Marketing is marketing is marketing is marketing

Higher ed likes to split things into neat little groups.  These people over here do admissions.  The ones over there deal with alumni. That third group way over in the corner deal with current students.  Oftentimes its portrayed like there's no overlap.  But really, for any of these groups the same base marketing principles apply.

1. You have an audience
   
2. You have a message
   
3. You want your message to persuade your audience to take a call to action
4. You want your message to be continually compelling enough to keep your audience loyal.

Any time you send a message to your audience with the intent to get them to take an action, you're marketing.  Period.  

One of the best books I've read in a while was forced upon me by my boss recently (Ok, forced upon is a bit strong...I was psyched to read it): How to Become a Marketing Superstar by Jeffrey Fox. Fox would say that marketing is defined as getting and keeping customers and that ever action a marketer takes should advance this singular goal.  Here are some other tidbits I picked up from this book.  My personal notes on how they apply back to higher ed are in purple after:

• The definition of marketing is simple.  The doing of marketing is hard.  (K: Everyone calls themselves a marketer - that doesn't mean they understand what marketing is or how to execute it)
• Who pays your salary?  A "customer" paying tuition or making a donation. (K: The sooner we start acknowledging that students and alumni are customers, the more efficient our schools will run) 
• The most important part of your business is the customer - everything is about them. (K: Dartmouth Development has three core values - one is donor-focus.  Apply this specifically to the web and you've got user-focus. Think about how that affects the choices you make)  
• If a marketing idea is important, every single detail in the execution of that idea is important. (K: Or, if marketing is important, you'll be proactive about planning your strategy/tactics)
• Smart marketing starts with smart segmentation.  (K: There's no easier thing to segment in the world than email...)
• If the difference is your selling point, then articulate the difference. (K: Lots of schools talk about great academics, a beautiful campus and a tight-knit community...how does that help you stand out?)
  
• Value is a number, not a superlative.  Attach a dollar value to your message to illustrate the benefit of your product. (K: How much more will you take in your lifetime because of the education we provided/will provide?)
• Even in a declining market, you can still attract and retain customers.  Set the bar high and reward people for achieving it.  Do not reward them if they didn't achieve it, even if there are extenuating circumstances.  (K: The reward is important.  If your staff meets the goal you set and you promised them a reward, don't renege.  It just creates poor morale.)
• Teaser ads are worthless. If an ad doesn't sell than ultimately it is a waste of money.  (K: teaser emails are also worthless - why send someone an email to tell them they will be getting something in the mail?) 
• People don't buy products.  They buy what they get from the product (K: think Kathy Sierra talks about helping your customers to kick ass)
• Always put the brand in the headline. (K: Or the subject line, as it were...)
• Selling to customers who WANT your product is better than selling to those who NEED it - those who need it often have to be educated as to why they need it and this costs time and money.  (K: Think about how this applies to prospective students...)