Switch On Sample Campaign

“Switch On” Campaign Sample Marketing Campaign For Local University’s Alumni Relations Dept

By Samantha Lin Mack

Hi!

I’m Sam. • • • •

Life-long learner Marketing nerd Builder of relationships Holistic campaign manager

1

Business Goals Entice uninvolved alumni to join Switchboard.

Set reasonable goals based on user data.

E.g. +4% new user sign-up in 3 months.

2

Encourage sustained use of Switchboard.

E.g. 50% of new users are active once a month.

Why Switchboard?

• Meets young alumni where they are • Low barrier to involvement • Excellent analytics – Allows segmenting many ways – Evaluate & measure success of campaigns • Informal communication; eliminates middle man • Low time commitment • Scalable

Market Segmentation

Current Students 18-22

Mid-Career Alumni

GOLD Alumni

33-50ish

22-32

Late-Career Alumni 50ish-65

Retired Alumni 65+

Persona 1: Current Student Stephanie

Description: – Age 21 – From Seattle area – Middle class background – Busy, engaged student – double major – Digital native

Goals: – – – – –

Navigate Willamette Maintain strong GPA Find affordable off-campus housing Receive validation for career choice Find a meaningful job

Frustrations & Concerns: – Not much spending $ – Busy with work and school – Roommates – Which classes should I take?

– Did I choose the right major?

– Am I going to get a job?

Persona 2: GOLD Alumni Aaron

Goals: – – – – –

Description: – Age 28 – Lives in Denver – Considering grad school – Works for a tech startup

Develop social connections in various urban centers Find meaningful work Advance in career Find life partner Pursue grad school (flexible programs)

Frustrations & Concerns: – Student loans – High cost of living – Hard to find meaningful work – Disconnect between degree and workforce demand – What do I want?

– Where is my home?

Overview of Messaging Strategies •

• • • • •

Change the focus of “switch on” based on demographics: – Your potential – Your network – Your power – Your community Be straightforward.

– Ask for what you need. Offer what you have.

Be conversational.

Give clear outline of benefits specific to the target markets.

Highlight examples specific to the target markets.

Use multiple channels to advocate for joining Switchboard.

Logo + Hero Image Offer what you have.

Sample Kickoff Email Zoom in for details.

To: GOLD Alumni From: Samantha Mack, Alumni Relations Manager at University Subject Line: [Name], are you on Switchboard yet?

Preview Text: Switch on your network. We’re waiting for you.

Ask for what you need.

Join Switchboard today!

Hi Aaron!

Are you looking for…

• Career advice from alumni in your field?

• A room in Portland with cool, trustworthy people?

• An alum who can tell you what grad school’s really like?

• Networking opportunities with alumni in your industry?

If so, University’s Switchboard is the place to be. It’s a digital platform for WU alumni and students to share resources and help each other out. Like Craigslist, but better, because only Bearcats can use it. And you know you can trust them to follow through.

Alumni tell us it has helped them navigate their career paths, decide if grad school is the right choice for them, introduced them to alumni in the area, and helped them find an ideal shared living environment in a tight housing market.

This is your chance:

Join Switchboard today!

Switch on your network. We’re waiting for you.

Willamette Home Page Logo links back to Link hometopage Testimonial: From someone in the same demographic Clear CTA in contrasting color

Cheers, The Alumni Relations Office at University P.S. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email me at samantha.mack@u.edu! I’m happy to help!

“Thanks to Switchboard, I connected with an alum in my major, who told me about an amazing job opportunity in my field! I am now the Events Manager at the Chihuly Garden & Glass Museum.”

- Suzanne Arthur, Art Major, ‘11 People you may know on Switchboard…

Logo

Alumni & Parent Engagement University Address 1 Address 2

Update My Preferences Privacy Policy

Text: • Conversational & informal • Easy to read • Minimal formatting • Links are clearly visible • Highlight different benefits based on target audience

People you may know: Include faces of people from the same demographic who are already using Switchboard.

Logo links to Alumni Home Page.

Social Strategies Target Audience: • Any followers on social media accounts; likely current students and GOLD alumni Strategies: • Identify a prominent alumni who has a success story on Switchboard • Host a social media takeover for that alum on Twitter – Offer an “Ask Me Anything” session hosted by the well-known alum – Develop a strategy for handling inappropriate questions in advance – Use the hashtag #switchon • Contact super-users in person to solicit a response. Then ask current users on Twitter: How has Switchboard helped you?

– #switchon • Document upcoming alumni lunch on Instagram & Twitter: – Ask alumni about their experiences with Switchboard.

– Share the benefits & outcomes of the lunch through quotes and pictures. Use hashtag #switchon.

Website Strategies Target Audience: • Any visitors to Alumni Engagement page; likely all target markets except perhaps Retired Alumni Strategies: • Create a feature story about the Switch On campaign, showcasing how users in different target markets have benefited – Include it on the University home page as one of the rotating feature stories • Logo University

READ MORE

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Reorganize the website as described in my supplementary materials. Include Switchboard as the top menu option on the left rail of the Alumni Engagement home page.

Use the light bulb as an icon signifying a Quicklink to log into Switchboard at the bottom of every page.

Paper Invitations Target Audience: • Late-career and retired alumni Strategies: • During the campaign launch, send a paper invitation to older alumni – Include demographic-specific benefits to joining – Include instructions for how to sign up – Provide contact information in case assistance is needed – Consider offering 15-minute training sessions after in-person events, such as the alumni lunch or class reunions • Super users could lead the training & ensure everyone who wants to has an account set up and knows how to log in • Follow up with a phone call

Events Strategies Target Audience: • Anyone who attends events during the campaign period; likely mid-career, late-career, and retired alumni Strategies: • At every reunion or event hosted by the Alumni Engagement Office while the campaign is running, make an announcement about joining Switchboard • After attending an event, follow up with an email or paper thank you note (depending on demographic) • If you missed an event, follow up with an email • Train Alumni Engagement Office staff and volunteer moderators to redirect anyone who contacts the office for other reasons to Switchboard • Include a link to join Switchboard in the email signatures of all Alumni Engagement Office staff and volunteers

KPIs & Tracking Did we meet our goals?

1 2

Did we increase new user sign-up by 4% in 3 months?

Are 50% of new Switchboard users still active once a month?

Improvements Next Year • Use Switchboard, email, & website analytics to identify problems & improvements • Plus Delta analysis: – What worked?

– What should we change?

• Add further segments that reflect alumni levels of engagement, ranging from highly engaged to lukewarm • More A/B Testing of email campaigns and website!

• Track success of paper invitations and in-person trainings, etc.

Thank you!

Any questions ?

You can find me at: • linkedin.com/in/samantha-lin-mack • samanthalinmack@gmail.com • 360.259.4287