Kicking Off the Academic Year: Your Essential Alumni Engagement Guide

As the academic year begins, you face a crucial period for laying the groundwork for a year of successful alumni interactions. September is a pivotal time for connecting with alumni, especially recent leavers/graduates, and setting the stage for meaningful, ongoing engagement.

This blog post aims to inspire you to think proactively, set clear objectives, and plan impactful events and strategies that will save you time and enhance your engagement throughout the year.

Setting Clear Objectives

Before diving into specific activities, it's essential for you to establish clear objectives and set targets for success in the academic year. Objectives provide direction and help measure the success of various initiatives. Here are a few key objectives to consider:

1. Increase Alumni Participation:

   Aim to boost the number of alumni attending events, participating in surveys, and engaging with online content.

2. Enhance Alumni Satisfaction:

   Strive to improve the overall satisfaction of alumni through meaningful interactions and valuable resources.

3. Boost Donations and Fundraising Efforts:

   Set realistic targets for fundraising campaigns, focusing on both major gifts and small donations.

4. Foster a Stronger Alumni Network:

   Work on building a robust and connected alumni community that supports current students and recent graduates.

Engaging Recent Leavers/Graduates

Recent graduates represent a unique segment of the alumni population. They are transitioning from either school or student life to either university, or the professional world, and are often eager to maintain a connection with their alma mater. Here are some targeted strategies to engage them:

1. Welcome Communications:

   Send personalised welcome messages to recent leavers/graduates, congratulating them on their achievements and inviting them to join your alumni networks.

2. Career Support:

   Offer career services tailored to recent leavers, such as resume workshops, job search assistance, and networking opportunities.

3. Young Alumni Events:

   Host events specifically designed for young alumni, such as social gatherings, professional development workshops, and virtual meetups. If your leavers are starting at university for the first time, connect them with other members of your community that also attend the same university. Suggest meetups and ways they can support one another.

4. Mentorship Programs:

   Connect recent graduates with alumni mentors who can provide guidance and support as they navigate their early careers.

Planning Events

Events are a cornerstone of alumni engagement, offering opportunities for personal connections and community building. Here are some event ideas and tips for effective planning:

1. Reunion Events:

   September is an ideal time to start planning for reunion events. Reach out to alumni well in advance to ensure high attendance and participation. Read our recent article, ‘Leveraging Your Archives to Plan Unforgettable Alumni Reunions”.

2. Virtual Events:

   For alumni who may not be able to attend in person, offer virtual alternatives such as webinars, virtual tours, and online networking events.

3. Regional Gatherings:

   Organise regional events in cities where there is a significant concentration of alumni. This allows for more localised and accessible engagement.

4. Themed Events:

   Create themed events around specific topics of interest, such as industry-specific panels, cultural celebrations, sports events, or milestone celebrations, such as upcoming anniversaries.

5. Family-Friendly Events:

   Plan events that welcome alumni families, such as picnics, open air cinemas, or school/university tours.

Leveraging Technology

Technology can significantly enhance your alumni engagement efforts by providing tools for communication, data management, and event planning. Here are some ways to leverage technology:

1. Alumni Portal/SocialArchive:

   Maintain an updated and user-friendly alumni portal where alumni can access news, resources, event information, your archives, and connect with fellow alumni.

2. Social Media:

   Use social media platforms to share updates, promote events, and engage with alumni in real-time. Create groups or pages dedicated to alumni interactions.

3. Email Campaigns:

   Develop targeted email campaigns to keep alumni informed about upcoming events, news, and opportunities to get involved.

4. CRM Systems:

   Utilise Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems to manage alumni data, track engagement, and personalise communications.

5. Online Giving Platforms:

   Simplify the donation process by using online giving platforms that allow alumni to easily contribute to fundraising campaigns.

Building a Strong Communication Plan

Effective communication is key to maintaining a strong relationship with your alumni. Here are some tips for building a comprehensive communication plan:

1. Regular Newsletters:

   Send out regular newsletters featuring alumni news, updates on institutional developments, upcoming events, and success stories.

2. Personalised Outreach:

   Personalise communications based on alumni interests, engagement history, and demographics. Use segmentation to tailor messages to different groups.

3. Surveys and Feedback:

   Regularly solicit feedback from alumni through surveys to understand their needs and preferences. Use this feedback to improve engagement strategies.

4. Multichannel Approach:

   Use a mix of communication channels, including email, social media, direct mail, and phone calls, to reach alumni in various ways.

Enhancing Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteering is a powerful way for alumni to stay connected and give back to their alma mater. Here are some strategies to enhance volunteer opportunities:

1. Alumni Ambassadors:

   Recruit alumni ambassadors to represent the institution at events, mentor students, and promote engagement within their networks.

2. Event Volunteers:

   Encourage alumni to volunteer at events, helping with planning, logistics, and execution.

3. Board and Committee Roles:

   Offer opportunities for alumni to serve on boards and committees, contributing their expertise and insights.

4. Service Projects:

   Organise service projects that allow alumni to give back to their communities while strengthening their bond with the institution, for example, a volunteer network to work on digitising your archives.

5. Virtual Volunteers:

   For those alumni who can’t help in person, look at how you can utilise their enthusiasm in the digital space with tasks that are wholly online.

Long-term Planning and Time-saving Tips

Proactive planning at the start of the academic year can save you time and resources later on. Here are some long-term planning and time-saving tips:

1. Annual Calendar:

   Develop an annual calendar of events and key dates, ensuring that all team members are aligned and can plan accordingly.

2. Content Calendar:

   Create a content calendar for newsletters, social media, and other communications to maintain a consistent flow of information.

3. Partnerships:

   Establish partnerships with other departments, such as career services, to coordinate efforts and share resources.

4. Templates and Automation:

   Use templates for common communications and automate repetitive tasks to streamline processes.

Measuring Success

Finally, it's crucial to measure the success of your alumni engagement initiatives to understand what works and what needs improvement. Here are some metrics to track:

1. Event Attendance:

   Monitor the number of alumni attending events and analyse trends over time. It can be especially useful to track the number of returning attendees and those coming to an event for the first time.

2. Engagement Rates:

   Track engagement rates for emails, social media posts, and other communications.

3. Donation Levels:

   Measure the success of fundraising efforts by tracking the number and size of donations.

4. Feedback and Satisfaction:

   Collect feedback from alumni to gauge their satisfaction and identify areas for improvement. Try to seek this from those who aren’t engaging with you as well as your more enthusiastic community members, they will likely have a different perspective.

September is a critical month for alumni engagement professionals and development teams at schools and universities. By setting clear objectives, engaging recent graduates, planning impactful events, leveraging technology, building a strong communication plan, enhancing volunteer opportunities, and implementing long-term planning strategies, you can create a robust foundation for a successful year!

Proactive efforts at the start of the academic year will not only save time and resources but also foster a vibrant and supportive alumni community.

SocialArchive® is a user-friendly digital platform for the education sector, purpose built for you to turn your history into a powerful way to connect to, manage, and drive engagement with, your alumni. Contact us today or book a demo to find out more.