EduInsights

Blog article

The Importance of Research in Digital Marketing Strategies

Each college’s students have different needs and wants. And the needs and wants change over time. It’s that in-depth research in the moment that will make your enrollment marketing efforts more successful. Read More

Clear Results

News

Why Saying ‘Latine’ Moves Us Toward Inclusion

Latine, not Latinx. Read how our latest shift in language can help us champion inclusivity in our work… Read More

News

VisionPoint Rises to Top 3% of Marketing Agencies With Google Premier Partnership

VisionPoint Marketing earned 2023 Google Premier Partner status for our expertise in digital marketing campaign management – a… Read More

Blog article

Optimizing Website Lead Generation through SEO-Informed Information Architecture

Here are some basic steps you can take focused on search engine optimization (SEO) and information architecture (IA)… Read More

Blog article

Working with VisionPoint: Creative Services

Breaking through the noise is what we stake our reputation on. And our multi-phase cross-team collaboration ensures that… Read More

Blog article

Working With VisionPoint: CRM Lead Nurturing and Consultation

The need for CRM support and lead nurturing is only growing; demand for this type of specialty is… Read More

Blog article

Twitter Tumult: Why You Shouldn’t Panic but You Should Be Paying Attention

Many marketing companies and higher ed institutions are pausing ad spend on Twitter. If you’re in that boat,… Read More

Blog article

Who Is VisionPoint?

We're a company filled with people who understand the transformative power of higher education. So we’re using that… Read More

Blog article, Thought leadership

The 12 Strategies of Christmas – Part 2

And, with this two-part blog post, 2022 comes to a close. So much has happened during the course… Read More

Blog article, Thought leadership

The 12 Strategies of Christmas – Part 1

And, with this two-part blog post, 2022 comes to a close. So much has happened during the course… Read More

Thought leadership

Do You Want the Good Enrollment News or the Bad Enrollment News First?

While there are some people celebrating the drop of just 1.1% in undergraduate student enrollments between the fall… Read More

Blog article

Not on the TikTok Bandwagon? It Might Be Time to Start!

Of all the social media platforms, TikTok may be the most intimidating. With Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn,… Read More

Blog article

Happy Thanksgiving from VisionPoint Marketing

From our VisionPoint team to you, happy Thanksgiving! We hope you have a chance to unwind, relax, be… Read More

Blog article

Current Program Trends among Today’s College Students – from the Perspective of Students

Current trends in the higher education industry revolve around changing attitudes toward marketing community colleges to prospective students. Read More

Blog article, Thought leadership

Effective Marketing Tactics to Increase Enrollment for Nontraditional Students

In today's marketing world, higher ed institutions advertise and promote their universities and offerings toward various market segments. Read More

News

Pitt Community College Wins NCMPR Gold by Showcasing a Message of Freedom

VisionPoint’s client partner, Pitt Community College (PCC), won a gold medallion from the National Council of Marketing and… Read More

Blog article, Presentations

What Works Now – Aligning Your Marketing for Today’s Enrollment Marketing Landscape

How do you stay up to date with the ever-changing higher ed and marketing industries? Here's our look… Read More

News

National Park College’s Sonic Branding Work Wins Silver NCMPR Regional Award

National Park College recently brought home a silver medallion in the NCMPR regional wild card category for their… Read More

Blog article

Rock Enroll – VisionPoint’s Higher Ed Podcast Discusses Weighty Enrollment Issues

Since its creation in early 2022, the Rock Enroll podcast has blossomed into a useful tool for our… Read More

Blog article

Twitter For Higher Ed: Why Twitter Should be Part of Your Marketing Plan

The power of Twitter should not be ignored by higher ed institutions. Nor should it be treated in… Read More

News

College of DuPage’s ‘We See’ campaign wins big at MarCom

VisionPoint’s client partner, College of DuPage, recently won three MarCom awards for their “We See” campaign. Read More

Blog article

Everything You Need To Know about Programmatic Advertising

Programmatic advertising has been among the buzzwords of the marketing industry for quite some time now. Here's everything… Read More

Blog article

‘Milwaukee’s Alternative’ Campaign Wins Gold and Bronze at NCMPR

VisionPoint’s client partner Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) won two awards from the National Council of Marketing and… Read More

Blog article

How Facebook Groups Can Help You Engage With Different Audiences

2.82 billion people log into Meta’s family of apps (Facebook and Instagram) every day, and so it’s with… Read More

Blog article

What Is Strategy?

What exactly is “strategy?” In a recent episode of our podcast, three of our higher education experts… Read More

Blog article, News

Breaking News: Instagram is Updating Videos!

When Instagram first became popular, it was a photo-sharing app. Looking for a picture of a mouth-watering steak… Read More

Blog article, Thought leadership

What Is a Brand?

At VisionPoint, we define an institution’s brand like this: Your brand is what people collectively think, feel,… Read More

Blog article, Presentations

Preparing for Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

About two years ago, Google started working on their new Analytics software: Google Analytics 4, or GA4. Then… Read More

Blog article

Maximize Your Impact with LinkedIn Formatting

LinkedIn is a platform that can have a major impact on graduate enrollment. This means, when VisionPoint Marketing… Read More

Blog article, Presentations

Win Enrollments with Digital Advertising

3 min. read This month, Carly Althaus, VisionPoint Marketing’s Associate Director of Media, co-hosted a webinar with Vice… Read More

Blog article, News

Your Frenemyship With Your CRM is the Key to Winning

A tool is only as good as its user. When it comes to winning the enrollment game, your… Read More

Blog article

Google’s New Look for the New Year

Google's latest change stands to impact how prospective students search for and find information during their college selection… Read More

Blog article

Higher Education Marketing is 90% Insanity and 10% Innovation

Our VP of Innovation reveals what the elite 10% are doing to stay ahead of the enrollment game. Read More

