks about the importance of knowing your region, embracing innovation, and prioritizing student needs in order to effectively recruit and retain students from all walks of life.

Dalpe leverages his unique background, which includes being a director of marketing and public relations, dean, executive director of governmental affairs, and chief of staff, to understand and overcome issues facing community colleges across the country.

Here are a few key takeaways:

ENGAGE WITH COMMUNITY

Dr. Dalpe encourages college leadership to prioritize community engagement and connecting with external student support systems (such as school districts and public resources) to better understand barriers students face when accessing higher education.

CAMPUS CULTURE IS CRITICAL

According to Dr. Dalpe, creating welcoming environments where individuals feel supported and valued is crucial. This means going beyond marketing to create a campus culture and infrastructure that ensures every member of the college staff knows how to best help students.

Listen to this podcast and others here!

UNSTOP “STOP-OUTS”

Highlighting the significance of reengaging "stop-out" students, Dr. Dalpe suggests tailored support and resources to facilitate their return to education — efforts that not only boost retention rates but also foster a sense of belonging.

UNDERSTAND YOUR REGION

A key component of connecting with rural communities is understanding local attitudes about higher education in order to build relationships with community leaders. Dr. Dalpe advocates for tailored marketing strategies and investments in infrastructure to ensure equitable access to education, and considering challenges unique to your region such as limited internet access or lack of transportation to campus.

HIGHER

ED CONVERSATIONS

2023 DAVEY AWARD WINNER

TOP 10 HIGHER ED MARKETING PODCASTS - HANNON HILL

Truth about The Pay-Only-for-Enrollments

Over the last few years, the “pay-only-for-enrollments” digital marketing model has been making waves in the world of community college marketing. By promising that colleges only pay for prospects that enroll, the model offers a supposedly risk-free way to recruit students and ensure ROI. But the truth is, these campaigns actually cost colleges more.

What these vendors rely on is a widespread lack of understanding about how and why to market to applied-not-registered and stop-out audiences. More importantly, they assume you don’t know that these audiences convert at a high rate if you pay attention to them.

For the marketing agencies that run these campaigns, the risk is high. So, to mitigate that risk, they need to reduce their investment of time and resources as much as possible. Instead of investing in research to understand your students, they rely on cookie cutter solutions to get paid.

As Will Williamson of the JDR Group explains, “The increased level of risk taken on by the agency means that if you do get results, you will pay a heavy premium for them. Thus, pay on results marketing often works out as more expensive than a standard contract with an agency.”

Here’s why the numbers don’t add up:

There is no way to know what made a student register.

If a student drops out after enrollment, you still pay.

You pay for students who were going to register anyway.

We understand that these models are extremely attractive because they feel less risky. But don’t be fooled—what you don’t pay for now, you pay more for later. How much more?

You are likely converting fewer students than you would have if you’d used a more custom solution.

Scan to find out!

Because you are paying only for enrollments, you can’t hold your agency accountable for poor performance.

Historic solutions haphazard

Scan to see more of our work!

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