Stamats Insights
By Stamats
Data-driven strategy is in our DNA. It permeates the wide array of services and solutions we've provided our client partners for nearly 100 years. Let us show you what you can do.
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Stamats InsightsMay 10, 2019
In 2020, Agency Success = Agency Collaboration
Some agencies say “NOPE!” when asked to collaborate with other vendors. But Stamats says "YES." Find out why in this week's podcast. Listen now.
Working From Home Now? A Therapist’s Advice on Maintaining Healthy Family Relationships
Millions of workers have suddenly transitioned to working at home to wait out the coronavirus pandemic. Relationship therapist Megan Bearce, MA, shares tips for maintaining your family relationships when you’re all under stress and cooped up in the same house.
Will Your Institution Thrive in 2020 and Beyond?
Challenging in the higher ed landscape yield the opportunity to retool your school’s marketing vision for maximum effect. Is yours compelling enough to drive the results?
In this #HigherEdVoices podcast, Bob Sevier, Senior Vice President, Strategy for Stamats, shares expert tips for developing a marketing vision based on your organization’s resources and what you want the future to look like. Listen now.
Want to learn more? Attend Bob’s session on this topic at the Stamats 2020 Conference in Savannah, GA. Register now.
Inspired Collaboration: Three Agencies, One System
When more than one agency joins forces on a project, the outcome can be awful – or amazing. In this episode of the #HigherEdVoices podcast, I discuss with Mariah Obiedzinski, Sr. Director of Content Services, how The Thorburn Group collaborated with two other agencies to exceed our mutual client's expectations.
Want to learn more? Attend my session with Terri Giltner, System Director of Marketing at Kentucky Community and Technical College System on this topic at the Stamats 2020 Conference in Savannah, GA. Register now.
You CAN Do a Content Audit in House – Here's How!
Successful website revamps start with a content audit: What do we have? What do we need? What's good as-is?
It's a big undertaking, but with the right resources and team members, you can conduct a content audit in house.
In this #HigherEdVoices podcast, I visit with Joan Benson, our Associate Vice President, Digital & Creative Strategy, to discuss how to get started – and when to ask for expert help. Listen now.
Want to learn more? Attend Joan’s session on this topic at the Stamats 2020 Conference in Savannah, GA. Register now.
Why 'Annual and Manual' Audience Data Won't Fly in Modern Publishing
Some tenants of publishing never change: Know your audience. Give them what they want. But successful publishing today requires more frequent review than the historical "annual and manual" qualification process.
On this week's podcast, find out how Stamats is evolving with the audience-centric publishing and data revolution. Listen now.
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Discover Your Brand Story Through the 3 Es of Branding
A solid brand foundation is the core of your organization's success. Your brand is what drives prospective students to engage with email messaging, respond to a mailer, and ultimately apply to your institution.
In this week's #HigherEdVoices podcast, Bill Thorburn, CEO and Executive Creative Officer with The Thorburn Group, Stamats’ brand engagement agency, shares how his creative team helps higher ed institutions discover their brand voice through the Three Es of Branding: Engagement, elevation, and experience. Listen now.
Want to learn more? Attend Bill's session on this topic at the Stamats 2020 Conference in Savannah, GA. Register now.
Dashboards + Workflows = Data-Driven Marketing Success
"Data-driven marketing" is more than a buzzword. It's an ongoing challenge for higher ed marketing teams – how can you more effectively gather data, and what do you do with it all once it's collected?
In this week's #HigherEdVoices podcast, Dave Olsen, marketing technologist, shares how the University Relations - Digital Services unit at West Virginia University implements dashboards and workflows to achieve their marketing goals. Listen now.
Want to learn more? Attend Dave's session on this topic at the Stamats 2020 Conference in Savannah, GA. Register now.
Agile Marketing Basics: Sprints, Roles, and More: A Stamats 2020 Sneak Peek
The marketing team at University of Wisconsin-Stout – inspired by the IT field – has adopted a workflow called Agile Marketing. This program makes the team's jobs easier while continually improving our outcomes.