Blog article

Your Last Website Redesign

5 min. read The current process for web redesign projects is broken. It is inefficient and rarely delivers… Read More

Blog article

How to Bend Enrollment Deadlines Without Breaking Them

Here are a few communication strategies you can use to bend your deadlines without breaking them in desperation… Read More

Blog article

Our New Study Reveals How the Pandemic Has Changed Higher Education

Download our free report and discover data that can help inform enrollment decisions your institution is making. Read More

Blog article, Thought leadership

The Wizardry Behind Google Analytics 4 & How It Can Help Higher Ed Marketers

GA4’s new features are built to help you see what you want to see and reach the holy… Read More

Blog article

Three Ways You Might Not Be Using Your CRM & How It’s Impacting Enrollment

Our CRM guru, Dr. Brandi Stocker, breaks down ways your CRM can help you meet prospective students where… Read More

Blog article, Thought leadership

It Doesn’t Have To Be This Way: Three Keys to Beating Community College Enrollment Decline

4 min. read It’s not easy being a community college in the aftermath of 2020. Enrollment numbers are… Read More

Blog article, Thought leadership

Raise Your Glass: VisionPoint Celebrates 20 Years of Higher Ed Marketing Excellence

The visionary behind our sustained success, Diane Kuehn (Founder & Chairperson of VisionPoint), opens up about the road… Read More

Blog article

Advertising on Facebook? What You Need to Know Now About Apple iOS14 and How Facebook is Responding

An on-going feud between Facebook and Apple is ratcheting up further thanks to Apple’s iOS 14 rollout. VisionPoint… Read More

Blog article, Thought leadership

The Extra Mile: All that stands between admission and enrollment is the human touch

As social distancing fatigue grows, increasing yield becomes more about meeting students' basic human need to connect. Read More

Blog article, Thought leadership

Yes, you can do the math.

“I’m bad at math” is something marketers say all the time. Our Director of Strategic Partnerships (and self-proclaimed… Read More

Blog article, Thought leadership

Winning in the Worst of Times: A redux of our COVID era marketing presentation at the 2020 AMA Symposium

Two institutions on our client roster put on a master class on how to overcome the challenges of… Read More

Blog article

Ahead of the Curve: Alternatives to Facebook Advertising for Audiences Under 18

Facebook's new targeting restrictions won’t throw off your higher ed marketing game as badly as you might think. Read More

Blog article

Google’s Page Experience Algorithm Update & What It Means for Higher Ed

5 min. read It’s long been the shared consensus that when it comes to SEO ranking factors, content… Read More

Blog article

The (Third-Party) Cookie Crumbles

UPDATE: Google announced via Blog post on June 24th that their cookie-blocking privacy plans will now… Read More

Blog article, Thought leadership

Who is the Adult Learner?

Our panel of higher ed experts offer enlightening insights on this rapidly emerging and increasingly critical audience. Read More

Blog article, Thought leadership

Why they’re leaving: How to keep students on your page and lower bounce rate

Does a high bounce rate mean a poor user experience? Our VP of Innovation, Josh Dodson, dishes out… Read More

Blog article, Thought leadership

Rethink Geofencing in the Stay-at-Home Era

In the COVID-19 era, geofencing can provide a crucial advantage in retention marketing, allowing schools to drive targeted… Read More

Blog article, Thought leadership

Turning Words Into Actions: The Second Half of Our BLM Panel Discussion

As higher education marches toward a school year riddled with uncertainty, the conversation on police brutality and race… Read More

Blog article, Thought leadership

Higher Ed Marketers for Black Lives Matter: A Two-Part Panel Discussion

These are our (evolving, growing) thoughts regarding how institutions of higher learning can help be leaders in this… Read More

Blog article, Thought leadership

Why You Should Optimize Frequently (And How it Impacts ROI)

Want to transform your campaign performance and improve ROI? Campaign optimizations can be the difference maker. Read More

Blog article, Thought leadership

How to improve retention and yield during the COVID-19 crisis

With a pandemic in full swing, making these two priorities the focal point of your enrollment marketing strategy… Read More

Blog article, News

Analytics Guru Joins VisionPoint Marketing to Help Tackle the Enrollment Growth Challenge

VisionPoint Marketing announces the recent addition of data and CRM master, Brandi Stocker, to our team. Brandi leverages… Read More

Blog article

Questions you may be Asking During COVID-19

Asking the hard questions about what COVID-19 means for your enrollment and retention rates? We’ve got a few… Read More

Blog article, Thought leadership

Getting the Most Value Out of Your CRM

In higher education marketing, your Customer Relationship Management system (CRM) is your lifeline for enrollment growth. Read More

Blog article, Thought leadership

Should Higher Education Marketers Worry About Google Algorithm Updates?

As search engines become smarter, higher education institutions must raise the quality of their content to increase visibility… Read More

Blog article

Higher Ed Marketing Conferences you Don’t Want to Miss in 2020

Looking for industry-leading insights in higher education marketing? We’ve compiled a list of higher ed marketing conferences you… Read More

Blog article

Stigma-Defying Brand Messaging that Changes Minds

Want to transform the stigma around your community college’s identity? It may mean changing and reclaiming your brand… Read More

Blog article, Presentations

Think Like an Analyst: Mastering the Analytics Essentials

Did you know your website analytics can prove and add value to your marketing efforts? Think like an… Read More

Blog article, Thought leadership

The Top 5 KPIs you should be Tracking and why

As higher education marketing becomes increasingly data-driven, identifying which metrics are the most relevant to track and what… Read More

Blog article, Thought leadership

Online Program Manager: What you should know before you sign

While it may be tempting to hand off your online program marketing to an OPM, here are some… Read More

Blog article

The Vocabulary of Google Analytics: An Introduction

Wouldn’t it be great if you could read the minds of all the visitors to your website? If… Read More

Blog article

GDPR and Higher Ed: Are You Ready?

