You make a great point. Understanding what the student what is told by the Admission Representative is important. I have found that there was unclear information between Admission and actual Program. Great communication between departments helps to clear this up and continued training keeps everyone on the same page.
Society in general and technology specifically change rapidly, often day by day and hour by hour. The approach to marketing must keep up with societal change and be adapted to the particular group you are targeting. Different ages, genders, ethnicity, response to different marketing approaches.
It is important to review the school's advertising and marketing material so you know how the students have been familiarized with the school. Not only does this serve as a platform for providing the students with more information on the school/programs but it can also provide more information on the students' educational background, motivations, and interests.
The admissions department has a big hand in deciding on the advertisement designs and placements for my school. I think doing it this way keeps the admissions department "in the know" and is an important part of our success. If we know what advertisements are out there and when they are hitting the papers/radio, etc., then we are better prepared for the response.
Kristine, I really agree with you. My previous college relied heavily on marketing and advertising, especially TV, to recruit students. Advisers would all see the ads before they were disseminated to the public. Many of the commercials were unforgettable and students generally commented on them.
It is important to see what has attracted those that have seen this material and have become interestede because of it. This material can also inform me as to what my institution would like to promote.
It is important to review your school’s advertising and marketing material to know what information your school is publicizing, televising and saying on the radio waves. You have to understand what your school is trying to communicate to students, as well as, answer any questions that the student might ask as it relates to the marketing material they’ve seen/read/heard. It is also vital to me to know what image my employer is presenting to the public and what type of school I am representing.
It is important to know so that you are aware of how students interests are being generated and by what marketing material is being used to do so. I think admissions and marketing should always be on the same page. Other departments are just as critical, but for this topic the importance is necessary. By understanding the means in which marketing generates interest to generate an inquiry, it makes it easier to start off the conversation.
It is important to review advertisement for two main reasons. An agent to stay current with promotions and be able to answer questions from prospective students that are aware of advertisements.
Being aware of the current marketing ads the school has out allows the reps to see what pulls the students in. If we ask prospective students "what about this advertisement interested you?" we can better understand what motivates them.
Great point I agree. Also, the student will want to see the ad they saw translate to reality with the real experience they encounter. Painting an accurate picture by matching matketing to reality is key.
It is important to know how your school is marketing itself so you can have an understanding of what your leads are seeing prior to coming to the campus (what motivated them, what kind of information do they have already, etc). It also makes conversations go smoother when they mention the ads and we have an idea of what they are talking about.
It is very important to review your school's advertising and marketing material for multiple reasons. I feel one of the big reasons is since the advertising and marketing material is probably your first contact with the potential student you need to make sure it is accurate and not misleading. If it is misleading you could loose your creditability as a school.
Every employee, not just in education, should understand their company's branding position. A company's brand is how they want to be perceived by consumers. It is important that agents properly represent that brand and reinforce the efforts of the school's officials.
In my postition, a lot of students will mention seeing our commercials, billboards, etc. It helps to know what they are seeing so I can answer any questions they have based on the advertising materials they saw.
It is so very important to stay up on any current advertising and marketing material. In our instant communication world we are in, it is crucial to stay in touch with anything that is current, because that is the first level of communication. It is so easy for a TV ad or a quick tweet to get someone's attention to make them think about coming to your institution, so by staying on top of each marketing material, we are ensuring we have the same understanding of the expectations we are telling prospective students we can acheive with them. If we, as an agent, don't stay in touch with our current marketing material we are unable to move past that first line of communication to have a relatable topic to discussion and move forward from.
It is important to know how,when and where your school is doing its advertising. This will allow you time to schedule your appointments around the TV time etc. It will also allow you to be prepared for any questions from the material that is being presented.
It will help me better perform my job by being current with information that is being disseminated to prospective students.
Things do change, such as course offerings or student requirements. The prospect that is well informed has a higher chance of becoming a student, and a successful graduate!
Donald,
Very true. Since students typically find out about a school through the school's marketing efforts, it is very important for admissions staff to udnerstand the information and messages that are being conveyed through the marketing material as students will often have already formed opinions based upon what they have read or seen.
John Ware
It is vital to the on-going success of admissions representatives that they know what is stated in their school's advertising and marketing materials to ensure that what they say during an interview is in agreement with the school's promotial materials. An admissions representative will lose credibility with their prospective students if their message regarding key elements of the school differ from that which is found in advertising and markieting materials.