Mariah Obiedzinski, Director of Content at Stamats, invited me to the #HigherEdVoices podcast to discuss our Agile Marketing philosophy and approach. Listen now.
Want to learn more about Agile marketing? Come to my session at the Stamats 2020 Conference in Savannah, GA. Register now.
Why Demand Generation Works Wonders in Higher Ed Marketing: A Stamats2020 Sneak Peek
In this week's #HigherEdVoices podcast, Stamats Director of Content Mariah Obiedzinski and I discuss the most effective ways to market a new higher ed program. At the top of my list? You guessed it – Demand Generation, with email and social media as our primary distribution channels. Listen now.
Want to learn more? Attend my Demand Generation session at the Stamats 2020 Conference in Savannah, GA. Register now.
6 Quick Tips to Doom Your Brand Transformation
Higher ed marketing teams face unique challenges when it comes to content: What words does the institution want to use? What words will prospective students understand? Who should be part of creating our messaging?
Darren White, principal consultant at D. White and Company, discusses transformational vs. transactional content on the #HigherEdVoices podcast. Listen now.
Want to learn more? Attend the Stamats 2020 Conference in Savannah, GA. Register now.
Higher Ed + Modern Publishing = One Stamats
Stamats has long been known for working with higher education clients on research, branding, and digital marketing initiatives.
But we are also a leading B2B publisher, with 100 years of traditional marketing expertise and three digital and print publications: BUILDINGS, interiors+sources, and Meetings Today.
On this week's podcast, find out how we're merging to become One Stamats.
Get the latest Stamats Insights in your inbox. Sign up for our e-newsletter now.
Flexible MBA + Digital Marketing: William and Mary's Data-Driven Approach
A major hurdle in marketing MBA programs is reaching and engaging busy working professionals. These nontraditional students have specific needs – especially when it comes to preferred communication platforms.
When William and Mary College – Raymond A. Mason School of Business revitalized our Flexible MBA program, we knew we needed to think big (and local) in marketing to prospective students.
Mariah Obiedzinski, Director of Content at Stamats, invited me to the #HigherEdVoices podcast to discuss our data-driven, multichannel marketing approach. Listen now.
How to Get Your Optimal Academic Program Offerings
How is your academic program positioned in the marketplace? What enrollment potential does it have for the future? In this week's #HigherEdVoices podcast, Patrick Stark, Director of Consulting of Marketing Research, discusses how an academic program demand assessment can help you make revenue-impacting decisions about marketing your programs. Listen now.
Central College Puts Students First with Bold, Transparent Tuition Pricing
Central College, located in Pella, Iowa, will implement a novel tuition pricing standard in Fall 2020. Shedding discounts, their published tuition will be $18,600—far lower than their former listed price. Listen now.
Using Tech to Personalize the Digital Journey for Students
Over the last 5-10 years, we've seen rapid change in enrollment practices shifting from traditionally introspective marketing to a more "what's in it for you" approach to reaching traditional prospective students. In this #HigherEdVoices podcast, John McLoughlin, Senior Director of Enrollment at Concordia College New York, discusses how marketers can use technology and CRM tools to personalize the digital student journey, both online and offline. Listen now.
The Dangers of Data Silos and How to Overcome Them
Data is often stored in silos - aka different departments at companies. That can be a problem when you want to make sure your data is accurate across the organization and can create issue when analysis is happening.
Stamats Account Manager Melissa Chapman discusses this problem with me and shares ideas how to overcome it in this episode of our Stamats Insights Podcast.
The Difference Between a Marketing Lead and Sales Lead
Marketing and sales teams need to work together to pass leads at the right time. That's easier said than done, of course.
In this episode of the Stamats Insights Podcast I'm chatting with Jill Fetcher, VP of Client Services at Buffalo-based Farm, about when a person becomes a lead, when they are considered a marketing lead and when a sales lead.
We discuss nurture strategies and how content plays a role as well.
This episode was recorded in Minneapolis where we were both speaking at the Insurance Marketing and Communications Associations annual conference. Find my deck on the future of content here.
