In a recent post, Transforming Websites with Audience Insight, we explored the power of website personalization and the rising expectations of online users. Your alumni and advancement audiences are no different. Once captivated by your institution’s marketing efforts, why should their engagement wane post-graduation? In fact, neglecting alumni could be a missed opportunity. As the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and AlumniFinder highlight, alumni giving contributes an average of 23% of fundraising efforts.
The AlumniFinder article further emphasizes the importance of personalized communications, ranking it second on their list of best practices for alumni engagement which underscores the need for website personalization. Next, we’ll delve into the data you have available for your alumni and advancement audiences, then explore strategies to leverage this information for more effective engagement.
Gathering Information
The best starting point is the data you already have in your student database. This includes valuable information such as contact information, degree type, major, minor, graduation year, and donation history. Additional data can be gleaned from your web analytics. Consider segmenting web traffic by alumni, donors, or advancement pages to deliver tailored messaging to each audience.
Learn more about Carnegie’s personalization tool, Carnegie Clarity.
Implementing Website Personalization
Alumni-Specific Strategies
Now that you can identify your alumni audience, let’s explore how website personalization can boost engagement. Here are a couple of examples that have led to a 23% increase in conversion rates for our partners:
Get Involved
This strategy involves retargeting users who have visited alumni pages on your website and promoting a “Get Involved” call to action. The landing page can offer a variety of engagement opportunities, such as joining a chapter, sponsoring a future student, or volunteering on campus through the Greek Council.
You can further segment this strategy using offline data. For instance, encourage recent alumni to get involved on campus or within their chapter, while alumni further along in their careers might be more receptive to sponsoring a co-op or internship.
Donate
As mentioned earlier, alumni contribute significantly to fundraising efforts. When these users visit your website, personalize their experience to encourage donations or support for capital campaigns. Consider A/B testing different value propositions to determine what resonates most with your audience. For example, are alumni more likely to donate when the value proposition highlights a specific goal or explains how their donation will be used? A/B testing can provide valuable insights into your audience’s motivations without requiring direct questioning.
Your alumni and advancement audience are individuals with unique stories and passions. Treat them as such by delivering personalized experiences that resonate on a personal level. By leveraging website personalization and understanding their needs and preferences, you can drive engagement, inspire giving, and foster deeper connections with your alumni and advancement audiences.
If you need help getting started, Carnegie’s proprietary audience segmentation and targeting tools are ready to transform your enrollment strategy. Reach out and start a conversation to learn more.