More than just learning about Google Analytics
One of the things my Web Analytics for Higher Ed class’ students have noted is that the course requires them to think differently about what we do as higher ed marketers and communicators.
Many students start the course thinking that they will learn how to navigate a tool (Google Analytics) and pull useful reports.
That is definitely part of it, but this outcome is secondary to learning how to approach data, what to look for, how to think about marketing campaigns, how to measure it, and how it all connects to the larger objective of a university.
Marketing higher education for… the Greater Good
I was a philosophy and religion undergrad. The systems that are underneath our ways of thinking and motivations are something that I have been deeply interested in for a long time. When I was considering my career trajectory after undergrad, I wanted to do something that made a positive difference in the world–something that contributed to the greater good. I still think like this, which is why I love working in higher education.
Our work as higher education marketers and communicators contributes to the greater good of society. This is something that I fundamentally believe. Education changes lives, opens up an entirely new perspective on life, and among many other things helps us to better understand how our actions are connected to things outside of just ourselves. I have heard it said that education is the great equalizer. It levels the playing field in many ways. This is why I choose to work in higher ed.
I could go on and on about the merits of education, but I am sure it is something that many of us know and can easily agree on. What’s less obvious is that our work as marketers helps to enable it.
Our work as analysts helps our universities make better decisions and be better stewards of our resources.
Our work as brand strategists helps us understand what makes our individual colleges unique and valuable.
Our work as communicators allows us to tell the story of our university–all of the amazing work that the students, staff, and faculty do on a regular basis.
We can feel good about our work, knowing that it helps promote education, which is a benefit to society.
Measuring digital higher ed marketing to iterate greater and greater Good
When I think about why we should understand what the web analytics tools tell us, it goes back to making better contributions to the greater good.
I want to know how many people came to my school’s website from a specific ad, because I want to understand how many potential students took an interest.
I want to know if my SEO campaign was successful in getting new people into the top of the enrollment funnel, because I want to know that the SEO tweaks can lead to making a difference in someone’s life.
Working in higher ed is amazing in this way. We don’t sell widgets or bric-a-brac. Our work leads to life-changing experiences for many students every year. Doing that more effectively is important.
I mentioned that my Analytics students have commented about how the course makes them think differently.
When we approach measurement appropriately, it helps us structure our actions. We become more deliberate. We become more mindful of why we are doing things.
- What is the purpose of this page?
- Did this ad perform as expected?
- Are there certain areas of high performance that we can apply to lower performing areas?
- What are we trying to accomplish with this campaign and how can we measure it to know that we accomplished it?
When we are deliberate in our approach, it helps us to plan and think through how we meet our objectives. We also think through how our individual components relate to the university’s key objectives.
It is not always a direct line between our work and the school’s core objectives. Sometimes it is not as easy to see. However, when we think about it we can often find the relationship.
Not everything is about enrollment, for example. Enrollment tends to be the easiest example to see a clear line of measurement. There are other areas of consideration, as well–retention, community service, advancement, etc.
The next time you log into Google Analytics, remember that we are looking beyond simple page metrics.
It is a window into our performance in reaching people, providing information, and helping them make a life-changing decision. We are using analytics to shape how we contribute to the greater good.
Meet the Faculty: Joshua Dodson
Higher Ed Experts is a professional online school for digital professionals working in universities and colleges.
When you take a professional certificate course with us, you get a chance to upgrade your skills by working on your projects, interacting with classmates just like you and getting detailed personalized feedback from your instructor.
Joshua Dodson is a Google Analytics qualified web expert who has worked with numerous colleges and universities to improve their web presence and better understand their user trends. Before joining Bentley University as Director of Digital Marketing, Dodson worked as the Director of SEO at SNHU and the Web Strategy and SEO Administrator for Eastern Kentucky University. He has taught hundreds of higher education marketing professionals how to use analytics and SEO through the courses he teaches for Higher Ed Experts.
Joshua teaches Higher Ed Expert’s 4-week online course on Web Analytics for Higher Education as well as 2 other advanced courses and a course on Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for higher ed.
Tags: Higher Ed Experts Faculty, Higher Ed Marketing, Higher Ed News