How to Use Email Marketing to Extend Your Conference's Reach
In this episode of our podcast we are discussing how your team can use email marketing, dailies and different content assets to extend your conference's message.We are sharing tips on:
- finding stories
- sending emails that matter
- workflow
What Marketers Must Know About Artificial Intelligence
In this episode of the Stamats Insights Podcast, I talk with author Jim Sterneabout artificial intelligence in marketing. Jim wrote the book on the topic and shares:
- why marketers should care about the topic
- how to communicate with data scientists
- how to understand the barriers and opportunities AI presents
Other links:
How Publishers Can Use Gated Content to Drive Results
In this Stamats Insight Podcast Christoph Trappe talks with Joyce Neth, VP of audience development at Watt Global Media. She shares how her publications use gated content for 80 percent of all site content.
Do Keywords Still Matter? Writing for Intent
What's the deal with keywords and SEO? In this Higher Ed Voices podcast, three content experts discuss keywords, writing for events, and the virtuous journey of creating exception digital content. Listen now.
Data Hygiene: How to keep your data clean for marketing success
Now that we know what databases are and why marketers should care, let's talk about keeping data clean. That's officially called data hygiene
In this episode of the Stamats Insights Podcast, we are discussing data hygiene as it relates to all types of data, including:
- basic contact information such as name, address, phone, email
- demographic data such as company size, household income, number of units, etc.
Stamats Account Manager Melissa Chapman tells me that "good data hygiene requires thought and planning to insure that all of your data fields- both contact information and demographic information- are current and accurate."
The Anatomy of a High-Performing Facebook Ad
What’s the best performing Facebook ad type—single image, carousel, or video? Digital Analyst Andrew Rohlf and Chief Content Officer Christoph Trappe from Stamats discuss the results of reviewing 1 million Facebook ads. What goes into creating a strong Facebook ad that will bring in results? Find out now.
How Data-Driven Decision-Making Affects Tech Integration in MedEd
How can schools of medicine use data to drive informed marketing decisions and improve admissions, student retention and degree programs? We’re joined by John Lynn, founder and editor of Healthcarescene.com. John has more than a decade of experience in healthcare and higher education data driven marketing.
How smaller teams can win at higher ed social media engagement
In this episode of the Stamats Insights Podcast I chat with Shannon Nicholson, program director at the West Virginia University Graduate Admissions and Recruitment office. She shares her top tips on how even small teams can maximize social media engagement.
How to create evergreen content for longterm content success
In this episode of the Stamats Insights Podcast, I'm chatting with Janelle Penny, editor-in-chief of Buildings.com about evergreen content.
Janelle shares tips on how she consistently turns stories relevant to facility managers into articles that have a long shelf life.
Making the Most of Social Media with Influencers
Coverings 2019, a global stone and tile expo, is utilizing a modern makerting technique: influencers. Staff writer Adrian Thompson chats with Becca Sass, account supervisor for Coverings social media, on working with influencers like John McClain to digitally promote and cover this year’s show.
Worried your own social media is falling behind? Contact us today for a 30-minute consultation.
What marketers should know about databases to drive marketing results
In this episode of the Stamats Insights Podcast I’m chatting with Stamats Account Manager Melissa Chapman about what databases are, why the basics are important to marketers and how to start driving results when you structure your databases well.
Infographics Best Practices
Infographics are an additional way to add value to your digital content. But it’s more than just copying and pasting information from your article or blog post and putting it in a design. Eric Andersen and Mariah Obiedzinski discuss best practices of creating useful infographics for your marketing content.
Live Social Media Checklist: Pro-Tips to Engage Your Audience
Social media remains an important engagement tool for your audience. Mariah Obiedzinski speaks with Top 100 Digital Health Influencer Jared Johnson about some best practices when utilizing live media channels. Included is the Social Media Live Checklist to download to make sure you don't miss any steps.
Tips for Crisis Communication in the Digital Age
Crisis communication in the digital age is complex. In this podcast, Christoph Trappe, Sandra Fancher, and Andrew Rohlf from Stamats discuss tips for higher ed organizations to ensure sensitivity to crisis events and turn potentially negative industry news into positive, trustworthy digital and real-world experiences.
