Your college or university offers many educational opportunities. But, to distinguish itself from other schools, you may also need to show students you can help them grow their careers. To understand why, consider the results of a recent survey of 95,505 full-time freshmen entering 148 baccalaureate institutions.
In the survey, most respondents said being able to get a better job was a “very important” reason for deciding to go to college. Yet, many higher education institutions struggle to show how their graduates are using what they learned to achieve their career goals.
Why you need to collect and analyze graduate data
How your college or university engages with its alumni can have far-flung effects on its ability to attract new students. Your school’s graduates can provide valuable insights into how your institution is helping them further their careers.
For example, your school can use post-graduate surveys to connect with past students. The surveys can provide you with data that highlights how students are applying what they’ve learned from your school to their work.
Post-graduate surveys allow you to learn what graduates are earning, what job titles they hold, and how they feel about your school’s degree programs. They can give you a wealth of data to help highlight the value of attending your school. And, if you produce promotional materials that showcase these insights, you’ll be well-equipped to help your school stand out from others.
Share post-graduate insights with a global audience
To collect post-graduate data, you first need to craft a survey. It is generally a good idea to produce a survey that contains a combination of closed- and open-ended questions. Closed-ended questions provide quantitative data that can be used to identify post-graduate data patterns and trends. Open-ended questions also deliver qualitative data that highlights the effectiveness of your school’s degree programs, but that qualitative data tends to be subjective, which can make it more difficult to analyze and present visually than quantitative information.
Once you collect and analyze post-graduate data, search for patterns and trends within the information. Capture insights that can be used to produce a wide range of promotional materials, including:
1. Reports
Write a report that provides a comprehensive guide for anyone interested in learning about the results of your post-graduate survey. The report can include graphs, charts, and other visuals that highlight post-graduate insights. It can also contain quotes or other insights from survey participants.
2. Infographics
Produce infographics that highlight your post-graduate survey results visually. Infographics can be used to showcase key takeaways from your survey. They are easy to share on social media, your school website, and other online platforms.
3. Webinar
Use a webinar to share your post-graduate survey results. Those interested in your school may be on the lookout for webinars, so they can learn as much as possible about your institution. And, if you develop a webinar based on your survey results, you can show prospective students what they may be able to accomplish once they graduate from your school.
It pays to be diligent as you assess post-graduate survey results. The more data you capture and insights you learn, the better off you’ll be when it’s time to produce survey-related content that hits the mark with a global audience.
Tips to help promote your post-graduate survey results to a global audience
If you conduct a post-graduate survey and find your school consistently helps students land good jobs, you need to share your findings with prospective students from around the world. Here are four tips to help you do just that.
1. Evaluate your audience
Determine who you want to reach. Oftentimes, it helps to put together a post-graduate survey for different degree programs. You can use these surveys to see how students across different industries are performing in different careers. Plus, you can consolidate your survey results into a single report. You also have the option to put together degree-specific promotional materials based on your survey results.
2. Hone your messaging
Consider how your target audience engages with your school. Then determine the best way to share your post-graduate survey results. In some instances, it may be beneficial to produce reports that allow you to engage with large groups of prospective students. Other times, it can be valuable to use infographics and other content that is easy to access and share.
3. Stay in touch with your audience
Share your post-graduate survey with those who participated in it. Encourage respondents to share the results with prospective students or anyone else who may be interested in your school. Keep the lines of communication open with survey respondents and prospective students regarding your survey results, too. Ultimately, those who want to learn more about your school should have no trouble getting in touch with you, so you can provide them additional information upon request.
4. Track your results
Collect data as you share your post-graduate survey results. For example, you can set up a contact form that requires anyone who attends a webinar that explores the survey results to provide their email address and other pertinent information. This allows you to see who is connected with your school and stay engaged with them moving forward. It can also help you uncover ways to further promote your survey results.
Finally, if you need extra help generating interest from prospective students, KWALL can provide assistance. As the premier web agency for higher ed, we help colleges and universities fine-tune their web strategies. To learn more about how we can help you engage with prospective students, contact KWALL today.
