Ross Simmonds: Brand Distribution: How To Attract Relevant Traffic Through Diverse Channels
Many of us spend a disproportionate amount of time focused on generating traffic from Google and our Facebook pages. We pray that our position in search lasts forever and hope that our competitors pages don't get more likes than us. In a world where Google search results are quickly changing regularly and social media algorithms are wiping out entire business models, it’s becoming important for marketers to embrace a diverse set of channels for traffic and attention.
In Ross’ session, you’ll learn:
Jay Acunzo: The Art of Reinvention: How Top Teams Turn Innovation Into a Habit, Not a Hail Mary
Even the words bring to mind something stressful or big: “innovation” and “creativity.” Maybe we feel great believing in these ideas, only to return to work as usual. Maybe we roll our eyes, knowing they’re nice concepts, but just look at what we’re up against. Or maybe we do one thing, one time, that truly does evolve our approach and yield the results we seek...only to fall right back into the same old, same old the next time.
Creativity just doesn’t feel consistent. And innovation feels more like random stunts than the way we operate each day. It’s time to find a more sustainable process. What would it look like to make creativity a habit instead of a Hail Mary? What if the natural way we operated led to better, more innovative, more successful execution—not the occasional one-off win?
Nobody wants to be a one-hit wonder, and nobody wants to blend in. So when the bar gets ever higher in higher ed, and the pool of students ever more savvy (even as they shrink in number), the question becomes: what if we could do what feels impossible? Make innovation routine.
In this eye-opening, insightful talk, Jay Acunzo helps us rethink what it takes to exceed expectations each and every time. Whether we’re part of a large institution or small, central marketing or college- or degree-specific, grad or undergrad, “innovation” doesn’t need to mean “big change.” It can simply be the way we operate every day.
In this talk, attendees will learn:
Purna Virji: Connect the Dots: Paid Search, Artificial Intelligence, and Customer Experience
We are so resistant to ads today that we install ad blockers, DVR our shows to fast-forward ads, and have developed banner blindness. But it wasn't always like this. As a kid, most of us loved watching commercials. They were clever, fun, and most importantly, not as omnipresent or intrusive. So how can you make your advertising something your audience is going to want to consume? How can you cut through the noise and distractions to most effectively engage with your audience? With rapid advances in technology and consumer expectations, the result is that even average quality advertising will not cut it. We need to get really, really good. In this tactical session, Microsoft’s Purna Virji will talk you through the latest PPC strategies and how you can apply them as part of your student recruitment plans.
Talia Wolf: The Power of Emotion: How to Acquire More Customers by Understanding the Emotional Triggers That Make Them Buy
All the analytics, automation tools, machine learning, and other current buzzwords in the world will never help you create high-converting experiences for your prospects if you fail to leverage the one component that matters more than anything else in marketing: emotion. Talia Wolf will show us how to tap into the different emotional triggers that persuade people’s purchasing decisions.
In this talk, you’ll learn:
Andy Crestodina: Content & the Future of Marketing: Search Engines, Social Media & Email Marketing
Two million blog posts are published every day. That’s right. We’re drowning in a flood of marketing content. But smart marketers know how to rise above the noise and build lead generation machines.
The key is to combine search engine optimization with social media and email marketing. This is an important message for any marketing department.
Stop. Do not write another word of marketing copy without search, social, and email in mind.
Social Media Breakout: Traditional Undergraduate
These sessions will focus on social media strategies for the traditional undergraduate. Session descriptions to come.
Andrea Vahl: Facebook and LinkedIn Strategy for Graduate and Adult Learners
Facebook and LinkedIn continue to evolve as platforms. What is working now for higher education and how do we approach our strategy on each of these platforms? Standing out from the competition means using your best content combined with the strengths of the platforms and then measuring what is really working for you.
Learning Objectives:
Afternoon Breakouts
Two amazing workshop options to take a deep dive in one of two topics: personality or content writing. Stay tuned for breakout details.
Tiffany daSilva: 6 Lessons From a Marketing Fraud
We've all been there: you finally step foot into the job you've wanted forever only to feel like you aren't good enough for the role, or worse, a complete marketing fraud. You're not alone—an estimated 70% of people from all walks of life, both men and women, experience imposter syndrome at some point in their careers.
In this talk, Tiffany daSilva will share her own experiences along with the framework and tools she uses every day to eliminate this feeling.
You'll walk away knowing how to:
Andrew Davis: Loyalty Loop: How the Small Things Add up to Big Success
We spend a lot of time telling our prospective students how different we are. But conduct an online search for a specific degree or program and you'll quickly find that you and your competitors all sound the same. It's time to stop telling people you're different and start showing them you're different.
It turns out one of the most effective ways to win over more students isn't raising awareness for our institution. Instead, treat your existing students as our most valuable asset. It's time to exploit our Loyalty Loop.
The Loyalty Loop leverages your existing students to drive a steady stream of highly valuable, highly engaged new applicants.
In this exhilarating keynote address, best-selling author and marketing guru Andrew Davis will help you harness the power of the new consumer experience. You'll learn how to build anticipation, harness the honeymoon period, and drive inspirational moments that result in new applications. The Loyalty Loop is designed to create a powerful engine that never sleeps.
You'll leave inspired to rethink the way you win over new students and transform the way you serve the students you've got.
Are you ready to embrace the Loyalty Loop?
Michael Barber: Bloody Hell! The Convergence of Content + Email + My Ridiculous British Mum
Email isn’t the sexiest marketing topic, nor is it the most fun, but if done well, it can lead to the highest ROI of any channel in your marketing mix. Regardless of industry and even though there is more noise in the inbox and more apps for us to juggle, email continues to prove itself as the best one-to-one communication channel for brands and most preferred by consumers. That said, marketers continue to struggle with this channel even some 26 years after the first email campaign was sent.
Join Michael Barber (and his Mum) as he challenges your email conceptions, explores some of the best and most practical ways to improve your email campaigns, and shows you why this tactic continues to be vitally important for marketers.
Kirsty Hulse: Considered Creativity: How to Supercharge Your Ideas to Drive Better Results
In a world where the average consumer is exposed to over 3,000 ads a day, our ideas and content have to emotionally resonate to cut through the noise. In this talk, Kirsty will walk through a scientifically proven creative process and share tips on how to test content before investing in execution in order to supercharge your content efforts.
Takeaways:
Angie Schotmuller: FEAR-FU: How to Overcome Customer Uncertainties and Boost Conversion With Social Proof
Social proof like reviews, ratings, photos, and badges can be powerful content. In this session, you'll learn how to:
Research and Trends Breakouts
With unparalleled research and expertise, we'll walk through the results and trends that are impacting higher education. This session will be broken into two tracks to allow for a deep dive for your audience of interest: traditional undergraduate or graduate and adult learners. Detailed descriptions to come
Closing session
Our wrap-up will bring all the strategies and tactics we've talked about and pull them together in a how-to workshop. Stay tuned for details.
* Schedule subject to change and will be regularly updated. Check back often for the most up-to-date information.
For planning purposes, please note: If you are traveling back to Orlando International Airport via Disney's Magical Express, they will schedule you for a pickup time up to three hours prior to your flight time.
