To Partner Or Not To Partner?

Rebecca Shineman, Executive Director of Marketing, York College of Pennsylvania

If you work in higher education marketing, you likely receive a dozen phone calls and emails weekly from vendors promising to address a host of your marketing needs—from improving your organic website traffic to reaching prospective students for niche programs and everything in between. Even more challenging than keeping up with the high volume of solicitations is deciphering which companies may be worth your time.

A critical skill for all education marketing leaders is knowing when to invest in external partnerships and when to invest in hiring or developing internal personnel. Both are essential to achieving success but it can be hard to determine which pathway will lead to greater success.

The higher education landscape has changed drastically over the last decade, from shifting demographics to the public’s perception of the value of higher education. The marketing departments tasked with promoting their institutions have advanced in order to effectively fulfill their missions. Many colleges and universities recognize marketing as a critical business function and have begun investing more heavily in this area. Additionally, the digital marketing space is evolving rapidly, resulting in a need for marketing teams to expand their knowledge and expertise to meet this growing demand. In order to address the demand, leaders need to first assess whether they should expand their permanent team or look to outsource.

Two benefits of working with a partner organization are quicker timelines and usually a greater depth of expertise. Through our marketing partnerships, we’ve been able to tap into experts with specialties such as search engine optimization (SEO), media strategy and buying, and brand development. While my team has knowledge of these areas, they do not specialize in them; external partners can provide this expertise and free up my staff to focus on other important aspects of their roles.

On the other hand, it’s important to hire personnel to fill key positions that require consistent support. When you invest in your people, there’s a deeper understanding of your institution's strategic goals and objectives, a personal investment in the success of the organization, and better oversight of the work. Social media management is a great example of when an internal position is likely best. This role requires intense oversight of multiple platforms, high volumes of content, and a keen understanding of what resonates with your audiences.

“A Critical Skill for all Education Marketing Leaders is Knowing When to Invest in External Partnerships and When to Invest in Hiring or Developing Internal Personnel. Both are Essential to Achieving Success but it can be Hard to Determine which Pathway will Lead to Greater Success”

While there’s not a one-size-fits-all approach, there are some key points to consider.

There’s no silver bullet.

Don’t fall victim to the idea that third-party solutions or partnerships can solve all your problems. It's especially important that partners aren't left to manage themselves, nor do they usually want to. Before engaging a new partner make sure you have a dedicated team member who has the skillset needed to manage and oversee the relationship. Identify key strategic partnerships and invest in them fully–not just financially. You can’t expect a partner to do exceptional work if you’re not willing to invest equally.

Not all partners are created equal.

Look for companies that invest in talent, technology, and relationships. Building relationships is core to all of my successful partnerships and I have found greater success when our organization’s values are aligned.

Additionally, bigger is not always better. Identify opportunities to solve smaller pain points and don’t be afraid to invest in new companies on the ground floor. Some of our best success stories involve us taking a chance on a newer business with a clear and strong value proposition.

Not all relationships are meant to last.

Despite doing your homework, you may still select a partner or vendor and find out it’s not a good fit. Several years ago, our team engaged a company offering robust SEO insights and data. Unfortunately, we underestimated the time needed internally to implement their commendations. We did manage to leverage the platform for meaningful content optimizations but overall it wasn’t a good fit. I like to categorize this as a “fail fast” example. We took a risk; it didn’t work out but we quickly made a decision to move on.

Don’t lose focus of your marketing plan.

Last, but certainly not least, make sure your marketing plan remains your guide. A good marketing plan will identify short- and long-term needs. Use it to assess whether your team will be better served by soliciting outside support or by adding additional staffing. If a strategy ortactic is finite, a partner is usually a good bet. If your plan involves a more permanent or multi-year initiative, you’ll likely be better served by hiring for a position.

Next time you receive a marketing email or phone call solicitation, answer it—or don’t! Only you’ll know which is best for your team and organization.

Marketing

Digital Marketing