RSS Feeds

Do you make it easy for your technology center supporters to get information about what is going on?

An easy way to do this is through RSS feeds, or Really Simple Syndication. It is basically a way to publish frequently updated material, like Blogs and news. You can read more about that on Wikipedia.

There are a few technology centers who make use of this technology. People who subscribe simply sign up for your feed in a reader (I like Google's reader) and when you update information it is automatically sent to them!

A must subscribe for people who are involved in Oklahoma CTE is the OK CareerTech RSS Feed.

This is a list of the RSS feeds that I can find for technology centers in Oklahoma.

Caddo-Kiowa Technology Center

Gordon Cooper Technology Center

Great Plains Technology Center

Mid America Technology Center

Tri County Technology Center

Tulsa Technology Center

When you start your RSS feed let us know so we can add it to the list, and please put the big orange box next to it so people know where to sign up.

Entering a Technology Center District

You see them all over Oklahoma. A sign that lets you know that you are entering the Pawnee County Conservation District, or this conservation district or that conservation district.

Why not a sign on the main highways and bi-ways into your local technology center district? A sign that lets people know they have entered the Western Technology Center District on I-40, the Meridian Technology Center District on the Cimarron Turnpike or let people know that they are entering the Southern Oklahoma Technology Center District on I-35.

Not only would people know as they travel the state what technology center district operates in that area, but you would remind citizens of your district that they are part of what is happening at your technology center, even in the farthest reaches of your district.

And don't forget to let them know that you are a proud part of the Oklahoma CareerTech System!

Year Round Recruitment Planning

When was the last time that you reviewed your Year Round Recruitment Plan this year?

Now that there are a few days in between semesters, you have an excellent opportunity to review your plan. Look back at what has worked and what has not worked well. Look forward to what you need to do the next semester and figure out what is needed to make it successful.

By periodically reviewing your plan you are preparing yourself to have a successful recruitment year.

Still do not have a Year Round Recruitment Plan? Don't worry, it is not to late to do so. Check out some of our ideas to implement throughout the year. If you need help, let us know and we will be happy to get you started.

Already have your Year Round Recruitment Plan in place? Have you thought about taking the next step to Enrollment Management?

Wallpaper

What is the first thing that you see when you turn on your computer? Ok, so after you log in and put in your super secret password? Your wall paper. Maybe it is your kids staring back at you in their favorite outfit or them looking sheepish because you caught them throwing Cheerios around the living room and snapped a picture. Maybe it is an inspirational quote or a picture of a favorite vacation destination.

What do the computers have in your computer lab? Are they provided with the operating system or have you developed wall paper that is specific to your institution?

There are a lot of different ways that you could go with desktop wallpaper. Maybe it is one with a holiday message? Maybe one with important events

Here are some galleries as examples

CareerTech
OSU Homecoming

Do you have some favorite wall paper galleries for inspiration?

Holiday ECards 2009

The Holiday Ecards for 2009 are making their way around. This Friday I thought I would share what I have found. Which ones have you seen?

University of Maryland: http://holidaygreeting.umd.edu/2009/

Ashland University 2009: http://ecard.ashland.edu/index.php?ecardYear=2009

Here is the first card that I saw and got me interested in finding more:
Ashland University: http://ecard.ashland.edu/index.php?ecardYear=2004adm

Here is Ashland's gallery of Christmas Cards: http://ecard.ashland.edu/gallery.php

A few from

• Providence College 2008
• Providence College 2007

A few from Google

• Central Methodist University 2008
• Alfred University 2008
• Otterbein College 2007
• Texas Christian:
• Elon University
• Elon University Year in Review
• Oklahoma City University
• University of Florida

And a few you can send to your friends
Northwestern OSU
Univesity of Florida
Georgia Southern

Friday Marketing Tip - College Zombies

What do Zombies have to do with college? I don't know, but it makes for an interesting take on college debt.

According to wikipedia, a zombie is a creature that appears in folklore and popular culture typically as a reanimated corpse or a mindless human being.

Starting to see the connection? Keep reading....

Two colleges from Illinois have developed a campaign about the cost savings that a student can take advantage of through community college. Their message, community college creates less debt after graduation.

http://www.collegezombies.com/

They are using fun and humor to make their case of why you should consider a community college. What fun and humourus messages could you develop for career and technology education that would appeal to younger students?

Friday Marketing Tip - Apply Now

How do students find where to apply to your institution on your Web site?

