About Circa InteractiveCreative and analytical solutions for higher edCirca InteractiveCIE_d1694c9a-c58e-11e7-8cd2-a54ce0c2b6ecBased in San Diego, CA, Robert Lee and Clayton Dean founded Circa Interactive in 2011. Prior to starting Circa Interactive, Robert and Clayton spent many years in various higher education marketing and admissions roles, and they decided to start their own venture when they recognized an opportunity to help institutions increase lead generation efficiency and performance. Since 2011, Circa Interactive has helped over 50 degree programs more effectively manage their marketing budgets while increasing brand awareness, website traffic, lead flow, and students.Higher Education InstitutionsRobert LeeCo-Founder & CEO -- Robert offers a decade of demonstrated digital marketing expertise, and he has provided results to clients both within and outside of higher education while working as an analyst, team lead, and director. He has planned and implemented digital marketing campaigns for a number of large universities throughout the United States, and he leads Circa on all aspects of client strategy. Before founding Circa Interactive, Robert led digital marketing teams at the higher education organization Embanet.Clayton DeanCo-Founder, President & COO -- Clayton is an enrollment management, digital marketing, and business operations specialist, leading Circa Interactive’s growth, day-to-day operations and client strategy. Since 2007, he has successfully lead dozens of institutions in developing, marketing, and launching degree programs from the ground up. Prior to Circa Interactive, he spearheaded new ideas and enrollment management efforts for the higher ed organization Deltak. Outside of Circa Interactive Clayton is an active board member of two San Diego non-profit organizations.Joseph LapinCreative Director -- Joseph Lapin M.F.A. is an author, creative director, and journalist, and his writing has been published in the Los Angeles Times, Narratively, Salon, Slate, and more. He is a former adjunct professor at Florida International University, and he has worked on PR campaigns for Ernst & Young, Brentwood Associates, and more.Caroline KhaliliPublic Relations Manager -- Caroline brings a wealth of knowledge in communications, marketing, and account management to the Circa Interactive team, and she has worked with partners such as HP, Cisco, and Adobe. Graduating with honors in Business Administration and Marketing from the University of Oregon in 2011, Caroline now plays a key role in Circa Interactive’s digital PR strategy by building long term relationships with internationally recognized media outlets on behalf of our clients.Frederic LeeStrategic Marketing Director -- Frederic has three years experience in higher education content marketing and search engine optimization. Working with Circa Interactive, he has gained valuable experience in paid search, analytics, SEO strategy, and client management. Frederic excels in process optimization, strategic content marketing, and management of Circa Interactive's successful internship program.Jordan OpelLead Designer & Marketing Specialist -- Jordan Opel is an accomplished, creative professional. He is responsible for managing and enhancing organic social media activities for our various clients. Additionally, as the leading graphic designer, he contributes to a significant portion of Circa Interactive's creative endeavors through motion-media design, illustration, and content-creation experience.Austin AndersonGrowth Marketing Specialist -- Austin is a forward-thinking, motivated marketing specialist. Before Circa, Austin ran an e-commerce business and managed online marketing for startups in San Diego. Austin strives to be a future influencer in digital marketing, and he is a member of the Entrepreneur Society, Junto Global, and has won two business research awards while attending San Diego State University.Andrew GlasserPaid Search Team Lead -- A graduate of the University of California, Andrew is our analytics and paid search team lead. He is both Google Analytics and AdWords certified. With an ROI-focused and problem-solving approach, he researches, plans, and manages our clients' PPC campaigns.Tyler CooperInbound Marketing Manager -- A graduate of Florida State University, Tyler has four years of inbound marketing experience, with a focus in SEO. His passion for testing new digital strategies has led to a wealth of successful marketing campaigns in both higher education and other industries.Tyler PutzDigital Marketing Specialist -- Tyler is a retired division two college basketball player and a recent graduate from the University of Iowa. His creativity, as well as passion for entrepreneurship and the expansion of technology and communication, helps Circa to continue to stay on the cusp of new technologies and trends influencing future generations of students. George BradleyDigital Marketing Specialist -- George has recently joined the Circa team in California following the completion of his master’s in marketing management and strategy degree, where he graduated with distinction from Plymouth University in England. George is a PR and digital marketing specialist who is passionate about creating high