The Future of Digital Ecosystems for Higher Ed

In early 2020, as the impacts of COVID-19 began to be felt, chief marketing officers (CMOs) and other college and university executives began witnessing significant changes in the use of the .edu. All manner of audience types became more dependent on the university website as a central location where they could easily access timely, vital information. Overnight, visitors and administrators found themselves needing more flexibility, new digital resources, and a higher standard of content, yet many sites were not in a position to respond successfully to meet these demands.

This EAB insight paper on the future of institutional digital ecosystems takes stock of how universities and colleges around the United States responded to this surge in traffic and the higher expectations caused by the pandemic.

Our work is based on recent interviews with university marketing and digital marketing executives, a survey of CMOs, and insights gained from a focus group that represented a cross section of marketing leaders. We have combined the understanding gleaned from these interactions to create a roadmap that can equip marketing leaders to proceed with confidence in their .edu investments going forward.

Specific topics covered in this white paper include:

• Addressing the surge in demand
• Elevating the digital experience and expanding to new use cases
• Optimizing staffing for a digital-first future
• Lengthening and deepening reach with digital touchpoints
• Expanding innovative uses of online resources to generate growth
• Final reflections on the future of institutional digital ecosystems

Download the Insight Paper