Caridan helps eCornell exceed enrollment targets with LinkedIn Ads

Established in 2000 as the online arm of Cornell University, eCornell provides exceptional learning experiences for professional and executive development. With over 95 courses and 24 certi�cate programs developed by Cornell University faculty, eCornell offers the most comprehensive online curriculum of any top-20 university.

AgencyCaridan Marketing Labs - www.caridan.com• Interactive agency providing end-to-end online marketing services

• Experts in performance-based programs for digital lead generation

• Clients include top-rated universities, �nancial service companies, B2B and consumer brands

ClienteCornell - www.eCornell.com• Online learning company established by Cornell University

• Professional development and certi�cate programs developed by Ivy League faculty

• Ranked among the top leadership development programs

Objectives• Increase quality of inbound leads

• Boost conversion rates for student enrollment

• Successfully launch new certi�cate programs

Why LinkedIn? • Trusted resource for career-minded professionals

• Precise targeting by seniority, industry, job function, and location

• Ability to reach the right audience early in the decision-making process

Results • 20-40% higher click-to-lead rate than other lead sources

• 30% higher lead-to-enrollment rate than other lead sources

• 300% ROI on campaign spend

Teaming with Leading Interactive Agency eCornell wanted to raise awareness of its offerings among rising professionals who might not be aware of the extensive learning and certi�cation options available online. To help reach prospective students and meet enrollment goals for the 2009-2010 �scal year, eCornell engaged Caridan Marketing Labs, a New York interactive agency.

Caridan earned a reputation as a leader in digital lead generation thanks to its deep expertise in social media marketing. Caridan CEO Dan Sommer says, “Our customers appreciate that we take the time to understand their business and develop programs to attack their speci�c challenges. We bring a deep understanding of how to generate quali�ed, cost-effective leads across social media platforms.” Expanding beyond Search Engine AdvertisingPreviously, eCornell had relied exclusively on search engine sponsorships to �nd prospective students online. David Berger, Caridan’s Director of Client Services, explains why eCornell needed more: “The volume of leads that can be generated through keyword search engine advertising is limited to the number of people actively searching.

Ads

Reach new customers with LinkedIn Ads, LinkedIn’s advertising solution for direct response marketers. www.linkedin.com/adsCopyright © 2010 LinkedIn Corporation. LinkedIn, the LinkedIn logo, and InMail are registered trademarks of LinkedIn Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other brands and names are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

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Careful Targeting Pays Off Caridan ran several test campaigns for eCornell on LinkedIn, and saw immediate results for the Executive Leadership and Strategic Management programs. David reports, “We liked the fact that LinkedIn Ads lets us target by seniority as well as industry and job function. Seniority-based targeting is a unique feature that’s not available on any other platform.”

“We analyzed eCornell’s enrollment statistics and saw that certain geographies enrolled in online certi�cate programs at a higher rate than others. We’re able to control for that using LinkedIn’s location targeting capabilities so that ad impressions aren’t wasted and our client’s budget goes further.”

Quality Leads, Consistent Results eCornell’s Online Marketing Manager, Eric Borgelt, says, “When we started working with Caridan, our mandate was ‘increase lead quality’ and they delivered for us. Caridan helped us exceed overall enrollment targets and successfully launch new certi�cate programs. Enrollment in eCornell’s Leadership and Strategic Management certi�cates has exceeded our forecasts by 50% and become one of our top-performing program areas.”

Eric continues, “In the online world, eCornell is a leader in professional learning and LinkedIn is a leader in professional networking, so connecting the two made perfect sense. LinkedIn contacts enroll in eCornell classes 30% more frequently than leads from other sources.”

Caridan’s David Berger reports, ”With LinkedIn Ads, we know we’re reaching authentic professionals for eCornell. It’s a great example of the right offer for the right audience. We’re always looking for ways to drive results for our clients, and LinkedIn is getting more of the budget because of its consistent performance and reliable lead �ow. LinkedIn gives us some of the highest quality traf�c we get, period.”

Reaching Career-Minded ProfessionalsAfter carefully listening to the company’s enrollment objectives and target audience requirements, Caridan recommended adding LinkedIn Ads to the eCornell marketing portfolio.

David Berger explains, “With LinkedIn Ads, we knew we’d be reaching real professionals in a business context. The people who use LinkedIn care about their careers and their connections; they’re receptive to information about professional growth. In short, they’re a perfect �t for the educational development market. By advertising eCornell certi�cate programs on the LinkedIn site, we believed we could create a perfect match between message and audience.”

In eCornell’s case, they wanted to be proactive and get their message and brand in front of the right people even before they start looking for a professional development program.”

Another hot button for eCornell was lead quality. David recalls, “eCornell had a very clear view of the audience they wanted to reach. They had done their homework and knew which candidates were most likely to enroll in classes. They wanted to reach people who were serious about their careers and ready for growth.”

Management LeadershipLearn Ivy League Management At eCornell. Best InClass Programs.www.eCornell.com

From: eCornell

eCornell ad for the Executive Leadership program