The GDPR goes into effect on May 25, 2018, signaling a huge change in personal data privacy. Read More

Blog article

20 Tips for Writing Search Engine Optimized Content for Your Higher Ed Website

By now, you’ve probably heard the old joke: Where’s the best place to hide a body? On the… Read More

Blog article

Meet Josh Dodson

Check out our interview with Josh Dodson - innovator, data analyzer and resident whittler. Read More

Blog article

Website Accessibility: A Primer for Higher Ed

If you are managing a higher ed website, you need to be paying close attention to the responsibilities… Read More

Thought leadership

Integrated Marketing: Higher Ed Marketing 101

In higher ed, integrated marketing is key to the all-important conversion at the end of the engagement funnel. Read More

Blog article

Higher Ed Marketing SOS: Help—Facebook is Killing My Page!

As an agency specializing in higher ed marketing, VisionPoint has been creating social media strategies for colleges and… Read More

Blog article, Thought leadership

Higher Ed Marketing 101: Strategy vs. Tactics

Strategy vs. tactics. These terms are often a real source of confusion for marketers, even experienced ones. You… Read More

Blog article

How to Read a Digital Marketing Report

A key part of being a digital marketer is reading and analyzing analytic reports. Reports give marketers insights… Read More

Blog article

Big and Bold: UNC Charlotte Launches New Website

Emblazoned on the front of the new UNC Charlotte homepage, these big and bold words usher viewers into… Read More

Blog article

Recharging the University of New Haven

Where do you begin with a website redesign? Start with striking images. Draw in readers with interesting content… Read More

Blog article

Break Out the Champagne!

VisionPoint is on the Best Employer's List for the second year in a row!… Read More

Blog article

The Intern Insider: How to Make the Most of Your Internship

Having a chance to intern for VisionPoint Marketing has been one of the greatest experiences in my growing… Read More

Blog article

Will Your Site Pass the Responsive Test?

Is your school a victim of "mobilegeddon"? It's quick and easy to find out if your site meet's… Read More

Presentations, Thought leadership

The Cart and the Horse How a Website Redesign Can Inspire Your Brand (not just the other way around)

For many higher ed marketers, the idea of getting budget approval for a rebrand AND a website redesign… Read More

Blog article

Seven Ways to Show Donors You Care (Infographic)

Even if you don’t have the time or person-power to host stewardship events, there are some simple ways… Read More

Blog article

9 Tips to “Master” Writing for the Web

As higher ed marketers, we are constantly faced with new technologies that force us to change the… Read More

Blog article

How To Get More Done By Cleaning Up Your Inbox

According to Phil Simon’s book, Message Not Received, people who put in 50-hour work weeks often spend 15 of… Read More

Presentations, Thought leadership

Governance How the 5 Rs Protect You From the ‘Frankensteining’ of Your Website

Truly successful websites have a plan in place that allows them to maintain the website’s integrity and improve… Read More

Presentations

The Anatomy Of An Integrated Marketing Program (And How To Build Your Own!)

Whether your goal is to grow enrollment or to drive giving, knowing how to make a splash in… Read More

Presentations

How To Build a Marketing Plan: A Guide for Creating an Integrated Marketing Plan for Your Community College

Whether your goal is to grow enrollment, drive giving or simply build awareness of your offerings within the… Read More

Presentations

From Fixed Width to Responsive in 60 Days How one school did it, and you can, too.

There’s one site traffic trend every higher ed institution shares: the rise of mobile. Mobile traffic has eclipsed… Read More

Presentations, Thought leadership

Three Chords and You’re an Analytics Rock Star Mastering the Essentials of Analytics

When it comes to Google Analytics, it is crucial to get the essentials right. The data doesn’t have… Read More

Blog article

Onward and Upward: VisionPoint Celebrates Move to Newly Constructed Office in Raleigh, NC

After months of brainstorming, planning, architecting, selecting and finalizing, we are thrilled to have officially moved into our… Read More

Presentations

Building a (Brand) New Tomorrow Part 2 Leveraging Your Brand Promise to Transform Your Enrollment Marketing Strategy

There are two keys to any brand-driven marketing strategy. The first is to ensure you have a true,… Read More

Blog article

5 UX Lessons I’ve Learned Since Joining VisionPoint

For all of you budding UX professionals out there, here’s a sample of the things I’ve learned in… Read More

Presentations

How NC’s Oldest Community College Sparked a Brand Transformation (And How You Can Too)

Too often, colleges and universities think of their brand as a logo or tagline. A strong brand is… Read More

Blog article

How It’s Made: Transforming a Community College Website

After months of preparation, College of The Albemarle’s new website has launched! Congratulations to everyone on campus… Read More

Presentations

Content Strategy is King Engaging & Converting Your Audiences by Providing Content They Need, When They Need It

Your website is a tool for informing and engaging your target audiences with relevant content that meets their… Read More

Blog article

Beginner’s Guide to Launching Digital Ad Campaigns for Higher Ed

Getting started with digital advertising can be overwhelming. Many higher ed marketers are left asking the simple question,… Read More

Blog article

7 Ways to Prepare for Your Website Redesign

There are things that you can do right now to get ahead of the game. Read More

Presentations

Information Architecture The Steps to a Smooth Redesign

Information Architecture (IA) is the foundation of your institution’s website. If your audiences are having trouble finding what… Read More

Blog article

Common Usability Mistakes in Higher Ed Websites

We all strive to make our websites great, but the reality is that creating a delightful user experience… Read More

Blog article

Motivation in Marketing

Have you ever given any thought as to why, from a motivational standpoint, specific tactics work well in… Read More

