In this episode of The Higher Ed Pulse, the podcast goes live at the conference with Nathan Monk, co-founder of Prospectus Plus. Nathan discusses the evolution and future of the traditional university view book, touching on how institutions can better personalize and digitize their marketing materials. His insights offer a fresh perspective on how digital innovation can transform the student recruitment process and enhance the student experience.

Key Takeaways:

• The future of the view book is digital, enabling personalized and instantaneous communication.
• PDFs and printed materials are limited in scale, personalization, and accessibility.
• Digital view book allow institutions to tailor content to individual students, enhancing engagement and conversion rates.
• Integration with CRM systems can help create a more seamless, personalized experience throughout the entire recruitment process.
• Print is not dead, but digital avenues are essential for meeting modern student expectations.

What’s changing in the world of view book?
Nathan Monk, co-founder of Prospectus Plus, explains how traditional printed view book are becoming less effective in today’s digital-first world. While physical materials have their appeal, especially in terms of visual quality and tactile experience, they fall short in scalability, personalization, and flexibility. Nathan points out that printing is expensive and not easily individualized for students with specific interests, which is where digital tools step in.

What does the future of the view book look like?
The future of the view book, according to Nathan, is something closer to a personalized, pre-application companion for students. Digital view book offer a seamless, individualized experience for students, focusing only on the content that matters to them. For example, instead of showing students information on every program, universities can customize the content based on a student’s specific interests, making the view book more relevant and engaging.
Nathan also emphasizes the importance of accessibility and user experience, two areas where PDFs often fall short. Most students view content on mobile devices, where traditional PDFs are clunky and hard to navigate. Digital view book, by contrast, are responsive and can adapt to any screen size, providing a much better experience.

How can universities personalize the student experience using digital view book?
Prospectus Plus takes personalization to the next level by integrating with university CRM systems. This integration allows for ongoing personalization of the student journey. Nathan explains that Prospectus Plus collects relevant information about students upfront and shares it with the CRM to ensure that future communications are personalized, timely, and relevant. This personalized content helps universities engage students at key points in their journey, potentially increasing conversion rates and improving their overall experience.

What role does print still play in marketing materials?
While Nathan advocates for a primarily digital future, he acknowledges that print still has its place. Printed materials can be powerful tools for certain audiences, but universities must rethink how they use print. He advises focusing on personalized, instant communication when possible, and reserving print for specific strategic purposes.

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