Q: We are getting ready for Budget review. We only got $600 for marketing last year.

Obviously our enrollment suffered some but we are so new (less than 2 years old) we can't really justify the loss.

Is there hard data from LERN that shows marketing criteria and recommendations that we might be able to incorporate into our request?

A: Marketing is the single most important aspect of making sure your program is successful--next to quality in your offerings. LERN benchmarks for a successful program are that at least 10% of the amount of money you generate in income should be allocated to marketing. If you spend less than this on your marketing efforts, your program, will suffer.

We also have abundant data that confirms the importance of mailing a catalog to prospective participants. Research has shown that 75% or more of registrations (even when they come in online) are generated by the print brochure. Some programs that have dropped their print brochure have seen reductions of as much as 50% in their enrollments. We cannot over-emphasize the importance of investing in a good marketing strategy. A well executed marketing effort can be expected to generate more than four times the amount spend on the marketing itself. This, of course, assumes that you have a good plan, a well-targeted mailing list, and the right courses. LERN can help you with all of this, and we encourage you to use our expertise to help you get your program up to its potential

http://media.lern.org/webinars/Why-you-should-keep-your-print-brochure.doc