Blog article

Motivation in the Workplace

To put Maslow’s theory into perspective, let’s look at these needs from an employee’s point of view. Read More

Presentations

From Audience to Offerings Overcoming the Challenges of a Community College Website Redesign

In partnership with our community college clients, VisionPoint has developed a number of models which have since become… Read More

Blog article

Celebrating 15 Years of VisionPoint

I’m humbled and excited to announce that the month of April marks the 15th anniversary of VisionPoint… Read More

Blog article, Events

The 2016 AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education Call for Proposals

The Symposium is an annual event that brings together upwards of 1,250 higher ed marketers. Read More

Blog article

Three Branding Books Every Higher Ed Marketer Should Read

I was recently asked to recommend three books on branding to help an institution’s marketing team prepare for… Read More

Blog article

Finding ROT Content and Knowing What To Do With It

There's a quicker, more efficient way to improve your content. Read More

Blog article

Why Typography Matters in Higher Education

Higher ed marketers should at least be familiar with the basics of typography in order to make their… Read More

Blog article

How to Give Feedback to Your Colleagues

When I joined the VisionPoint team, I found a culture of rapid growth in which employees respect one… Read More

Blog article

Brand Guidelines: Protect Your Higher Ed Brand from Misuse

You’re finally finished! After weeks of internal planning, weekends slaving over messaging and positioning, late nights designing… Read More

Blog article

Strategies vs. Tactics

So, what exactly is the difference between a tactic and a high-level strategy?… Read More

Blog article

Trends in MBA Program Enrollment

We’ve answered a few questions that higher ed marketers should ask when developing a marketing strategy for graduate… Read More

Blog article

The State of Ad Blocking and How it Affects Your Institution’s Advertising

For online advertisers, ad blockers have been the story of 2015. I’d be lying if I were… Read More

Blog article

On Integrated Marketing: One College’s Story of Transformation

The best part of my job is the work. Over the years I’ve contributed to some truly remarkable… Read More

Blog article

Tara Answers “Why VisionPoint?”

When I first applied for a position at VisionPoint, it was actually my 2nd choice of places to… Read More

Blog article

How to Choose a CRM for Your Institution

Many institutions use some type of CRM software to help organize and keep track of prospective student inquiries. Read More

Case studies

How a Simple Website Redesign Sparked a Culture Shift At One of the Top Business Schools in the World

Website redesigns are major undertakings that often impact more than just your website. For many institutions, building consensus on… Read More

Blog article

Steph Answers “Why VisionPoint?”

While listening to my interviewers describe VisionPoint, I could sense that the company had an amazing culture. Read More

Blog article

Our Experience with Brand and Storytelling in Higher Education

Micaiah and Tony discuss their ideas about brand and some of the reasons the story behind the brand… Read More

Blog article

An Introduction to Program Pages

Program pages are a key piece of the recruitment puzzle. Students who are undecided on what to study… Read More

Presentations

How to Build a Better Community College Website

Community college website design is one of the most daunting challenges in higher education marketing. Many of these… Read More

Presentations

How a Simple Website Redesign Sparked a Marketing and Cultural Shift At One of the Top Business Schools in the World

Website redesigns are major undertakings that often impact more than just your website. For many institutions, building consensus on… Read More

Presentations

Marketing to Niche Audiences How Johns Hopkins Leveraged a Website Redesign to Recruit Best Fit Students

We all understand the importance of really knowing your audience. Using that knowledge to guide strategic decision-making is… Read More

Case studies

The Power of Brand-Driven Marketing: How NC’s Oldest Community College Reversed a 5-Year Enrollment Decline in Just One Year

College of The Albemarle (COA) has always offered an incredible array of opportunities to would-be students. Despite this,… Read More

Case studies

Finding Success: One Brand, Many Digital Marketing Strategies

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte is a rapidly growing urban research university. While that growth is a… Read More

Blog article

Luis Answers “Why VisionPoint?”

My first interview at VisionPoint immediately showed me the sense of purpose that I was looking for. Read More

Blog article

Design to Development Resources

As a designer, one of the biggest challenges in a website redesign project is transitioning from design to… Read More

Blog article

Looking Back on our Community College Work

Our deep appreciation for community colleges first began in 2007. At the time, we were naive as to… Read More

Presentations

Building a (Brand) New Tomorrow Part 1 How a Comprehensive Rebrand Transformed a University’s Culture

Too often, colleges and universities think of their brand as a logo or tagline. A strong brand is… Read More

Presentations

Define Yourself: Branding a College that is Everything to Everyone

Too often, colleges and universities think of their brand as a logo or tagline. A strong brand is… Read More

Case studies

Building a (Brand) New Tomorrow How a Comprehensive Rebrand Transformed a University’s Culture

Too often, colleges and universities think of their brand as a logo or tagline. A strong brand is… Read More

Blog article

Marketing Alphabet Soup

Acronyms abound in the marketing industry. From strategy and planning to management and measurement, it seems that everything… Read More

Blog article

It’s Not Personal: Detaching Yourself from Design to Cater to the Target Audience

When going into a new project, it is expected that the client will want the best possible product. Read More

Blog article

Preventing the Migration Migraine

Whether you are writing new content or aiming for a one-to-one content migration, planning the content movement can… Read More

Case studies

North Carolina’s Largest Community College Unveils New Brand Identity

Too often, colleges and universities think of their brand as a logo or tagline. A strong brand is… Read More

Blog article

Lead Generation Starter Kit

If your institution is one of the many higher education institutions looking to increase enrollment, lead generation may… Read More

Blog article

Top 5 Things Higher Education Marketers Can Learn from Buzzfeed

Today, the marketing and communication teams at most higher education institutions are using their usual mould to crank… Read More