level opportunities for professors within national publications.Tami CruzPR & Marketing Specialist -- Tami is one of our in-house social media gurus with a passion for content marketing and public relations. After earning her degree in communication and marketing from the University of California, San Diego, her dedication and multi-faceted skillset for creative marketing strategies has led her to become a crucial team member driven to expanding Circa Interactive's digital marketing value.Audrey WillisPR & Marketing Specialist -- Audrey is a recent graduate of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. With a background in journalism, public relations, and graphic design, Audrey lends both creative and analytic skills to the marketing team. Her passion for innovation and connecting like-minded individuals is driving Circa’s social media strategy into the future.Evren AkinPaid Search & Analytics Intern -- A graduate of Alliant International University with a bachelor's in business administration, Evren has also received project management, data analysis and interactive media certifications. Evren is currently working on his MBA degree at Cal State San Marcos, and strives to become Google certified during his internship at Circa.GooglePartnerCirca Interactive ClientsColumbia UniversitySchool of NursingUniversity of Wisconsin-ExtensionUniversity of New EnglandNova Southeastern UniversityCoxMedia GroupPearson EmbnetRollinsCummings Graduate Institute of Behavioral Health StudiesInstitutions increase lead generation efficiency and performance_d1694dee-c58e-11e7-8cd2-a54ce0c2b6ecTo help higher education institutions achieve their marketing and student enrollment goals._d1694ee8-c58e-11e7-8cd2-a54ce0c2b6ecBrandingWe are committed to preserving brand integrity, amplifying program awareness, and building thought leadership through our proven methods of search engine optimization, digital PR, and content marketing.Thought LeadershipAdmissionsConvert leads into students_d16950f0-c58e-11e7-8cd2-a54ce0c2b6ec1... ensure that prospective students best interests are at hand and that the program is enrolling students who will be a good fit based on predetermined criteria. At the same time, our custom communication plans are persistent and thorough enough to ensure success enrolling the 60% of prospective students that need your admissions team’s help to take the next step._d16951e0-c58e-11e7-8cd2-a54ce0c2b6ecBrands & StoriesEnsure brands and stories are communicated effectively through the mediums most frequented by your highest-quality prospects._d16952bc-c58e-11e7-8cd2-a54ce0c2b6ec2While our primary goal at Circa Interactive is to generate an increase in program inquiries as cost-effectively as possible, we also focus on identifying the unique attributes of your degree program and the core narrative that truly distinguishes your program from the rest. What makes your department and degree program different isn't the fact that you’re 100% online or use cutting-edge learning technology. In reality, faculty, staff, alumni, and current students are your most unique assets and the main characters of your story that will help connect a prospective student to your brand. The understanding and connection created through strong brand awareness will enable your team to attract prospective students who are not only highly qualified but also drawn to the narrative that defines you. The more a prospect understands who you are and why you're different, the less inclined they’ll be to choose another program or drop once enrolled.In the digital world, brand awareness can come in many forms. Through our digital marketing and PR efforts, Circa Interactive’s goal is to ensure your brand and story are communicated effectively through the mediums most frequented by your highest-quality prospects. While our primary goal is to generate an increase in program inquiries as cost-effectively as possible, we also look for opportunities to share your story through the various platforms we utilize for lead and traffic generation, including:* Digital PR & Content Marketing* Search Engine Optimization (SEO)* Social Media* Pay-per-Click_d16953d4-c58e-11e7-8cd2-a54ce0c2b6ecInquiries & EnrollmentsIncrease enrollments with high-quality inquiries_d16954ce-c58e-11e7-8cd2-a54ce0c2b6ec3Circa Interactive has extensive experience in lead generation in higher education. To successfully increase enrollments, it is vital that a university leverages the appropriate platforms to capture the attention of their target audience. Based on our higher education experience, Circa Interactive develops strategies that take advantage of organic, paid search and display advertising, offering unprecedented exposure to new high-quality prospects. Online degrees don’t just need more traffic they need more quality leads. Generating an increase in website traffic is great, but if successful landing pages or conversion elements are not in place the valuable marketing dollars and strategy implemented will not meet expectations. At the start of the project Circa Interactive will research, design and build stand-alone landing pages, free of external links and other distractions that are designed to guide prospective students down the conversion