Online Programs/Marketing
Linda/Toni
Online Program Overviews:
Developing online courses and programs …
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Has much to do with scheduling as it does w/ distance.
Majority of online programs are focusing on postgraduate studies.
Many universities are prepared to stake their reputations on their programs by
maintaining the same instructional quality online as they do on campus.
We, or any university, cannot risk putting something out there that would damage
or cheapen our brand. (Chaney, UF)
Richer experience w/ more sophisticated platforms:
o Broadband networks
o Videoconferencing systems
o Webcasts
o Live chat applications (these are designed to increase interaction and
collegiality an aspect important to most colleges)
Many courses are designed for cohorts: might go through program with same
group of people.
“Face time” does not mean spending hours watching a lecturer on screen. It is to
be more interactive not a ‘talking head.’
Online technology is only as good as the instructor and course design.: The
technology exists to communicate with students in myriad ways. The challenge
for the distance learning program planner is not to infuse the course of study with
all the latest and most sophisticated technology, but rather to select the technology
that best meets the unique needs and interests of the learners and the instructors…
(Eddy, 2010). (* it is difficult to build an effective online undergraduate
program. Post graduate studies has shown to be more successful. Purdue
University and University of Florida. Blended learning is gaining more traction
with undergrad programs.)
Programs offer face to face interactions. For example a student in an online
Master of Arts in teaching program must meet w/ his advisor in the same school
where he will complete his student teaching.
Recent surveys indicate that students like the online courses being developed and
delivered by traditional colleges and universities. The 2011 National Online
Learners Priorities Report consulting firm Noel-Levitz asked 99,040 students
from 108 institutions about their online experiences from the fall of 2008 through
spring 2011. A ¼ reported that the experience met their expectations. While 63%
felt that it exceeded them. Overall 73% were satisfied or very satisfied with their
experience and 76% indicated they would probably or definitely reenroll in the
program.
Search Engine Analysis for Online Literacy Education:
o “Literacy Online Programs” - no colleges listed within first 2 pages.
o “Masters Literacy Online Programs:
 University of Albany
 Canisus
 University of Phoenix
 Capella University
o “Online Literacy Certification Programs”
 Capella
 Penn State
 Kaplan University
 UC Denver
 UC Irvine
 UCCS (Colorado)
 UW (Stout)
o “Online Literacy Graduate Programs:
 Albany
 Mercy
 University of New England
 Canisus
o “Online Literacy Degree Programs:
 Albany
 Capella
 UMass
 University of New England
 University of Georgia
Information on Transactional Marketing:
 Implement mass marketing strategies to maintain and increase market share of
student recruitment and enrollments:
o Internet has overtaken print, TV and radio as an advertising medium.
o Utilize a wide-variety of internet ads classified as pull and push
advertisements. This includes:
 Email
 Banners
 Buttons
 Pop-up displays
 Keyword hotlinks
 Keyword search (i.e., Google AdWords)
 Chat room ads
 Online programs must be concerned w/ student recruitment and retention.
o A variety of services critical to student retention but not treated as part of
the transactional marketing strategy include:
 Orientation
 Student advising
 Real-time information about courses
 Online registrations
 Student accounts
 Help-desk
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 Complaint handling
 Feedback in a friendly, trustworthy, and timely manner.
o Recruitment w/ a focus on mass marketing go contrary to the need for
focus on services, building and maintaining a long-term relationship with
the students.
o Students are inundated with a flood of ads and install e-ail filters, pop-up
blockers. Hence mass marketing is very inefficient.
Relationship Marketing:
o Refers to all activities directed to establishing, developing, and
maintaining successful long-term relationships with students and other
stakeholders.
o Based upon mutual trust and commitment
o According to Gronroos (2000), relationship markets is not a set of tools
nor is it direct marketing or loyalty programs. It is a marketing attitude of
mind throughout the institution when students feel that the staff is
interested in addressing their concerns spontaneously in a friendly and
professional manner.
 3 Levels of Relationship Marketing:
 1. Price incentives are used to increase enrollment
 2. Social bonding is used to develop trust in the relationship
and loyalty to the brand.
 3. The focus is on building structural relationship through
customized programs to meet the needs of the student and
the student employer.
 Level 1 and 2 can be replicated by the competition. Level 3
are not easily replicable and are the basis of competitive
advantage to the institution especially in educational
services.
*Marketing of educational services is about interactions between the institution and the
students that form the basis of a process of relationship building. Management of
educational services is the management of this relationship processes. It is more complex
than managing products because products can be standardizes whereas it is difficult to
standardize services due to a large number of staff involved with a host of services.
Conceptually the complete chain of activities is coordinated and managed as one large
process. The goal is to create a non-imitable bundle of services to the student.
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Implementing Relationship Marketing:
o Full time and part time marketers
 There are a multitude of student interfaces that the institution has
to manage.
 F/T marketing staff is responsible for recruitment and enrollment
of students and will be the first contact with the students.
 P/T marketing staff come into contact with the students through a
variety of channels: online web sites, campus departmental units,
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orientation, advising, student accounts, information technology,
instructors, help-desk.
Developing effective interaction within the marketing staff and
between various functional departments in the institution becomes
a high priority issue. It is critical to the successful implementation
of a relational marketing initiative.
Effective service management also requires an enterprise
information system to share relevant, consistent, and meaningful
student profiles with all student interfaces.
Service Center (Academic Outreach, University of Illinois) is an
attempt to analyze and service the needs of students and provide
comprehensive , coordinated approach to meeting those needs over
time.
Resources:
 Campus Technology: Going the Distance by John K. Waters 6/2/12
 Faculty Focus: Focused on Today’s Higher Education Program on a Budget
(3/2/2009)
 Marketing online degree programs: How do traditional-residential programs
compete? Dr. Johnathan Adams & Dr. Vicki Everland
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