Blog article

Applying the Brand: Colleges, Schools and Departments

Many institutions are made up of different entities across campus, all with a desire to express their unique… Read More

Blog article

Demystifying Accessibility: 5 Simple Tips to Avoid Getting Burned by the Man

Most of us in higher ed are familiar with the concept that our college and university websites are… Read More

Blog article

Welcoming our Summer 2015 Interns

If you know anything about our intern program, then you know that our interns don’t just make copies… Read More

Blog article

The Music that Moves Us

It’s not uncommon to stroll through the VisionPoint office and see ear buds in or noise-cancelling headphones wrapped… Read More

Blog article

3 Steps to Better Campaign Tracking with Google Analytics

Most marketers in higher education are doing something online. Many have even moved the majority of their efforts… Read More

Blog article

Slim Your Site and Trim Your Content

Envy. That might be the feeling you have towards your sister school who has recently boasted cutting their… Read More

Blog article

Who’s On the Farm?

A few weeks ago, in the midst of a discovery call, a prospective client asked a question that… Read More

Blog article

Everything You Need to Know About Website Content

You’ve heard it before and you’ll hear it again. Content is king. We’ve been in the higher ed… Read More

Blog article

Oops! … 5 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing a CMS

If there is one thing we can learn from the stories of people who accomplish extraordinary feats, it’s… Read More

Blog article

At Home with Website Design and Development

If you’re new to website design and development, understanding the process of a redesign can be confusing and… Read More

Blog article

How to Find and Tell a Good Story: Part 2

This post will provide a list of storytelling channels and content structures to get you started. Read More

Blog article

How to Find and Tell a Good Story: Part 1

The most basic definition of a story is “an account of imaginary or real people and events told… Read More

Blog article

#ForcedFunFriday : Baby Shower and Cozy Room Launch

Two weeks ago, we had a exciting day at the VisionPoint office. We celebrated a baby boy on… Read More

Blog article

The Higher Ed Love Triangle: A University, Its Brand and Athletics

A college or university logo is often the most recognizable symbol of the institution. The logo is used… Read More

Blog article

Word Pictures: Engaging Your Audience Through Creative Content

“Picture this.” These two words should become your writing mantra. According to Reading in the Brain by Stanislas Dehaene,… Read More

Blog article

Timeline Landmines for Your Website Redesign

Website redesigns can range from a short refresh to a large multi-year project. No matter what your redesign… Read More

Blog article

Teaching is Learning: Looking Back at NCMPR 2015

For me, it was a trip of firsts. First cross-country flight. First Pacific sunset. First time being stranded… Read More

Blog article

How Integrated Marketing Can Help You

One of the many things we enjoy about working in higher education is embracing the unique offerings of… Read More

Blog article

Accessibility: Higher Ed Website Design

Accessibility guidelines are like a construction permit: the main goal is to make the site usable. Read More

Blog article

Storytellers In the Carolinas

Last week I had the pleasure of traveling to Wofford College with Matt and Zac to attend the… Read More

Blog article

What We Love About OUTC

OUTC is an amazing opportunity for a community of marketers and engineers (aka webmasters) that all work on… Read More

Blog article

Six Tips to Becoming Google Adwords Certified

In today’s competitive higher education landscape, institutions are relying increasingly on search engine marketing to reach prospective students. Read More

Blog article

Building Successful Teams for Website Governance

We talk a lot about the importance of website governance. We’ve made conference presentations, conducted governance workshops for… Read More

Blog article

Introduction to Google Tag Manager

Let’s face it. Most marketing departments – sometimes even a single marketer – can cause a world of… Read More

Blog article

The Branding Process

What starts with distilling a compelling brand message can lead to cultural change across your institution. Sounds great,… Read More

Events

What To Do at #CASEMagic

The second stop on our 2015 conference tour is CASE III in Orlando, FL. Read More

Blog article

Making Decisions in Information Architecture

VisionPoint’s User Experience Specialist shares a high level overview of the process behind making strategic decisions during the… Read More

Blog article

Maximum Page Width in Fluid Responsive Design

The responsive website design movement provides an optimal website viewing experience across many devices and screen sizes. Because… Read More

Blog article

The Top 5 Challenges – and Solutions – Facing Higher Ed Marketing in 2015

By the time the ball drops and we’re sipping champagne and kissing our significant other, we’re sure of… Read More

Blog article

SEO Part 2: SEO Ranking Factors and How to Check Them

After giving you some time to let the first installment of this blog sink in, we are ready… Read More

Blog article

SEO Part 1: What is SEO and Why Should You Care

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a broadly used term in the marketing world, but what does it mean?… Read More

Blog article

5 Tips for Working Through the Holidays

Given that we at VisionPoint Marketing serve higher education, many of our client partners enjoy long holiday breaks. Read More

Blog article

Landing Page Best Practices

If you’ve read our blog in the past, you’ll know that we love to talk strategy and best… Read More

Blog article

How to Conduct User Testing: A DIY Toolkit for Higher Ed Marketers

A good user testing engagement will challenge both your site’s functionality and, just as important, your own assumptions. Read More

Blog article

Unpeeling the UNC Charlotte Scroll Effect

I have to admit, at first I did not understand the parallax scroll web design craze. I was… Read More

Case studies

Building a (Brand) New Tomorrow How Gardner-Webb University Leveraged a New Brand Promise to Enroll More Students With Fewer Applications

There are two keys to any brand-driven marketing strategy. The first is to ensure you have a true,… Read More

Blog article

What Is An Intranet and What Can It Do For My Institution?

