There is no improvement in marketing, messaging and engagement without proper measurement.

Without tracking and attribution, how would we ever know what's working and where to allocate more time (and more budget).

They say knowledge is power. When it comes to engagement, knowledge is everything.

Issue: Tracking and Attribution

Relying on incomplete data or "gut feelings" to understand what messaging is working, what content engages, and where prospective students are coming from isn't enough in today's marketplace.

Remedies

1. Cross-platform, real-time tracking.
   Universities are now expected to deliver consistent messaging across multiple channels. However, not all channels produce the same outcomes. Each marketing activity – AdWords, social media ads, and sponsored listings – should have a unique tracking link to paint the most accurate picture of our efforts.
   
2. Put the work in beforehand.
   Even when imperfect tracking is in place, taking the time beforehand to map out personas and student journeys will allow for patterns to emerge, providing valuable insight, even when we're not getting the data.
   
3. Make it personal immediately.
   Stealth applicants are a thing, students who appear out of the ether, with no previous contact, and no associated tracking data. Treat these prospective students like unicorns and reach out to them with a personal message. Build a relationship quickly and show them they're special.

Let's Get Personal

Tracking and attribution are vital to the success of your engagement efforts. But we're kidding ourselves if we think it will ever be a perfect system.

Stealth applicants will get lost. Data will be incomplete. Some CRMs are...not awesome.

When it comes to understanding our efforts, we'll need to pull information from wherever we can, at times get creative, and always make it personal when all else fails.

To see how Element451 can help you get the info you need, when you need it, connect with us or schedule a demo.