In an alumni network, a targeted communication strategy plays a crucial role in maintaining active engagement. Have you ever received an email from an organisation that didn’t seem to provide any value, or seemed completely out of context? You’re not alone. According to a 2021 study, only 28% of marketers believe that the majority of their e-mails are relevant to their recipients. This highlights a major challenge for community managers. How can you avoid sending irrelevant communications that could damage the engagement of your members?
1. The impact of communication in alumni networks
You only have to recall one uninteresting e-mail to understand the effect of poorly targeted communication. According to HubSpot, 74% of consumers are frustrated by marketing content that has nothing to do with them. This frustration translates into unsubscribing, or even a total lack of interest in other community initiatives. The challenge is to understand exactly what each member wants. And so sending them messages that resonate with them, at every stage of their journey.
2. The key steps to developing a winning alumni communications strategy
Here are three essential steps to ensure relevant communication and strengthen member commitment:
Segmentation before and after the launch of a project
Launching an alumni network or a new programme within a community requires a two-phase communication plan:
- Awareness phase (before the launch): Informing potential members of upcoming developments and giving them reasons to reconnect with the institution.
- Engagement phase (post-launch): Promote the features and services available and encourage regular use of the platform. According to a study by Campaign Monitor, targeted e-mails sent according to a fine-tuned segmentation can increase the revenue generated by a campaign by 760%.
Some networks go even further. Reso, for example, included members right from the platform creation phase. Recruited as beta testers, this enabled them to get to grips with the platform and give their initial feedback. This information was invaluable to management when it came to prioritising the content and functions of the tool. Read their testimonials below!
Internal and external communications
It is essential to adapt the tone and content of communications to the target audience. For example:
- Internal communications: sharing performance reports with stakeholders or strategic information with the team in charge of the network
- External communications: Informing alumni about new network features or upcoming events. A Salesforce study (The Ninth Edition State of Marketing Report) shows that clear and consistent communications improve customer loyalty. A point that also applies to alumni networks
Segment into interest groups
An alumni network is made up of former students with varying expectations. To cater for these differences, create sub-groups (or ‘personas’) based on criteria. For example, career path, interests or date of graduation. Young graduates at the start of their careers will be more interested in job offers and mentoring advice. Experienced alumni, on the other hand, will be looking for networking opportunities and continuing education.
3. The importance of personalisation: towards communication centred on the user experience
A study by Accenture (Accenture – Personalization Research) revealed that 91% of consumers are more inclined to buy from brands offering relevant offers and recommendations. In the context of an aalumni network, personalisation applies just as much. Here are some practical tips for effective personalisation:
- Personalised welcome messages: Sending a welcome message as soon as you join the network reinforces the feeling of belonging.
- Targeted content based on career path: Propose offers and resources tailored to the alumni’s sector of activity and level of experience. For example, a quarterly newsletter for recent graduates might focus on job offers and skills development workshops. While that for experienced alumni might cover networking events or advanced training sessions.
Real-life example: Why segmentation makes all the difference
Let’s take the example of a university that sends emails to all its alumni asking for donations. And without taking into account their financial situation or their post-graduate career. The experience is likely to be negative, especially for alumni still in debt from their studies. On the other hand, a more finely-tuned approach-aiming only at well-established graduates, or offering other forms of involvement (mentoring, testimonials)-would make it possible to strengthen commitment.
4. Examples of best practice to keep alumni engaged
To make the article more practical, here are a few best practices to incorporate into any alumni communications strategy:
- Use multiple channels: Combine e-mailing with social networks such as LinkedIn, which is very popular with alumni, to reach a wider audience and promote specific network initiatives. Remember to always bring your members back to your platform for your events and activities, so you can keep all your data up to date.
- Capitalise on testimonials: Highlight the career paths of influential members of the community to inspire young graduates and create a positive outreach effect.
- Offer online events: Webinars or virtual question-and-answer sessions are ideal for stimulating the interest of the community, regardless of their geographical location.
- Develop new formats: video, shorts, podcasts, etc. New formats are legion and are being used more and more, so jump on the bandwagon!
Conclusion: targeted communication is a major asset for alumni networks
A well thought-out communication strategy tailored to members’ needs is a powerful lever for building alumni loyalty and strengthening their attachment to the community. By finely segmenting, personalising content and adapting messages according to members’ life cycles, community managers can transform their communications into high value-added interactions.
To find out more and build a tailored communications strategy, explore our blog or our catalogue of features.