It’s not okay to simply post PDF versions of your employee handbook on your website. It’s not okay… Read More

Blog article

VisionPoint Embarks on Fall Summit ‘14

VisionPoint Marketing will be closed Thursday and Friday for our semi-annual company Summit. What’s the Summit? Twice a… Read More

Blog article

Shopping for a CMS? Invest in a Content Strategy First

Gazing around the exhibit halls at several recent conferences, we can’t help but notice a trend: the booths… Read More

Blog article

Selling Upward: How to Convince Your Boss to Invest in a Website Redesign

You know your website’s challenges all too well. Visitors can’t find what they’re looking for. The design is… Read More

Blog article

The CIC Kicks Off Campaign to Showcase Liberal Arts Value

We’re always on the lookout for new and intelligent perspectives in higher ed, so we were pretty excited… Read More

Events

Announcing PRIMA 2014

We’re excited to announce our next stop on the higher ed conference circuit: PRIMA. Read More

Events

Announcing eduWeb ‘14!

Anyone who's chatted with us at conferences before knows that we get pretty fired up about a chance… Read More

Blog article

Accessibility: Higher Ed Website Content

More and more clients are coming to us with questions about accessibility, and we completely understand. Read More

Blog article

Responsive Design Can Help Your Institution’s Email Too

The popularity of responsive web design has skyrocketed over the last few years, but responsive email design has… Read More

Blog article

Lunch & Learn: Direct and Straightforward

Every month, VisionPointers gather together for a Lunch & Learn where one brave volunteer presents on a topic… Read More

Blog article

New VisionPoint Interns Kick Off Summer 2014

VisionPoint’s internship program doesn’t involve copying or coffee runs (although the team does confess to an office-wide caffeine… Read More

Blog article

4 Greek Words Every Content Creator Should Know

One of the most refreshing plot twists in the web marketing story has been the resurgence of interest… Read More

Blog article

Creating a Healthy Work-Life Balance

Creating a healthy work-life balance is essential to living a happy and healthy life. I work with a… Read More

Blog article

Things We Wish They Knew: Part 1

Before joining the VisionPoint Marketing team as a content strategist, I’d spent the previous ten years immersed in… Read More

Blog article

Beyond “Hire” Education: Building a New Brand Promise for the Liberal Arts

In the loud and contentious debate about the ultimate purpose of a college education, two philosophies often get… Read More

Blog article

Kicking Off a New Brand at Gardner-Webb University

Three weeks ago, a group of VisionPointers had the pleasure of joining Gardner-Webb University for their official brand… Read More

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Show and Tell: 5 Tips to Getting Your Video in Front of the Right Audience

When it comes to content creation, video producers understand the importance of sufficient time and planning as well… Read More

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VisionPoint Embarks on Spring Summit 2014

Twice a year we gather as a company, go off-site and deliberate over ways to improve our work,… Read More

Blog article

An Embarrassing Update on VisionPoint’s Bracket Challenge

With the NCAA Tournament winding down, I’d like to fill everyone in on the results of our VisionPoint… Read More

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Where Are They Now: Checking in with Interns of Days Gone By

One of the best parts about working with our interns is seeing where they go after their time… Read More

Blog article

Key Takeaways: AACSB B-School Communications Development Symposium

We just returned home from a successful trip to the the very beautiful, very sunny St. Pete Beach,… Read More

Blog article

User Experience Trends in College and University Websites

We’ve seen flash sites disappear, content become king, images that dominate the page and designs with mobile as… Read More

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Website Design and Development FAQ: Development

We took a look back at some of the development questions we’ve heard most over the years and… Read More

Events

VisionPoint Heads to St. Pete for AACSB B-School Symposium

We’re pleased to announce our next stop on the 2014 conference circuit: the AACSB B-School Communications and Development… Read More

Blog article

How Higher Eds are Sharing the Love on Valentine’s Day

Valentine's day presents a great opportunity to connect and engage with your target audience. Read More

Blog article

Website Design and Development FAQ: Design

In hopes of making the design process a little easier to understand for our clients, we thought we’d… Read More

Blog article

The Caffeinated Key to VisionPoint’s Success

Get up. Shower. Get ready for the day. Drink coffee. Read More

Blog article

Why Some Branding Investments Fail and How to Ensure Yours Doesn’t

How many times has your college rebranded with a new tagline or logo resulting in nothing beyond redesigning… Read More

Blog article

Introducing Our Spring 2014 Interns

The start of a new semester means a great new group of interns. Read More

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Johns Hopkins University Engineering for Professionals Selects VisionPoint Marketing

We’re very pleased to announce our newest client-partner: Johns Hopkins University Engineering for Professionals. Read More

Blog article

Remarketing Advertising for Higher Education

You’ve seen them. The shoes you browsed an hour ago on Amazon are now staring at you while… Read More

Blog article

New Year’s Resolutions for Your Website

What new and different resolutions for your website can we provide you with for 2014?… Read More

Blog article

Content Strategy Q&A with Cal Western’s Director of Marketing & Communications

Earlier this month, we sat down with Pam Hardy to check in on how the work is going… Read More

Blog article

Website Design and Development FAQ: Information Architecture

A huge part of a website’s usability often comes from a frequently overlooked phase of the website design… Read More

Blog article

Community Colleges are in Great Hands

Over the course of the past few weeks I’ve had the pleasure and honor of attending and speaking… Read More

Blog article

Musings of a True Consultant in a Sea of Vendors at AMA Higher Ed

As someone who works on the agency side of the equation, it's not every day I get to… Read More

Blog article

Cut Down on Website Headaches with Responsive Design

Responsive websites are quickly becoming commonplace in higher education, but that’s not just because it’s the popular or… Read More

Blog article

Instagram for Higher Education

Instagram makes it easy for users to share photos and videos with the people they care about. It's… Read More

Blog article

Big Changes To Google Search & How They Affect Your Institution

It’s pretty well understood that Google and a handful of other players develop the technology, facilitate access and… Read More

Blog article

Summit!

