Managing budgets and expectations in these tough times: part two

Recently a client contacted us asking for input about how best “to manage budgets and expectations in these tough times.” As we examined this topic, several planning considerations came to mind, reflecting the things we have been sharing with our clients on a regular basis when developing communication plans. In this two-part series, we offer our planning considerations for your reflection.

#5) In addition to the outward-facing Web site, other online interactions that involve social media and social networking are increasingly becoming part of the mix. This generation of college-bound students lives online, and so engaging with them means meeting and communicating with them where they are. While social media campaigns can often be launched quickly and inexpensively, they must be done thoughtfully. A plan for generating content for these sites must be in place, as should a plan for responding to user-generated content and communicating with community members. An important thing to remember, though, is that while there can be cost savings, those costs are still incurred in terms of the time required to successfully manage the sites.

#6) More and more online communication strategies for admissions must include key gatekeepers and influencers, namely parents, alumni, and friends. E-marketing campaigns, admission Web pages, or targeted microsites are popular ways to reach these key audiences and engage them in the conversation.

#7) Campus sustainability initiatives are driving interest in exploring more online tactics and making changes to offline pieces (such as changing the paper stock or reducing the size of the publications). Environmental reasons and core values are impacting marketing decisions.

#8) Long-term planning affords some time and cost savings, and increasingly our clients are striving to be more proactive and forward thinking. Certain outside partners can often leverage their buying power if more is put into the mix up front, while others may be able to gain efficiencies and therefore realize some savings with longer lead times for several projects worked on concurrently. For example, perhaps the paper stock could be purchased for all publications at one time and then stored until needed, or all of the covers could be printed at one time.

#9) And finally, when appropriate, institutions are increasingly asking their outside partners to join in conversations and engage with one another to better serve the client. From our vantage point, loyalty between the campus partner and outside partner is very important. An open, mutually beneficial, and enjoyable relationship between people always leads to everyone working hard to achieve results and meet expectations, no matter what the task.

What are you doing to manage budgets and expectations in these tough times? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.