CustomViewbook

CVB News

Holiday Gratitude List …

Dec 18, 2019

This past year at CustomViewbook has been one of continued growth, collaboration and innovation.
We are grateful for so much!

Our clients’ success. Working with the best Higher Ed clients on the planet has been an honor and a pleasure. We love hearing about their every success, including more effective engagement campaigns, increases in yield, and more cost-effective, targeted use of print materials.

New ways to innovate. We became a Slate Preferred Partner in 2019 and launched our latest innovation, CRM YouBlast. It’s been thrilling to watch as it works right from Slate and other popular CRMs to achieve fantastic engagement rates with prospective students.

The best collaborators. We have much gratitude for our Advisory Panel, each member a seasoned expert in Higher Ed Admissions or Marketing Communications, for providing clear-sighted feedback and insights that are gold. And we are grateful for the steadfast support of our vision and efforts by our parent company, Antech Systems, Inc.

Big things ahead. We’re excited to continue to evolve and deliver a product that improves Admissions and Recruitment practices, helps our clients stay on track with changing needs in the marketplace, and meets the needs and wants of prospective students.

We wish you Holidays filled with laughter and joy, and an outstanding, successful New Year.

Onward to a wonderful 2020!

 

“A Statistically Significant Positive Enrollment Indicator”

Oct 21, 2019

When it comes to statistics, our client at SUNY Buffalo State College does not mess around.

Dave Loreto, Director of Undergraduate Admissions, has presented nationally on CRM technology, predictive analytics and international student recruitment. He has also coauthored a research publication in Strategic Enrollment Management Quarterly on the use of predictive modeling and CRM technology in admissions recruitment planning. So, when we hear some really cool results from Dave – we are elated!

“We have used our CustomViewbook in ViewbookBlast campaigns to accepted students; in calls-to-action on our website; and in lead nurturing email campaigns. Each type of campaign has contributed positively to yield, with those students who found CustomViewbook organically indicating the greatest interest and engagement. Regardless of the source, we see any interaction with the CustomViewbook as a statistically significant positive enrollment indicator.”

Total Yield for Fall and Spring (18/19):

  • Unique CVB users | ViewbookBlast: 82% Increase in Deposit Rate
  • Unique CVB Users | Website: 102% Increase in Deposit Rate
  • Unique CVB Users | Lead Nurturing Campaigns: 123% Increase in Deposit Rate

 Thank you for sharing some great news, Dave!

Want to know more about how  we can help you capture, engage and convert prospective students?
Contact Mary Pannullo for an informative and fun demo and learn how the CustomViewbook platform including the Recruiter App™ for iPad, ViewbookBlast™ and CRM YouBlast™ tools can help you meet your recruitment goals!

 

 

 

NACAC 2019: Louisville, KY – Here We Come!

Sep 20, 2019

The CustomViewbook team is headed to Louisville, where we will be exhibitors at the NACAC National Conference, (September 26 – 28). 
If you are headed to NACAC – please stop by Booth #229!

Jenna, Ginny and Mary will be at the helm with warm greetings and demos to show you how CustomViewbook helps our clients get the most highly-qualified leads available, and soaring campaign engagement rates.

We are now a Slate Preferred Partner.  And we have great new features to show you:
• CRM YouBlasts™
• New Client Demos
• Rock-Solid Client Results

Participants will receive the latest reports from our GenZ Labs user testing sessions – “Generation Z College Search Report” and “Generation Z and CustomViewbook.” And of course, one of our famous, super-soft t-shirts.

Want to know more, now?
Check out our brand new video and learn how CustomViewbook can help you capture the Most Highly-Qualified Leads Available and amplify Engagement Rates throughout the student recruitment journey.

Can’t wait to connect with you soon!

Announcement! CustomViewbook is a Slate Preferred Vendor …

Apr 29, 2019

We get it – CRMs are command central for much of Higher Ed admissions and recruitment – and for some institutions, the entirety of the student lifecycle. Data integration and automation have become tools of the trade to attract and engage more prospective students, simplify the admissions process and increase conversions.

Our aim is one with our clients – and prospective clients!  We are happy to announce that we are now a member of the Slate Preferred Partner Program, a network of organizations that share a commitment to support transformational effects on the world of higher education. The Slate Preferred Partner Program recognizes organizations that integrate with Slate and offer implementation support, and have a deeper understanding of the Slate product functionality and processes and have access to a variety of resources and insights into best practices.

The CEO of CustomViewbook’s parent company, Antech Systems, Inc., Vincent Martinez, is fully on board. A data man himself, Vince says, “CustomViewbook is excited to become a Slate Preferred Vendor. This is the next step in our platform’s evolution and it will enable future innovation to expand on our existing CRM integration features. We’ve clearly heard from our higher ed clients that these data integration features are important to maximize their return on investment of their CRM purchase and becoming a Slate Preferred Vendor will assist in that objective.”

Slate Preferred Partners have an expressed commitment to providing Slate users with options for only the most exceptional service. Each vendor or organization has meet key requirements and adds unique value to the Slate user community.

