Designing User Experiences, Marketing, and Recruitment Strategies for Non-Profits
As part of this non-profit, college students are matched with first generation- low income high school students for one-on-one coaching focusing on mentoring, student needs, academic support, community involvement, and broadening their professional development and networks. This program aims to provide every mentee with an opportunity to pursue a college education and prepare them to succeed in a college environment without financial or educational disadvantages.
Situation
When Rem joined the nonprofit organization, we identified that there were untapped marketing opportunities that could help the organization enter a new growth phase. The client acknowledged the need for effective marketing and outreach strategies to better engage with their target audience. One of their major concerns was the redesign of their website and intake process to cater specifically to student needs and abilities. Understanding the importance of student-centric design, our team embarked on developing a comprehensive strategy that focused on enhancing the organization's marketing efforts and creating a user-friendly website and intake process that would effectively address the client's concerns.
Challenge
While the program had many strengths, it also encountered several challenges that needed to be addressed. One of the major challenges was the inefficient online enrollment system, which hindered the smooth intake of students. Additionally, the website lacked effectiveness in targeting and attracting students, resulting in a weak online presence. Another significant challenge was the lack of effective communication between our client and the target students, which impacted outreach strategies and website content. Lastly, there was a need for improved mentor recruitment to ensure the program's success. Recognizing these challenges, our team focused on developing solutions to enhance communication, streamline the enrollment process, improve the website's effectiveness, and implement effective outreach strategies to effectively engage with the target students.
Approach
Our Rem team recognized the importance of addressing the key priorities outlined by our client. To improve the student sign-up process, we developed a comprehensive user experience/intake process guide that analyzed user personas and provided recommendations for enhancing the user experience throughout the entire intake process. Additionally, we created a website design guide to suggest improvements and best practices for redesigning the website to better target and engage with students.
To strengthen our client's online presence and increase their outreach, we implemented a four-pronged social media and digital marketing strategy. This included developing a social media strategy that encompassed nonprofit best practices, audience engagement, and success measurement. We also provided a pre-loaded content calendar with ideas for social media posts, advertisements, and holiday content. Furthermore, we developed an email marketing outreach strategy, offering resources and best practices to effectively engage with the target audience through email campaigns.
Recognizing the need for effective mentor and student recruitment strategies, we designed a recruitment strategy that addressed the client's goals. This strategy outlined ways to pivot the current recruitment approach, engage with potential students and mentors, and overcome common challenges associated with recruitment.
Overall, our recommendations aimed to enhance the user experience, improve the website's effectiveness, establish a strong online presence through social media and digital marketing, and develop effective recruitment strategies. These efforts were aimed at helping our client grow, expand, and better serve their student community.
Impact
Our Rem team played a pivotal role in helping our client gain a deeper understanding of their user personas and implementing effective strategies to enhance their online presence and recruitment efforts. Through the user experience/intake process and website design guides, we provided valuable insights into the needs, goals, behaviors, motivations, and demographics of their target audience, allowing them to optimize their services and website content for a better user experience. By implementing our social media for nonprofits and email marketing outreach strategy, our client was able to establish a more engaging online presence, connect with their audience, and secure the necessary resources to sustain their marketing activities. Additionally, our recruitment strategy proposal provided them with the means to expand their network of students and mentors, fostering growth and collaboration within the educational sector.
Team Breakdown
Chapter President - Lauren Maynard
Team Lead - Dallas Brodersen
Strategist -Clara Kim
Strategist- David Villareal
Jr. Strategist - Julianna Martin
Jr. Strategist - Declan Waters
Relevant Background Information
Business Type: Non-Profit
Industry: Education and Mentoring
Location: New York, NY
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