Higher education institutions are complex organizations with several important stakeholders from Admissions, Student Financial Services, Academics, Advancement, Student Life, and many others. As higher ed marketers, we know that these stakeholder groups are most successful when they are working together to achieve both their individual goals and the strategic objectives of the institution. I’ve been in the marketing business for more than 20 years, and my proudest work involves partnering with higher education institutions and creating holistic, collaborative strategies. Never has this been more challenging and rewarding than when building business and marketing strategies online that encompass such varied and diverse stakeholders. Throughout these projects, common challenges present themselves, so I wanted to share some of the approaches and solutions I’ve used to find success with my clients.

The Situation

The reality is that collaboration across stakeholder groups is easier said than done. The organizational structure of higher education institutions typically fosters a very silo’d environment where each stakeholder group is directed to focus on his or her departmental needs. 

Rarely is the opportunity for stakeholders to look across their collective groups to collaborate on unified digital marketing strategies. I often find efforts being duplicated across each department, which causes inconsistencies in messaging and branding. **Technological Fragmentation**
In many institutions, technology adds to the overall complexity. Stakeholder groups will implement technical solutions that address immediate needs of their departments without the insight into the other technical needs across the institution. This leads to a fragmented technical landscape that the university cannot sustain for long, often causing bottlenecks or outright preventing the ongoing support and training needed to leverage technology to its full potential. ##The Solution## So how do you create a unified marketing strategy that addresses the goals of the entire institution?

1. Select a Committee of Stakeholders

Selecting the right stakeholder “Steering Committee” to guide your digital strategy is an important factor to the engagement’s success.  Make sure that you have senior representation from each of the key areas of the institution. This will ensure that each stakeholder group has the opportunity to provide input and overall direction for the engagement. Rely on your committee to participate throughout the entire engagement and to communicate to their respective departments to achieve consensus across the institution. 

2. Listen to Your Stakeholder Groups

 Give all of the key stakeholders within your institution the opportunity to share their unique perspectives by facilitating group sessions to discuss their overall business objectives. Ask leading questions that help stakeholders communicate what they are really looking to achieve and use that as a foundation to craft your digital strategy. Many stakeholders will communicate their needs by asking for solutions (e.g., “We need a blog!”). After your initial sessions with your stakeholder groups, be sure to continue to communicate your progress with them. It is important that they know that they have been heard and they understand how the proposed digital strategy specifically addresses their unique needs.

3. Create a Solid Content Strategy

 Ensuring that you are delivering the right content and messaging to the right audience is another important factor to a successful digital strategy. Work with your stakeholder groups to understand the specific requirements for developing content so that what you publish can meet the multiple needs of the institution’s diverse set of audiences. For instance, how can an alumni success story drive both alumni donations and prospective student applications? Assign clear responsibilities to stakeholder groups around the ongoing creation of content and assets that will support your digital strategy.

4. Support Your Digital Strategy with an Integrated Technology Infrastructure

An integrated technology infrastructure is another important success factor in achieving your digital strategy. Leverage the existing tools and technologies available to your institution, where possible, but don’t allow the existing technologies to limit your ability to achieve results. Also, look to consolidate tools and applications that may be doing the same thing for different departments—but be sure that you’re not limiting anyone’s capabilities by doing so! Finally, employ an enterprise-wide CMS (content management system) that will enable you to integrate with your current systems so the front-end experience is intuitive for the user. This will streamline your processes and create a unified approach for how you communicate to your constituency groups.

Start Breaking Down the Barriers

As you plan your higher ed digital marketing strategy, breakdown silos, rely on your steering committee, and listen to your stakeholders. Support your digital strategy with clear, strong approaches to content and technology. Over the years, we’ve helped many higher ed institutions including Simmons College and Wentworth Institute of Technology develop and deliver on their digital strategies. We’d love to hear your feedback! Drop us a line about what experiences you’ve had or challenges you’ve faced while achieving your institution’s goals online.