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METM Program Boosts Event Registration by 62% With HubSpot

This story features event management with the help of HubSpot.

Marketing Hub

 

OVERVIEW Higher Education program upgrades HubSpot for event registration automation

Introducing Texas A&M Master of Engineering Technical Management Program (METM), a prestigious online leadership program tailored for engineers with ambitions to excel as technical leaders. Texas A&M, renowned as the oldest higher education institution in Texas with an impressive enrollment of 72,982 students in 2023, partnered with us to enhance their recruitment event management processes. METM sought a solution to automate and scale their event management, encompassing both in-person and virtual events seamlessly. Despite having access to the powerful marketing tool HubSpot, they faced challenges due to a lack of expertise, suitable subscription, and inherited knowledge gaps from a previous entity.

62.38 %
INCREASE IN EVENT REGISTRATIONS
59.97 %
INCREASE IN EMAIL OPEN RATES
65.52 %
INCREASE IN EMAIL CTR

CHALLENGE Turning misaligned tools into scalable marketing success

The METM team encountered significant challenges before partnering with us. Their existing HubSpot subscription on Starter Suite, purchased and configured from a previous company, lacked scalability and hindered their growth. Without proper training on HubSpot and lacking understanding of best practices, METM struggled to leverage the full potential of the platform. This resulted in ineffective event registration automation and dismal open rates for reminder and marketing emails. Manual email outreach for event reminders was time-consuming and inefficient, limiting their ability to scale their recruitment efforts effectively. Upon implementing HubSpot Marketing Hub Pro, we unlocked a myriad of untapped capabilities and opportunities for the METM team, transforming their marketing strategy and enhancing their overall performance.

SOLUTIONS Event Automation with Marketing Hub Pro

Subscription upgrade

We embarked on a transformative journey with Texas A&M's Master of Engineering Technical Management Program (METM) by implementing strategic solutions tailored to their needs. The first crucial step was upgrading their subscription to HubSpot Marketing Hub Pro, aligning with their evolving requirements. Demonstrating the power of marketing automation in a sandbox environment ignited their excitement, leading to a seamless transition from the starter suite to Marketing Hub Pro

Using HubSpot deals pipeline for Events

To streamline event management, we leveraged HubSpot's Deals pipeline creatively. By reimagining Deals as events, we established a dedicated event pipeline and automated processes for new, upcoming, and completed events. Additionally, we implemented a contact and deal association system through a custom landing page and form, allowing registrants to select their preferred event and receive personalized follow-up emails automatically.

Event email automation

Our expertise in event email automation further enhanced efficiency. We designed three distinct workflows based on event type (in-person or virtual), ensuring timely and relevant email reminders using personalized tokens for each event. These "set it and forget it" workflows maximized engagement and attendance rates while simplifying event communication.

Email best practices

In parallel, we optimized email templates for improved user experience and data privacy compliance, adhering to email best practices. This optimization not only enhanced the visual appeal but also increased engagement metrics such as open rates and click-through rates.

Reporting

To monitor and measure success, we implemented robust reporting mechanisms. Through customized dashboards, METM gained insights into event registrations, email performance metrics by event, and overall campaign effectiveness. This comprehensive reporting framework empowered METM to make data-driven decisions and continually refine their event marketing strategies for greater success.

RESULTS Short term success leading to long term opportunities

The outstanding results achieved by the METM team brought immense relief as manual email reminders became a thing of the past. However, the true value of adopting HubSpot extends far beyond immediate success. It lays the foundation for a comprehensive marketing transformation at METM, opening doors to a range of future initiatives. These potential advancements include, but are not limited to, defining lifecycle stages and implementing automation, integrating Zoom for enhanced segmentation and messaging, and establishing seamless integration with recruiting platforms to bridge the gap between marketing and sales. These forward-looking strategies position METM for sustained growth and continued success in the dynamic higher education landscape

GRP1
62.38% increase in event registrations  
GRP2
Average of 59% email open rate 
Industry average is 35.64%
GRP3
65.52% increase in email click through rates 
Average of 13% CTR (Industry average is 3.016%)
Leslie Ehlers

"Either way, it's been night and day from the fall [Before HubSpot] when it was a very low show-up rate. So they're reminding us something's working, which is really good.” 

Leslie Ehlers

Associate Director at Texas A&M University
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