#RAISE2018 in Review: What I took away from the conference hosted by the techies taking over higher ed.
At the end of July I was fortunate enough to attend #RAISE2018 — the annual conference hosted by EverTrue, the web-based software company that provides higher ed clients the ability to analyze their data, streamline their prospect management strategies, and use social media content to continue to market to an audience of one.
During this annual conference, EverTrue partners with connections in the private sector and brings them together with their higher education clients for two days of inspiration, brainstorming, and discussion. The idea is to take what the private sector has known to be effective and apply it to the (at times glacially-paced) higher ed field. While this can seem like a truly radical idea, I found my time there to be riddled with inspiration and great networking. I’m also now a fangirl of the max 30-minute presentation. Full stop.
Below are seven of my favorite tips I learned from the gathering in Boston at the Revere Hotel.
1. Friends Knock with their Feet.
During his presentation, Mike Troiano of G20 Ventures used an example that stuck with me. When you’re going to a friends house for dinner, do you arrive empty handed? Likely not. Your arms could be overflowing with your contribution to the potluck, thus forcing you to knock with your feet.
What do you, as an institution, bring to the table when asking your alumni to give back, come back, or help out? By showing the benefits you’ve provided beyond graduation, you’ll be more likely to get the buy-in you’re looking for.
2. Social Currency can Carry Your Message
When Puma launched its new basketball shoe (the first in decades) they employed Jay-Z as Chief Creative Officer (literally). This wasn’t the full focus of the discussion — thankfully — but rather how it helped create a conversation that carried beyond the channels they thought would be the most active about spreading the word.
Bottom line: how can you infuse your message with more social currency and excitement to keep the chatter embedded in the news feeds and conversations that your alumni are already engaging in?
3. Create Social Media Ambassadors the Easy Way: Freebies.
Do you have a fan on social who always shows up?
REWARD THEM with a freebie or two and a note of thanks. Do this regularly. Kudos to Drift for pointing out the obvious that can sometimes be over-thunk.
4. Syracuse University is Flipping Hiring for Campaigns on its Head.
SU is in campaign-mode and to help with the turnover plaguing higher ed advancement, they’re hiring front line officers with a plan. for. growth. I. kid. you. not.
Basically the front line officers are a mix of external and internal. Most are entry level, so it makes sense to growth them based on their length of service and ability to achieve metrics. This is also known as how it works in the sales industry.
So excited to see how this pans out for them.
5. The BS-meter is HIGH.
Your millenial and Gen-Z donors can detect that highly produced, uber-controlled messaging without much effort. Do yourself a favor and create a student-run channel that offers a genuine lens into life on campus. Consider doing this for your faculty/staff recruitment efforts by engaging ambassadors, creating an account, and getting out of their way.
The results could astound you, as they did when HubSpot did this for employee recruitment effort and transparency in the hiring process. See @hubspotlife on Instagram for more. If you’re looking for in-the-field examples, look at @umassdstudents.
6. EverTrue can be used to Inspire Messages Across all Platforms, like ThankView.
I’ve worked at two institutions who use EverTrue and it is an essential part of my job (and no, they are not paying me to say this — I love the product that much!). The ability to test out content on social media to see if it gets a response is the kind of magic I’ve been waiting for. It helps guide my decision making when messaging to the masses and hone in on nondonors when crunch time rolls around.
So, if you have a popular post that inquires about a favorite professor, why not film a quick video with some of the popular, longtime leaders in the classroom encouraging alumni to give back? EverTrue can help gauge the responses and determine if it’s worth building based on the donor behavior of the group that interacts with the post.
Like I said, magic.
7. Work with Vendors who Really, Really Care.
It was clear to me that all of the staff loved their jobs and that Brent, the CEO, genuinely likes working with a somewhat dated industry and flipping the tried and true approaches on their heads. Like the team at ThankView, this group is flexible, approachable, and just darn inspiring.
If you haven’t signed up for a ThankView demo, why not try it today? Are you on EverTrue? How do you use the two platforms together? Tell me all of your secrets, in the comments or in our exclusive Partner Community on Facebook.