Lead Generation: Creating Demand for Your Academic Programs
Find out how demand generation can take your institution’s lead generation program several steps further with a more holistic approach that improves yield. Stamats’ vice president Randy Burge speaks with Mariah Obiedzinski, director of content services, about this important process.
Lead Generation: Creating Demand for Your Academic Programs
Find out how demand generation can take your institution’s lead generation program several steps further with a more holistic approach that improves yield. Stamats’ vice president Randy Burge speaks with Mariah Obiedzinski, director of content services, about this important process.
The Difference Between LinkedIn Company Pages and Groups
With over 260 million active users every month, brands of all shapes and sizes have no excuse for ignoring the professional social platform LinkedIn. That being said, it's important to understand the different means of engagement that LinkedIn offers. Whether just starting out or a power-user, one key area seems to mystify many on LinkedIn; pages versus groups. Choosing the right one for your brand can mean all the difference for growing followers.
I'm Michael Leonard. This is Stamats Insights.
LinkedIn currently hosts over 26 million companies, and many of them no doubt asked the same question we're about to when first creating their company presence. "Should we choose a page or set up a group?" This might sound easy but I've spent enough time and seen enough examples during my stay on LinkedIn to know that it's not.
So, which is it?
It's important to understand the purpose of each choice.
Groups are meant to serve as a public forum. Anyone can request to join a group and, once approved, can post anything they want. You might see the problem with this right away. While groups provide a vital space for open discussion, that's not always the healthiest option for a brand. Limited moderation tools mean that steering the content is nearly impossible. There's nothing stopping these groups from snowballing into thousands of users; some of which are well-disguised bots that, once approved, can post anything just like anyone else.
A good example of this was on a group I moderated with a niche following. The same issue developed every day. A brand new article published on the company's site and, upon preparing an announcement for the group, I would notice dozens of spam posts that had accumulated the day before.
On the other side of the spectrum, pages serve as an official brand platform within LinkedIn. Only those that are granted permission can post new content, while maintaining the ability for followers to engage through commenting, liking, and sharing. Pages provide analytics for new visitors, post impressions, follower growth, and even analytics for each individual post.
The networking capabilities shine on a company page, and that's what social is all about after all. The ability to tag individuals as well as other company pages opens up a realm of new possibilities. With groups, only individuals can be tagged, meaning that collaboration or sharing with other companies is limited.
Pages also offer a wide variety of customization, ranging from small to vital. Custom banners appear at the top of the page. Admins can assign hashtags for the page that help potential followers discover the brand. And you can change the image, title, or description of links that you share.
Unless there is a security breach, logging on for the day will never result in precious time being wasted on moderation.
The correct answer to our question is that any respectable brand will have a company page. Brands with time and resources will then find a way to incorporate groups as a secondary means of growing their following.
Once again, I'm Michael Leonard and this has been Stamats Insights. Make sure to read our guide 'How to Build Your Higher Ed Social Media Brand' on stamats.com. Let us know what you think about LinkedIn on Twitter or LinkedIn @stamats, or Facebook @stamatsinc.
College Admissions Scandal: Talking Points for Higher Ed Professionals
On March 12, prosecutors from the Department of Justice charged 50 people with crimes ranging from fraud to racketeering as part of a larger conspiracy to cheat and bribe their children into elite colleges across the country.
According to an article in the New York Times, the massive investigation involved over 200 Department of Justice agents in 6 states. Many of the defendants are celebrities who are accused of plotting to buy college admissions for undeserving students.
Admissions staff in higher education can expect a wave of concerns and questions from parents and current and prospective students. Becky Morehouse, Senior Vice President for Client Services at Stamats, has been working with college and university admissions offices for more than 25 years. Becky says having a crisis communication plan is crucial for college and university admissions teams to answer these questions and instill trust in their institutions. She shares strategic recommendations for admissions teams in this week’s Higher Ed Voices podcast. Listen now.