Twice a year we gather as a company, go off-site and deliberate over ways to improve our work,… Read More

Blog article

Meet our Fabulous Fall 2013 Interns

It’s finally fall! That means three things here at VisionPoint: pumpkin lattes, pumpkin carving contests, and most importantly,… Read More

Blog article

Not Your Mama’s CMS: The Robust & Integrated Sitecore Solution

Enterprise-level content management systems (CMS) make it easier than ever to provide your website’s visitors with the useful… Read More

Blog article

Website Design and Development FAQ: Strategy

Website design and development projects are exciting. At the same time, they can be a bit overwhelming. These… Read More

Blog article

5 Tips to More Genuine Audience Connections with Content Marketing

Your audience is smart enough to see through most of the generic marketing fluff they encounter each day. Read More

Blog article

Roles, Responsibilities and Your Website

Chances are you’ve been in a similar situation before. Your website is either impossible to update because of… Read More

Blog article

Apples to Apples: How to Write an RFP for Website Design & Development

Writing an RFP can be a challenge. Here are 5 tips to help you compare apples to apples. Read More

Blog article

Inventing the Future: Telling Virginia Tech’s Story with a New Website Design

Virginia Tech’s website, while effective when introduced six years ago, wasn’t meeting the institution's needs anymore. Read More

Blog article

4 Takeaways from Last Week’s Website Governance Webinar

Thanks to everyone who attended last week’s website governance webinar. Just in case you missed it, here are… Read More

Blog article

UNC Pembroke Selects VisionPoint Marketing for Website Redesign

We’re pleased to announce the University of North Carolina at Pembroke has selected VisionPoint Marketing to redesign and… Read More

Blog article

Inbound Marketing In Four Steps

In a digitally saturated world of constantly plugged in prospects, one of marketing’s greatest challenges is maintaining (or… Read More

Blog article

Don’t Miss Our FREE Webinar! How the 5 R’s Protect You from the ‘Frankenstein-ing’ of Your Website

You just launched a new website! Now what? Who will add and update content? What will the approval… Read More

Blog article

Social Media 101: Getting Back to Basics in Higher Ed Social Media

Social media is a great tool for reaching students, faculty, alumni and the community in today’s technology centered… Read More

Blog article

3 Steps Toward Managing Intern Success

Our interns mean a lot to us here at VisionPoint. We take great pride in giving interns a… Read More

Blog article

Improving User Experience with User Testing

We're big fans of user testing. Why? It's probably the easiest and most reliable way to see if… Read More

Blog article

Vine App for Marketing

One of the biggest marketing challenges you’ll face won’t be analytics or budget, it will be time. Website… Read More

Blog article

Why I Love the Carolina Ballet…And You Should Too

I'm not afraid to admit I enjoy the ballet. But that wasn't always the case. In fact, far… Read More

Blog article

Content Management System (CMS) 101: The Best Choice for Your Institution

Choosing the right CMS for your institution can be challenging. We’ll give you some guidelines for making the… Read More

Blog article

Introducing the Fall 2012 Interns

We have been very lucky to have two wonderful interns this fall. Here is a little bit about… Read More

Blog article

Business School Marketing Challenges from the Marketers Themselves

As I sat there and listened I found that among the 30 or so attendees, there were a… Read More

Blog article

VisionPoint Marketing Partners with the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business

We’re thrilled to announce our newest client: The University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. Over… Read More

Blog article

VisionPoint to Present on Website Governance at AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education

Once again, we at VisionPoint Marketing are excited to attend the American Marketing Association’s Symposium for the Marketing… Read More

Blog article

Web Analytics Are A Tool, Not a Strategy

At VisionPoint Marketing, all of our processes are guided by a simple, but vital methodology. Read More

Blog article

How To Get The Most Out of Your Keyword Research

Keyword Research. Search Marketing. SEO. These buzz words seem to be all the rage in the marketing world… Read More

Blog article

What Everybody Ought to Know About Inbound Marketing

This is a blog about the future of marketing. It’s about a more accountable future for your marketing… Read More

Blog article

Confessions of an iPhone Addict (and What This Means for Marketers)

My name is Zac; I’m an addict. I recently made a weekend trip to the fabulous city of… Read More

Blog article

Drive Enrollment Using an Integrated Marketing Strategy

Most savvy marketers know that a well-designed website does not fully translate to an effective online marketing presence. Read More

Blog article

VisionPoint Team Weighs in on Author’s Project Management Strategy

At VisionPoint Marketing, our account services team is anything but lazy, but they were challenged by project management… Read More

Blog article

From Scratch: Branding an MBA Program

Before an organization, institution or business can promote its brand, it has to first figure out what it… Read More

Blog article

5 Things You Need to Know Before Redesigning Your Website

What’s your worst nightmare after enduring a full website redesign? The horrid realization that it STILL doesn’t serve… Read More

Blog article

16 Weeks Later….

Social media intern Ryan Teng reflects on his VisionPoint internship experience. Read More

Blog article

5 Tips for a More Effective Social Media Strategy

It’s a no-brainer. Social media has to be a part of your institution’s marketing strategy. Read More

Blog article

Empathy. It’s Why We Work in Higher Ed

College and University marketing folks have tough jobs. They’re often visionaries for their institutions. They have solid goals… Read More

Blog article

Captivate your audience through great stories

Your target audience doesn’t care about you. And why should they? You smother them with facts. You provide… Read More

Blog article

7 Steps Toward Better Content

Your content is ultimately what drives traffic to your website. It’s why people visit your site in the… Read More

Blog article

Website Governance: 5 Ways to Safeguard Your Redesign

Website redesigns are costly on all fronts, so it’s important to make sure your best marketing tool doesn’t… Read More

Blog article

Demystifying SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

Figuring out how to boost your institution’s online presence can be tricky. Check out some of VisionPoint Marketing’s… Read More

Blog article

Web Hosting: What to Choose?