Do they have to search your pages hoping to find a link to an email? If they get lucky, so they find a pdf? Do they have to click more than three times?

Take potential student right to where you want them to be, applying to your institution.

Put an "Apply Now" button on your front page so that when a student reaches your Web site, they know exactly where to go.

Want to see what I am talking about? A few universities in the Big 12 that I think have done it correctly are OSU and Baylor,

Southern Oklahoma Technology Center does a nice job of sending you immediately to their online application.

How are you directing your prospective student to Apply Now!!?

Embracing Diversity

As I visit different campuses one of my favorite things to do is grab a publication or two and thumb through the pages.

I look for several different things. Some of the things I look at include:

• Does the publication include identification of career majors where a student can earn college credit through the Alliances?
• Does the publication call the offerings career majors, or does it still call them programs?
  
• Does the publication follow a branding strategy that is consistent with other publications and Web presence?
• How is the publication written?
• Does the publication embrace diversity?

It is true that embracing diversity is much more than pictures on a Web page or on a view book. It is the empowerment of people, all people. Through diversity we can build better teams, using the strengths of all. Embracing diversity is about actions.

Embracing diversity should be a goal of every institution. Moving it from something written in a strategic plan to actions and measurable results.

We must realize that we build perceptions of how our institutions embrace diversity through the publications that we create and use. The reader assumes that the imagery used is a reflection of the reality of your institution.

Ask yourself, is your publication reflective of the true identity of your institution? Is it a reflection of the district or area that it serves?

Do your publications embrace diversity?

Beyond the College Credit Flag

How do you let students know about college opportunities on your campus?

Are you just depending on word of mouth? Word of mouth is important and peer to peer recruitment is highly effective, but what else can be done?

How about a college display at the front entrance? Work with your college partner to develop displays that highlight the partnership that exist between your technology center and the college. Place a vinyl banner strategically in the front lobby and you will provide a daily reminder that students can earn college credit while attending your institution.

Do you have an information booth by the welcome desk? Are there brochures that highlight your Cooperative Alliance along side your automotive and cosmetology programs? Place some brochures that tell a prospective student that they can get credit, and how they can do it. If you have to develop a new brochure, make sure to brand it with your campus.

Does your institution use an electronic display board? Along with the date of your next board meeting and when Christmas Vacation begins, run slides highlighting Alliance opportunities to students and guest. Put a slide in the rotation that shows the logo of your college partner and tells an interested student where to go to get more information.

What do your callers hear when you place them on hold? Do you run facts and figures about your institution? How about adding how many college hours your students were enrolled in along with the fact that you were founded in 1938?

Where do you highlight the Alliances on your website? Is it a "best kept secret" or have you brought it to the forefront where a person who comes to your website knows right away that you have an institution that values the college transition? Place a link to college credit opportunities front and center. Once the student clicks, they would get all the information that they need to know plus a phone number and email of who they should contact.

Some of these are simple, others involve a little more planning or work. There are lots of ways that you can develop to get the word out that your technology center values college opportunities and that students looking for those opportunities can be successful by enrolling with you.

Friday Marketing Idea - Movie Theater Advertisement

Love them or hate them, we all watch them, the movie theater preview.

You know the drill, out front it says your movie starts at 10pm and after 20 minutes of trivia, ads and previews of upcoming movies, the main feature begins.

It is the time before the movie that we are interested in today. How can you could get your message to the audience? There are lobby promotions, cinema spots, cinema slides and more.

You have a captive audience, who is watching every slide, guessing what movie the actor was in and thinking to themselves that they really should get that cola at the concession stand.

This is your opportunity to showcase career advancement opportunities through your institution. Maybe you show a success story, show how much money they can make through CTE education or just get your website out there in a way that will motivate audience members to find out more information.

Have you ever tried movie theater based advertising? Let us know how it went.

Friday Marketing Idea - Bus Wrapping

This Fridays marketing tip has to do with your buses.

Have you ever thought of your bus as a mobile bill board? According to internet sources American spend 2-3 hours driving a day. How do we reach those "captive" people who are looking your direction at the stoplight?

One simple idea is to put your website URL on the back of the bus and on the sides. Just putting a few extra stickers on the body, showing people where they can find more information on what you offer could prove to pay dividends.

Want to go to the next level? How about "wrappng" your bus? The picture above is of Pioneer Technology Center's Mets Lab. Using vynil wrap you can put a cool design, clear logo and pictures of your students in that brand new Pre-Engineering Lab out where people can notice.

How do you use your buses, vans and cars to get the word out?