Why Every Admissions Office Should Do a Non-Matriculant Study
It’s yield season! For many in higher education, this is the time when you shift focus from generating and reading applications to convincing admitted students to enroll. It’s a time filled with events, direct outreach to admitted students, and the all-important enrollment deposit reports.
Yield is a complicated animal; the factors that influence a student to choose College A over College B are as varied as the students themselves. It is essential, therefore, for admissions professionals to know why admitted students chose to go somewhere else. In our experience, surveying these students with a non-matriculant study is one of the most – if not THE most – valuable research projects a college can do every year or two.
Why your brand must use Facebook Messenger ads today!
Digital analyst Andrew Rohlf and chief content director Christoph Trappe review research in this podcast that evaluates 1 million ad impressions on Facebook. Andrew reports that Facebook Messenger ads are currently performing extremely well, with a higher click-through rate and at a lower cost.
In this episode, you’ll hear Christoph and Andrew discuss ways you can maximize this strategy now.
The Missed Opportunities of Ignoring Community College Transfers
A 2018 report from the Jack Kent Cook Foundation explored the number of transfer students enrolling at 4-year colleges and universities in the US. The researchers found that just 5% of new students at colleges considered to be “most competitive” transfer in from community colleges.
Colleges are missing out on an opportunity to not only increase their graduation rates, but also the diversity of their programs. Grant De Roo joins Mariah Obiedzinski to discuss.
How Medical Schools Can Leverage Social Media Influencers
Medical schools can join forces with active social media leaders from within their organizations to grow the school’s brand and encourage more active, relevant engagement across multiple audiences. Jared Johnson, a top 100 digital health influencer, podcaster and keynote speaker who spent his entire 16-year career in healthcare and education joins us to discuss the benefits, when to centralize the brand message, and managing expectations.
The Connection Between Unemployment and Higher Ed
Grant DeRoo's experience in applied higher education research, data analytics, predictive enrollment modeling, and leading expansion strategies in new recruitment markets provides him a unique understanding of how to address institutional needs and enrollment issues through applied research. In our latest podcast, Grant discusses the data behind the connection between unemployment and higher ed.
Balancing Student Relations with Data Collection
Collecting the data of prospective students is a necessity in the 21st century. However, asking for too much can dissuade prospective non-traditional students from finishing their application.
Non-traditional students seek value for their time, as well as respect for their privacy. By reducing the amount of hurdles, those potential students that began at the top of the marketing funnel come closer to conversion.
However, the difference between too much data collection and just enough is a thin line, which is why Katie Booth, director of admissions at Mount Vernon Nazarene University, wants to help navigate the pitfalls and benefits of student data collection.
Going Viral With Your Non-traditional Student Marketing
Reach and engagement are more important than ever in 2019. Crafting viral content is the key to long-term success in non-traditional student marketing. Once perceived as a matter of luck, viral content requires thoughtful storytelling through visuals, relevance, and emotion.
In our latest podcast, Christoph Trappe speaks with Dr. Wes Sumner, VP of marketing and communications at Florida Institute of Technology, about creating viral videos that help achieve your business goals.
Dr. Sumner led the breakout session Lightning in a Bottle: How Your Viral Video Can Spark Media Attention at the Adult Student Marketing Conference in San Diego, in February 2019.
Marketing to military personnel as non-traditional students
Active service members are an important audience among nontraditional students in higher education marketing. While all branches of the military offer financial assistance, it's important to understand the nuances of each program. Effective active duty marketing requires an understanding of the best recruitment tactics.
In this podcast, we're joined by Ali-Reza Rajabzadeh, Area Coordinator of Troy University, for a conversational overview on the facts, methods, and logistics of active service member recruitment.
How to target nontraditional student prospects in your higher ed marketing
Reaching the right prospects for your nontraditional student marketing can be a challenge. The amount of tools and channels available to optimize your outreach can appear overwhelming, but are integral to your marketing's success.
In this podcast Stamats Chief Content Engagement Director Christoph Trappe and Davia Lassiter, director of marketing at College of Continuing and Professional Education at Kennesaw State University, discuss the enrollment funnel and share tips on how to hit your target prospects.