funnel. We aim to have these strategic landing pages in place before driving traffic through our lead generation sources: Pay-per-Click (PPC) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO).Pay Per ClickEnsure that relevant brands to show up in the search results search for specific degree programs._d16955c8-c58e-11e7-8cd2-a54ce0c2b6ec3.1GoogleBingPay per click -- Keyword-Based Search -- When a potential student utilizes a search engine to find your specific degree program, your brand needs to show up in the search results. Circa will complete the upfront research to understand what keywords are the most relevant and provide the highest ROI for your degree program, and actively setup advertising campaigns bidding on these keywords. Keyword-based search can be utilized through the following two platforms:* Google Adwords* Bing AdsSEOOptimize websites and web assets to ensure easy identification by major search engines._d16956fe-c58e-11e7-8cd2-a54ce0c2b6ec3.2GoogleBingSearch Engine Optimization (SEO) -- On-Page SEO Optimization -- On-page SEO is the process of optimizing a website or web asset to ensure they are easily identifiable by major search engines including Google and Bing. These major search engines account for more than 95% of search traffic around the world so this process is vital to the overall success of a digital marketing campaign. Circa Interactive will implement an on-page SEO strategy that ensures that your website is optimized for the specific keywords that you target audience is searching for.Market ResearchInform growth & marketing efforts with actionable data._d16957f8-c58e-11e7-8cd2-a54ce0c2b6ec4Marketing online programs is costly, complex, and confounding. It is also one of the most important keys to unlocking enrollment success. At Circa Interactive we help our clients address all three concerns prior to investing in digital marketing and outreach. Testing ideas, concepts, marketing campaigns, and potential online programs requires an experienced, unbiased researcher who can interact with all stakeholders including current students, prospects, parents, faculty, staff, alumni, employers, and the community. Our skilled market research team knows what to ask, how to ask it, and how to glean information that supports programmatic success...Circa specializes in three distinct, yet complementary, types of market research:Primary ResearchGather data upon which to formulate and execute plans._d169591a-c58e-11e7-8cd2-a54ce0c2b6ec4.1We use qualitative efforts (one-on-one interviews and focus groups) and quantitative research (online surveys) with a variety of stakeholders to gather both intimate details about education drivers as well as large data sets upon which to formulate and execute plans. We follow a research trajectory that begins with qualitative findings that, in turn, inform cogent, useful surveys. We partner with an Ivy League university's Survey Research Center to manage data-gathering efforts from hundreds or thousands of stakeholders to provide quick, efficient, and illuminating data with which to make decisions about online programs.Education DriversGather details about education drivers._d1695b5e-c58e-11e7-8cd2-a54ce0c2b6ec4.1.1Data SetsGather large data sets._d1695c80-c58e-11e7-8cd2-a54ce0c2b6ec4.1.2Competitive AnalysesDefine the competitive space._d1695d8e-c58e-11e7-8cd2-a54ce0c2b6ec4.2No university, and virtually no specific program, exists in a vacuum. With increasing competition for students, an in-depth competitive analysis helps define the space and identify programmatic benchmarks to strive for as well as competitor weaknesses to exploit. These weaknesses may include excessive cost, poor customer service, overly long programs, restrictive residency requirements, or unappealing curricula. Gathering requisite information from competitors’ web sites is where most researchers start; at Circa Interactive, it’s just the beginning. Our researchers contact every competitor institution disguised as a potential student (or parent) to gather deeper, richer information to build out the competitive analysis. We track the number of calls made (and voicemail messages re/unreturned), the quality of the telephone interaction, how many times we get transferred, and the accuracy of the enrollment rep's information.BenchmarksIdentify programmatic benchmarks._d1695eba-c58e-11e7-8cd2-a54ce0c2b6ec4.2.1Competitor WeaknessesIdentify competitor weaknesses._d1695fd2-c58e-11e7-8cd2-a54ce0c2b6ec4.2.2Secondary ResearchQuantify the playing fields in which universities compete._d16960f4-c58e-11e7-8cd2-a54ce0c2b6ec4.3It is vital to quantify the playing field in which a university wishes to compete. We compile and analyze data from existing resources including the U.S. Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Department of Labor, local/state/regional agencies, IPEDS, job search web sites, and accrediting bodies to determine benchmarks and requirements, as well as short- and long-term labor market demands. Armed with this information, we advise our clients about which programs will resonate in the marketplace and which ones may seem sound in theory but have limited market appeal.2017-11-09http://circaedu.com/about/OwenAmburOwen.Ambur@verizon.net