Alumni relations has gotten into a groove but that may not be such a good thing. Offering the same programs, following the same procedures as last year (or the past five years) may not work so well in the new era of hyper-connectivity and constant entertainment. I was reminded that alumni engagement needs to be driven by stakeholder interest facilitated by segmented communications when reading recent posts by Andy Shaindlin (Switchboard) and Parks Smith (Tassl.)
With the new year, you might adopt a new approach to deciding what initiatives and events to support that can generate more and deeper alumni engagement. As you are considering a new program or planning the big annual celebration from prior years, consider some fundamentals:
Know your goals: What is (are) the primary goal(s) of the program? Is the effort more about facilitating networking, informing about a new campus initiative, fostering the alumni community, training alumni as ambassadors, leadership development, or something else?
Give them what they want: Is there alumni leadership and support for the concept of the program? Who are the key constituents (targeted as participants) among the alumni?
Form follows function: What is the best structure for the event to achieve these goals?
Meet them where they are: What is the best way to communicate with the alumni constituency?
Balance: How does this program fit in the portfolio of programs?
Measure and improve: What will be the measures of success for the program?
The good news is that new technology, more robust CRMs, good networking platforms, and better data analysis, are available to help with identifying interests and managing communications. Working with your alumni will en sure their participation and engagement.
Please share any stories about new ways of engaging your alumni – successes and failures are useful lessons.
Is your alumni relations positioned for success? Find out with the Impactrics assessment survey and analysis by clicking here. All information is confidential.
