Given the current economic state, what are the primary advantages and disadvantages of a solely online marketing strategy?
Keith Bourne: When I suggest a solely online marketing strategy, it is usually due to a very limited budget, in the $10,000 to $50,000 range. Even then, I would encourage tapping into existing campus resources, such as the public relations department and current students of the program. Unlike most industries out there, right now business is booming in online education for institutions that have a good grasp on what they are doing. It’s the budget-side where the effects of the economic downturn are being felt. State budget cuts, endowment losses, and a number of other non-core service related issues are all taking their toll. It probably means there are a number of programs out there that are in this limited budget range, despite the opportunities in the marketplace. Online strategies are the easiest to track; they also tend to cost less, and have a low cost of entry, meaning you can start with just a few thousand dollars. On the downside, this is not a scalable strategy. Once your bud
