Getting There from Here: A Model to Develop Social
Media and Digital Strategies to Increase Alumni
Engagement with Your Alumni Website
David Regan White
Coordinator of Alumni Services
SUNY Empire State College
What we will learn today …
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Identifying Conversion actions
How to leverage social media
How to use FB ads
How to use Google Analytics
How to create a quick and engaging video
Website usability
Increasing the engagement factor
Your Part
Feel Free to …
-
Ask questions
Share your best practices
Provide your input
Let’s offer our alumni the best user experience
possible with our alumni websites!
Let’s Get Started
Where it all begins …
What are your Strategic Conversion Actions?
Let’s look at the higher education landscape.
Strategic Conversion Actions
What do we want our audience to do?
Office of Enrollment
- Requests for info (leads)
- Admission applications
- Enrolled students
Office of Student Services
- Retention rate
Alumni Relations (Advancement)
- Donations
- Info updates (email, phone)
- Volunteers
- Advocates
- Add news
- Refer students
- Join Social Media sites
Facebook ads
How many people use Facebook ads to engage
alumni?
-
Promote a page
Sponsored story
Ad
Facebook Ad Promoting Page
Facebook Sponsored Story
Facebook Ad
Facebook Ad Takeaways
-
Allows you to target your graduates only
Can choose connected or not connected to page
Cost effective channel to increase FB page likes
CPM allows increased brand equity
Highly targeted and detailed reporting
Use Facebook ads to market your Facebook page to
your alumni and students to increase membership.
Create targeted campaigns for your other key
conversion actions such as donations, volunteers
and info updates.
Google Analytics
How many people use Google Analytics or similar
for alumni website traffic analysis?
- Identify top pages by page views and visits
Google Analytics – Page Views 2011
Google Analytics Page View Takeaway
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Page popularity = alumni intention
Use page view analysis to identify pages alumni
visit the most and locate page links in easy to find
locations.
The Video
eMarketer estimates that in 2011, 68.2% of US internet
users, or 158.1 million people, will be watching video content
online each month.
Video Takeaway
-
Website visitors like to watch videos
Top online engagement tool
Annotate to add links and pause
Social Media Share Buttons
How many people use SM share buttons?
Buttons not the icons.
-
Let your alumni work for you
Users like to share
Add Social Media Share Buttons
Social Media Share Button Takeaway
-
SM share buttons allow your visitors to easily and
quickly share your info through their social media
networks
Trackable
Viral
Free
Don’t forget RSS
Sharethis.com
Social Media Feeds
How many people use SM feeds for website
content?
-
Robust and interactive
Engaging
Promotes membership
Social Media Feeds
Social Media Feeds
Social Media Feed Takeaway
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Real time updating feed
Shows activity, faces, likes
Great content
Customizable
Allows visitors to join your page immediately
The User Experience
-
Easy to navigate
Easy to find links they need
Offer a video, photos to engage
Show your activity
Allow them to share
Its about how the user perceives your site.
Website Demo
http://alumni.esc.edu
How we brought it all together
Thank You!
You’ve been a great crowd!
Feel free to call or email if you any further questions.
View the PowerPoint online
http://alumni.esc.edu/SUNYCUAD-SM12.ppt
David Regan White
David.White@esc.edu
518 587-2100 x2736
© David Regan White SUNY Empire State College