Slate Preferred Partners are listed in a directory available within all Slate databases. Institutions looking for supplemental Slate support and integration services can use the directory as a resource and have confidence in knowing each participant has been vetted by Technolutions and approved for participation.

Please contact Mary Pannullo (mary.pannullo@customviewbook.com) if you have any questions about CustomViewbook data integration with Slate, or other popular higher ed CRMs.

Prospective Student Engagement Is Energized and Riding High at USC Dornsife

Mar 22, 2019

There is nothing that pleases us more than hearing great, positive feedback from our wonderful Clients. We were really excited to hear from Mark Kveton, Assistant Director of Admissions at USC Dornsife, whose team has been getting some powerful results with their CustomViewbook.

“Custom Viewbook has created a new dynamic in how we connect with our prospective students. We’ve seen value in using it in all aspects of the admissions cycle, and we continue to think of new ways to get the word out about this resource. It has created a “buzz” during on and off campus presentations. The curiosity it sparks with students, parents, and even counselors enhances our ability to provide personal engagement with our educational community.”

“We are doing some ViewbookBlasts email campaigns this month and are really pleased with these targeted campaigns. Our recent campaign to admitted students resulted in almost instantaneous engagement. 100 out of 400 students opened and clicked thru within the first 2 hours; 200 students within 24 hours!”

ViewbookBlasts Email Campaign:

  • Over 400 Admitted potential First Year / Merit Scholarship Candidates
  • Broken out over 8 categories based on Academic areas & majors
  • Within 2 hours of sending out, we have seen over 100 Click thru’s (25%)
  • 200 within 24 hours! (50% Click thru rate in 24 hours)

Mark was willing to share a bit of how they have been able to achieve that kind of engagement, “We get students excited about CustomViewbook during our presentations and in conversations with students. They’re really interested in this resource and are looking forward to making their own by the time they get the email from us – even before they go to our website.”

Mark and his team are full steam ahead, using insights from their dashboard when presenting Academic and Campus/Student Life topics of interest to students; using the Multi-Source URL links to track specific campaigns; and directing students to edit their CustomViewbook as many times as they like.

Fun Fact: “We had one student return to their CustomViewbook 26 times. We’ll see if he becomes enrolled!”

We would love to show you how the CustomViewbook online experience, ViewbookBlasts, the Recruiter App for iPad adds up to high impact student engagement – and outstanding results for our Admissions and Recruitment clients.  Contact Mary.Pannullo@CustomViewbook.com to schedule an informative demo!

 

 

Reduce Print Costs: Striking the Balance Between Print and Digital in Higher Ed Admissions’ Marketing

Feb 01, 2019

The trends vary. While every institution has their own take on the strategic use of print pieces for prospective students, each grapple with the same considerations. What is the right balance between print and digital? Where in the recruitment cycle? What kind of pieces? Does Generation Z even look at print? Is it really just for parents?

In our Gen Z Labs user testing sessions, the students are pretty adamant. They only prefer print pieces:

  • if they asked for it
  • if the information is specifically relevant to their interests
  • if it’s brief, factual – not too ‘salesy’
    *Oh, and they like stickers, too.

Our CVB Clients tell us that print is here to stay, though how they use it is evolving. Many are shifting away from expensive, one-size-fits-all print viewbooks. Instead, they start the recruitment cycle with inexpensive print pieces (postcards, tri-fold brochures) inviting prospective students to create their own CustomViewbooks. Once more qualifying information about the prospective student is captured, a targeted print piece is sent, with content relevant to the prospect’s interest. For many of our clients, this streamlined approach has resulted in reduced print production costs.

“CustomViewbook has played a significant role in reducing our print costs. We don’t use very much print anymore, and are making our main piece even smaller. Our bigger main piece is for out-of-state. Our smaller bread-and-butter pieces are driving students to create their own CustomViewbook. When we have VIP visitors to campus, we print out the Viewbook itself.”

“Print is here to stay but its purpose is changing. Because there is a big shift to digital, we use print pieces as something special and extra-personal to get. We use them less often.”

“There are shifts happening but not as quickly as you’d might expect. People are still using quite a bit of print, maybe shorter pieces and not as frequently.”

We get it – print and digital communications should work hand-in-hand!  CustomViewbook has two customizable print designs available for our clients, (a hand-out piece and a self-mailer), each working to build awareness and drive prospects to create their own CVB.  And, we can help clients track the effectiveness of these print campaigns with specific source URLs.

Want to learn more about how CustomViewbook can help make your print strategy more effective? Contact Mary Pannullo (mary.pannullo@customviewbook.com) and schedule a demo, now.

 

New Features, Generation Z Reports, Super-soft T-shirts: 2018 NACAC National Conference in Salt Lake City – Here We Come!

Sep 10, 2018

Hello All! 

We are excited about the upcoming Annual NACAC Conference in Salt Lake City this month from September 27 through 29. If you are in Admissions, Marketing Communications or Enrollment Management, be sure to stop by and visit us at Booth #208.

Come demo the CustomViewbook platform, including the Recruiter App for iPad and ViewbookBlasts. There are new features to show you, new demos – and rock-solid client results:

Client data shows: Prospective students who create their own CustomViewbook are, on  average, 4.5X more likely to enroll than the rest of the prospect pool.

