With the 2023 graduation season just around the corner, it's more important than ever to address the evolving dynamics of alumni engagement in the digital age. The shift from traditional practices to new modes and platforms of communication has brought forth new opportunities and challenges for alumni organizations, and it is crucial to adapt and stay ahead of these evolving trends. At their best, alumni associations offer their members unrivaled value in social connection and professional development, as well as providing essential support to current students and universities. As part of Cuseum’s effort to support growth and flourishing in alumni relations, this blog delves into the current paradigm of alumni engagement and offers insightful perspectives on the ways alumni associations can harness digital tools and strategies to enrich the student journey, effectively communicate value, and pave the way for future alumni membership.
Join us as we explore 5 crucial tips for meeting the evolving needs of students and graduates in the digital age, ultimately creating a thriving and interconnected alumni community:
1. Invest early
Picturing the ideal transition from student to graduate, it's clear that the initial step is to build a robust and nurturing groundwork from the start. Alumni associations should serve as a two-way street: investing in a student's wellbeing and success during their academic journey not only strengthens their bond with the university, but also boosts their career prospects, making them more likely to stay engaged with their peers and the institution post-graduation.
So, what does that investment look like?
To foster and engage current students, alumni associations have leveraged a mix of traditional and innovative strategies. From time-tested approaches like scholarships, mentorship schemes, and academic incentives to modern-day initiatives such as online networking events, virtual lecture series, and digital wine & cheese evenings, there are innumerable methods to add value for students and sow the seeds of a thriving future alumni network.
For instance, enhancing professional support and resources before graduation can facilitate the student-to-alumni progression. As young professionals step into a transformed job market—where remote work offers newfound freedom but also economic instability and uncertainty—studies show that a stable and enduring support system of social connections plays a crucial role in a student's future success. By offering mentorship and job assistance, you not only equip them with the necessary tools for success but also increase the chances of them becoming actively engaged alumni.
Anita Brothers, the Director of Alumni Relations & Engagement at Dayton University, has implemented a model that perceives student and alumni engagement as both comprehensive and interconnected: "At Dayton, we think about value propositions. How can alumni contribute to the enrollment process? How can alumni enhance the student-to-alumni journey? And then, how do we offer lifelong services and benefits to our alumni?"
However, supporting students goes beyond simply generating 'pre-alumni'. Alumni associations are devoted to students' present and future accomplishments because it's a fundamental societal good. Cultivating a content, healthy, and motivated student body significantly contributes to a well-functioning society. Expanding your membership is vital to this purpose, as it guarantees a heritage of support for both the institution and its students.
2. Communicate Value
The emergence of online social networks, coupled with recent hurdles like distance learning, has significantly reshaped how students interact with their peers before and after graduation. As social media and other digital networking platforms have surged in popularity, they have supplanted many of the benefits and opportunities that alumni associations traditionally provided.
Though social media may have disrupted the conventional value framework of alumni engagement, it can also yield benefits when used strategically by alumni associations. Indeed, the 2020 VAESE Alumni Relations Benchmarking Study reveals that targeted content on social media is 29% more effective as an engagement tool for alumni outreach than any other type of benefit, including on-campus, travel, career-centric, and event-based benefits.
As we shift towards a mobile-centric world, it becomes increasingly crucial for alumni organizations to seize the unique engagement opportunities offered by mobile technology. The need is already present – 75% of alumni would engage more with their alumni organization if their alumni benefits were mobile-friendly – and the silver lining is that advancements in digital and mobile marketing have paved the way for other sectors to harness the latest developments in digital communication channels.
For instance, text message marketing, also known as short message service (SMS) marketing, has emerged as an exceptionally effective tool for brands to keep customers informed about product campaigns, exclusive offers, and other value propositions. Its growing popularity as a brand messaging tool has spurred its broader use – cultural organizations, nonprofits, public services, and even political campaigns have embraced SMS marketing.
Therefore, Cuseum is thrilled to introduce a new SMS tool aimed at fostering membership growth and engagement in the alumni sector. Housed within the same unified platform as our digital membership service, Cuseum's SMS Text Messaging software offers a straightforward, convenient way to keep communication lines open with your constituents. Just like our on-demand push notification resource, SMS provides a direct, instant, customizable way to inform potential members about the exceptional value you provide.
Given the emphasis on personalized, mobile-focused communication among college students, engaging, educating, and investing in the future of your alumni network has never been easier.
3. Embrace Virtual and Hybrid Opportunities
Historically, alumni organizations have built a strong heritage of delivering value to their members through various programs and events, which were primarily tied to physical campuses and regional alumni chapters. The onset of COVID-19, however, halted popular in-person activities like reunions, cultural and athletic events, and other campus celebrations, prompting universities and alumni associations to rethink their strategies. This situation ultimately led to a shift towards virtual platforms.
In a 2020 survey conducted by Cuseum targeting alumni professionals, over 97% stated that they had “begun or increased their number of virtual events.” Many universities praised the role of virtual events in driving engagement. Alumni professionals have also noted increased engagement and participation due to online gatherings. By breaking down geographical barriers, virtual events have shown to be effective in boosting membership growth and engagement.