For us here at VisionPoint Marketing as well as our clients, web hosting has always been somewhat of… Read More

Blog article

Subbacultcha

Cultural traditions of a country or region bring people together by way of shared foods, music, languages, literature,… Read More

Blog article

What Brainstorming Is – and What Brainstorming Isn’t

Born from advertising in the 1950s, brainstorming has been an essential form of idea generation at many of… Read More

Blog article

Values and Vision Points

Whether that be from a personal or professional perspective; these values become the guidelines by which you live,… Read More

Blog article

Higher Education Websites, Avoiding Common Mistakes

Meet Alex, Jordan and Taylor, the most recent visitors to your admissions page. All three had very different… Read More

Blog article

Information Architecture

Most of us have been to that website that made us so frustrated we wanted to shut our… Read More

Blog article

Six Weeks In: An Intern’s Experience

Most people begin posts about their internships with something like “I can’t believe it’s been X amount of… Read More

Blog article

Infographics: Data Designed

Everyone has seen charts, graphs and Venn diagrams and while those graphics do illustrate data, infographics are a… Read More

Blog article

Customizing Your School’s Facebook Page

Today’s high school seniors are applying to more colleges than ever before and doing whole new levels of… Read More

Blog article

How Do You Handle Setbacks?

VisionPointers took time out of their day on Wednesday to attend a Lunch ‘n Learn on How to… Read More

Blog article

Create a Website That Serves Your Users

It seems like everywhere I turn, a new website goes live. As a fall intern at VisionPoint Marketing, I’ve… Read More

Blog article

Why I am the internet, and how you can too!

Personalization has been a constantly growing topic in the world of the Internet, and future growth shows no… Read More

Blog article

Elaborate Typography

Graphic Design is a pretty fluid concept. Just like with anything design related, it changes with time and… Read More

Blog article

Lessons from SWaMfest!

Last week I attended SWaMfest, a conference by the Virginia Association of State College and University Procurement… Read More

Blog article

10 Tips for Presenting

As a project manager intern here at VisionPoint Marketing I have worked on both client campaigns and internal… Read More

Blog article

Change is Good, So Let’s Get Comfy With It!

I like change and that’s just as well the structure, environment and pace of our firm has changed… Read More

Blog article

Social Media: Strategy, Tactic or Channel?

Social media is changing the way business is done today. Social media is changing the way everyone communicates… Read More

Blog article

College Journalism, Meet Strategy

Coming from a collegiate newspaper background, I didn’t really give business… Read More

Blog article

Gaining Consensus is Something to Celebrate

Recently, VisionPoint Marketing celebrated our ten year anniversary by thanking clients who helped us carve our niche in… Read More

Blog article

David Millsaps Celebrates His 30th With Cookie Crisp

With the smell of fresh strawberries and muffins enveloping the office, we waited in anticipation as David Millsaps… Read More

Blog article

A Glimpse Into John Maxwell’s Next Book: The Five Levels of Leadership

John C. Maxwell, the voice of influence at this year’s Chick-fil-A® Leadercast® hosted in Atlanta, GA and broadcast… Read More

Blog article

The State of Search

Over the past few years, search has become a highly targeted, efficient and localized form of advertising. No… Read More

Blog article

Who Cares?

With tears in her eyes, my 7-year-old daughter sought me out the other night. She was crying and… Read More

Blog article

A New Kind of Customer Service

Recently, I ordered a replacement control panel for the front of my dishwasher. The parts replacement website did… Read More

Blog article

VisionPoint Marketing Celebrates 10 Years

VisionPoint Marketing is ten years old this week. We’ve spent these years polishing our processes and strategic focus, defining… Read More

Blog article

Hiring “Self Developers” or Investing in Hands-on Management

Have you ever considered being a day trader? Not me. I personally find it neither thrilling nor rewarding… Read More

Blog article

Building Your Business Strategy

You, probably like me, have attended many professional development workshops or educational sessions that all seem great but… Read More

Blog article

Perspective on 2009

The challenges we experienced here were primarily driven by the recession and although we had officially been in… Read More

Blog article

The Fight for Uniqueness in Higher Education Marketing Campaigns

Rivals – every higher education institution has them, and almost every student will dedicate their time, energy and… Read More

Blog article

Top Project Management is the Foundation of our Relationship with You

We believe in using a multidisciplined team approach in which different people lend different skills to different projects. Read More

Blog article

Thinking Like a Scholar: Using Research and Goal-Setting as a Core Practice

At VisionPoint Marketing, we like to reach out to higher education clients because we feel as though we… Read More

Blog article

Corporate Blogs and Conversational Marketing

Shel Israel, online public relations guru and co-author of Naked Conversations, says that people listen better when you… Read More

Blog article

Social Media: Talking “With” People, Not “To” Them

As the Internet and other new technology becomes more and more firmly entrenched in our culture we find… Read More

Blog article

Fame is Only One Click Away

There was once a time when you had to be an actor, singer or some other form of… Read More

Blog article

Blogfolio – Part 1 Duke’s Health Leadership Programs

Yup, I coined a new phrase … blogfolio … I own it, I copyrighted it (‘copywrote’ it?). The… Read More

Blog article

Make That Logo Bigger

This morning a client asked us to make the logo bigger on their newly designed site. This is… Read More

Blog article

Words of Wisdom

We’ve found ourselves with a number of large branding projects over the past year, and I’ve found myself… Read More

Blog article

VisionPoint Marketing … New and Improved!

As VisionPoint Marketing has taken on a new strategic direction and grown over the past year, it had… Read More

Blog article

The Cold War (Windows vs Mac)

If you keep up on world politics, you might see the same trend I do in terms of… Read More