Participants will receive insightful reports – candid feedback straight from college-bound Generation Z high school juniors and seniors in our “Generation Z College Search Report” and “Generation Z and CustomViewbook.” And, one of our famous, super-soft t-shirts.

In the meantime, you can check out some Client Demos here.

We can’t wait to see you in Salt Lake City at #NACAC18!

Safe Travels!

 

Generic Email = “Eewww”

Aug 07, 2018

How To Cut Through the Clutter and Grab the Attention of Generation Z   

In our recent GenZ Labs User Testing Group, we asked college-bound juniors and seniors, “Do you receive emails from colleges and universities?

Their answers were quite impassioned:

“My inbox is flooded with emails from other colleges. I don’t even look at my emails now. So much clutter.”

“A lot of the email feels like generic information – they are not targeting you. It feels like they copy and paste a template and feels very generic. Eeewww.”

“If the information is not targeted for me – or pertaining to me in any way – it is not important. It’s like, ‘No Thanks,’ You’re just spamming up my email.”

We understand the challenge of actively engage Generation Z students.

Providing opportunity for a simple, immediate exploration of your offerings, with follow-up that is student-interest driven, personalized and authentic – is key.

That is exactly how we designed, and continue to evolve, the CustomViewbook platform. By keeping the end user experience in focus, our clients continue to get outstanding results.

Check it out for yourself! Contact Mary Pannullo to schedule a fast-paced, informative demo of CustomViewbook, including the Recruiter App for iPad and ViewbookBlasts. (mary.pannullo@customviewbook.com)

 

Summer 2018 – Hot, Super-Busy and Super Conference!

Jul 07, 2018

Hi Friends!    

We hope everyone has been able to carve out some time for rejuvenating R&R.
And that you’re staying as hydrated and cool as possible!

The CustomViewbook team has been super-busy these past few months.

A group of awesome new clients have come aboard; a new Advisory Panel has been established, helping guide us to an ever-smarter and effective recruitment platform; and lots of wonderful personal connections with Admissions, Marketing and Enrollment professionals across the country have been made.

A stand-out was at the 2018 Super Conference (NEACAC / NYSACAC) at the Marist College campus in Poughkeepsie, NY in June. Our fearless leader, James Horigan, EVP, co-presented with Robert Wyant, Director of Admissions at the College at Brockport. The gents had a standing-room only audience for
“Engage Z: Effective Digital Communications For Higher Ed Admissions And Marketing Professionals.”

Feedback was highly positive. We are so grateful for the encouragement and suggestions from participants.

“Provided many actionable suggestions, best session during conference. Give them a bigger space next year!”

For sure, we will be taking an even deeper dive into best practices to help our clients actively engage Generation Z student prospects.

Stay tuned for some great insights and feedback from our GenZ Labs User Testing Group. These college-bound high school juniors and seniors were very candid and specific about how they prefer to conduct the college search, and the kinds of personalized communication they prefer.

And always, contact Mary Pannullo to schedule a fun, fast-paced demo of the CustomViewbook platform including the Recruiter App for iPad and ViewbookBlasts.  (mary.pannullo@customviewbook.com)

Hang Ten!

 

On the Road Again…

May 25, 2018

A big part of why we love what we do is the great people we meet along the way. Our fearless leader, James Horigan, EVP, will be hitting the road for the first half of June, demoing the CustomViewbook platform as well as doing some presenting. James is super-cool and we love meeting you guys – so be sure to stop and say ‘Hello!’

First stop – The 50th Annual Conference of the Western Association for College Admissions Counseling (WACAC) from May 31 to June 2 in beautiful Monterey, California. This year’s theme is “Thriving in a Changing Environment.” We’re thrilled that the CustomViewbook platform had helped dozens of clients do just that. Stop by our booth for a chat with James and a demo of CustomViewbook, the Recruiter App for iPad and ViewbookBlasts. Participants will get one our famous, super-soft GenZ t-shirts!

Next stop – The first ever joint New England Association for College Admission Counseling (NEACAC) and New York State Association for College Admission Counseling (NYSACAC) Super Conference from June 6 to June 8, at the Marist College campus in Poughkeepsie, NY. James will be demoing at the Super Conference, as well as co-presenting with Robert Wyant, Director of Admissions at the College at Brockport.

Mark your calendars for Wednesday, June 6 at 3:15PM. You won’t want to miss “Engage Z: Effective Digital Communications for Higher Ed Admissions and Marketing Professionals.”

Coming Soon! Our recent GenZ Labs User Testing Group with college-bound juniors and seniors yielded fantastic feedback and insights.These GenZ students were impassioned, specific and quite certain about their likes and dislikes with the college search process. We’ll be sharing insights soon!

Want to check out the whole enchilada now?

Email Mary Pannullo (mary.pannullo@customviewbook.com) and she will schedule a demo of CustomViewbook, the Recruiter App for iPad and ViewbookBlasts for you.  The demos are  fun, fast-paced and provide great food for thought.

Travel safe and light!