As articulated by Madeline Goldfischer, Assistant Director of Regional Alumni Chapters at Sarah Lawrence College, “By swiftly shifting to virtual programming, we have managed to engage alumni in locations where they previously couldn't participate in our events. We have seen first-time event attendees from all over the country and internationally.”
However, the pandemic-induced surge in virtual events intensified competition for attention and raised the stakes for online participation. Like many other professional sectors, alumni relations have encountered periods of slow growth, dwindling attendance, and a rise in “Zoom fatigue.” As we navigate our evolving digital-first reality, the necessity to offer unique value via digital channels and virtual events will become increasingly critical.
So, how to distinguish oneself as virtual engagement becomes the standard?
Even with a broad approach to virtual member engagement, the field of alumni relations must remain agile enough to adapt to the dynamic nature of digital norms in the contemporary era. As restrictions lifted and educational institutions reintroduced in-person learning, the emphasis has gradually shifted towards a strategy that can include both virtual and physical events.
Both educational and alumni professionals have voiced the view that the future of student and graduate socializing will be a hybrid one, featuring a mix of digital and physical events. This implies that organizations committed to expanding and activating alumni networks will need to find a balance between in-person and virtual engagement opportunities.
4. Get Personal
While the future may lean towards a blend of virtual and physical experiences, our current reality is characterized by a surging demand for tailored digital experiences.
The rapid shift of work, education, commerce, and culture to the digital sphere has led to a crowded market of virtual products and services, often resulting in a generic online user experience devoid of unique value propositions. In reaction to this, major brands across all industries have started to focus more on personalized customer engagement.
As leading companies like Amazon, Spotify, Snapchat, and Target take personalization to the next level, consumer expectations of personalized experiences rise. Data from Epsilon and GBH Insights found that 80% of U.S. consumers are more likely to purchase from a brand that offers a personalized experience.
These trends aren't confined to e-commerce: higher education professionals and alumni associations have observed this shift towards personalized digital marketing and are adapting accordingly. Data from a survey conducted by Cuseum shows that 77% of alumni relations professionals believe they need to offer more personalized engagement for their members.
However, alumni organizations still lag behind the business sector, with only 30% of alumni emails being personalized in any way. Generic messaging tends to be lost in the digital noise and is rapidly losing its effectiveness in today's attention-driven economy. To cater to today's graduates and transition them into engaged alumni, associations will need to invent novel methods of individualized communication and targeted outreach.
Fortunately, tools such as data analytics, advanced segmentation, and marketing automation are available to assist institutions in implementing and scaling personalized engagement. Universities and alumni associations with the right access can now adopt a data-driven approach in deciding how to allocate resources and create personalized student experiences, with the ultimate aim of strengthening institutional relationships and fostering loyalty.
As Seneca Reyna, Alumni Relations Officer at New Mexico State University, articulated, “Cultivating substantial relationships is the most crucial aspect of alumni relations.”
5. Meet Digital-First Demand
For alumni professionals aiming to convert students and recent graduates into active alumni members, a key challenge lies in keeping pace with rapidly evolving member needs and preferences. As dynamic as the technology that influences them, consumer demands are ever-changing, and this is equally true for potential alumni members.
Particular focus should be given to student outreach, as younger generations are typically the earliest adopters of new technological frameworks and expectations. Given that current college students and recent grads are overwhelmingly digital native, membership opportunities that appeal to them will inevitably prioritize digital engagement.
So, what does providing value to alumni members in the digital landscape entail?
Virtual membership addresses the perpetual need to reduce costs, save time, and optimize operations. By doing so, you can pass these savings on to your members, whether by introducing more affordable membership tiers for recent graduates or by offering more generous benefits and incentives to existing members.
Embracing the virtual approach opens a gateway for you and your alumni members to a plethora of digital tools and services. From targeted membership programs to instant access to alumni discounts and benefits, digital membership schemes offer unparalleled personalization and convenience - an aspect that is particularly attractive to younger potential members.
In an era characterized by touchless technology and mobile payments, retaining physical membership cards is comparatively cumbersome, as is navigating intricate analog membership systems and communicating with member services in person or over the phone. In fact, according to a recent survey by Kobie Marketing, 34% of Millennials surveyed in a recent study reported avoiding joining a membership program due to a lengthy enrollment process! Conversely, virtual cards are user-friendly, impossible to misplace, and offer boundless opportunities for member engagement.
Perhaps most importantly for alumni organizations, digital membership systems provide the infrastructure and resources necessary to cultivate a more interconnected, engaging alumni community.
If digital membership programs are designed to meet the needs of today's consumer, they are equally well-suited for the future alumni member: what better way to pave the way to alumni membership than by fostering a foundational sense of collective identity and community?
→ click here to Learn more about Cuseum’s Digital Membership opportunities!
As the digital landscape reshapes work, education, and communication, the values and expectations of younger generations evolve in tandem. In this context, it's crucial for the alumni sector to tackle the present challenges, rethink its membership growth strategies, and broaden its understanding of student outreach. Alumni associations hold a unique, lasting value for students - a value that, thanks to modern digital tools and strategies, can be communicated more effectively and efficiently than ever. By staying closely connected to their specific challenges and adapting to their changing needs, you can enhance the experiences of current students, thereby smoothing their transition into active alumni membership in the future.
Looking to learn more about how technology solutions can help you build a track from student to alum? Schedule a demo with Cuseum.