CHALLENGE
With a heavy shift to digital mediums during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a clear need to deliver a unique admissions experience for prospective students and families in a time where in-person events were not possible. Elsewhere, competitors opted to move all admission events, including Open House, tours, and other events, to an online meeting format.
SOLUTION
In partnership with the Admissions & Enrollment Management Office, I oversaw the design, development, implementation, and launch of several essential marketing tools during the 2020-2021 admissions cycle. These items include: Virtual Open House page, strategized newsletter-styled communications to prospective families, social media posts, and redesign of admissions acceptance package materials, all geared towards our prospective families with 7th and 8th graders as our primary audience.
SOLUTION #1: Social Media
Social media is an essential factor in the Admissions & Enrollment Management marketing strategy. In addition to the general need to share events on social media for prospective families, there was an additional emphasis to reshare important announcements made earlier that summer, including no entrance exams required, changes to honors at entrance, and letter of recommendation adjustments. Social Media posts were at least once a week between September 2020 through December 2020, leading up to our application due date in early January. Scheduled posts established our social media platforms as an important communication channel for prospective families to receive news on admissions and a way to stay engaged with our community.
Applications Open
Social Media Post
Virtual Open House
Social Media Post
Virtual Campus Tours
Social Media Post
SOLUTION #2: Virtual Open House
With this method, the Admissions & Enrollment Office would continue online meetings for tours and panels while offering a distinct differentiator. A passive Open House would allow prospective families to learn about our academic departments, program offerings, and community while navigating at their own pace with the ability to revisit throughout the admissions cycle.
Within a week of launch, Google Analytics reported that the Virtual Open House page received 640 total views, 379 unique views, and an average time spent of 2 minutes and 28 seconds, a 102.8% increase from our website in total. Our page jumped to 1,121 total views in a month, 698 unique views, and an average time spent of 2 minutes and 30 seconds.
Virtual Open House webpage
Screenshot
(Desktop View)
Virtual Open House webpage
Scrolling Animation
(Desktop View)
Virtual Open House webpage
Screenshot
(Mobile View)
Virtual Open House webpage
Scrolling Animation
(Mobile View)
SOLUTION #3: Prospective Family Newsletter
With the information provided by the Admissions & Enrollment Management Office, an email communication strategy was established in order to maintain communication with prospective families that have declared interest by attending a tour, starting an application, or participating in an online admissions event. A bi-weekly newsletter-style email was sent to prospective families to maintain communication between their initial point of contact, through the winter holidays, leading up to our application due date in early January. The newsletter focused on important admissions application due dates, events, spotlights on students and faculty, and school-wide events.
These newsletters saw a 70.6% average open rate and a 21.2% click rate over the 6 emails sent between September and December.
Prospective Family Newsletter
Screenshot
Prospective Family Newsletter
Scrolling Animation
SOLUTION #4: Redesigned Admissions Package
Acceptance packages are unboxing of sorts where presentation and branding must be just as important as the information provided and can heavily impact a prospective student's experience with the school. A contracted graphic designer provided the initial assets where I then edited them to fit our branding standards.
Admissions & Enrollment Management
Acceptance Package
Admissions
Acceptance Envelope
Digital Mockup
Admissions
Acceptance Folder
Digital Mockup
Admissions
Acceptance Envelope
Digital Mockup from Contractor
Admissions
Acceptance Envelope
Digital Mockup from Contractor
Admissions
Acceptance Materials
Admissions
Acceptance Poster (Side A)
Admissions
Acceptance Poster (Side B)