Survey: Higher Ed Marketeers Fail To Use Popular Media

• By Paul McCloskey
• 02/28/07

Despite the wave of social media such as FaceBook, blogs, and instant messaging invading higher ed campuses, fewer than 8 percent of higher-ed marketers use such alternative channels to reach prospective students, according to a recent survey by advertising and marketing firm Media Logic Inc.

Instead, e-mail is their application of choice--a medium that is being ignored by students. Among the findings from the survey of 120 higher education marketers, Media Logic reported that 95 percent have e-mail marketing in place, and 62 percent are using e-marketing to target alumni. But less than half are using e-marketing to reach current students, faculty, community, corporate, and other constituents.

More than 50 percent of respondents use some form of a Web analytics tool for measurement, but only 35 percent are able to determine what content leads visitors to convert on the Web site, the firm said. Twenty percent are not tracking anything. More than 70 percent of respondents identify such obstacles as being an inhibitor to the launch and growth of their recruitment and fundraising campaigns. More info:

• http://www.mlinc.com/surveyresults