Alumni Activation: Strategies for Leveraging Your Most Valuable Resource
If you toss around the word “alumni” at work, you might be sitting on a gold mine for advocacy, social impact, and marketing. (Indeed, many incredible organizers already know it!)
The math is simple: From CSR programs to political campaigns, organizations focus resources on programs and experiences that deeply impact individuals. Whether it’s a community college fellowship program, a few months knocking on doors, a year of service, or earning a degree, these experiences foster a sense of belonging and shared purpose among participants.
Inevitably organizations reach a tipping point with more alumni who have completed an experience than current participants. Here’s a quick example: Roughly 2,500 people participate in the Fulbright program each year – but there are more than 400,000 Fulbright alumni around the world! As alumni fill up their lives with new communities, organizations can lose an audience that know firsthand the impact and mission of the organization.
So how do you begin to activate an alumni base? In the modern media environment, where organizing your messengers is just as important as the message itself you have to be strategic.
Starling Strategy helps organizations unlock the credibility, diversity, and talent of these alumni communities to cultivate a passionate network of ambassadors who can amplify your message, open doors, and drive your organization’s success.
Here are three important reasons to develop an alumni activation strategy:
1. Alumni are Your Grassroots Marketers
Your program alumni have lived experiences that give them credibility when promoting your brand or program. They are walking testimonials, able to share authentic stories about how your organization has positively influenced their lives. Leverage this by providing alumni with branded digital content, talking points and a platform to share their experiences across social media and their personal networks.
These grassroots marketing efforts carry more weight than traditional advertising: a study from Sprout Social found that 61% of people would be more likely to research a company or its services if someone in their personal network posted about it. Compared to that, only 36% were likely to do that if it were mentioned by an influencer or celebrity.
2. Alumni are Influential Connectors
Alumni can be powerful connectors, opening doors to new audiences, partnerships and resources. Encourage alumni to join online professional communities and leverage their networks to identify potential donors, sponsors, employers seeking your graduates, or simply to raise awareness. Their personal endorsements and insider perspectives make them incredibly persuasive ambassadors.
3. Alumni are Invested Advisors
Who better to provide feedback on your programs, issues, and future direction than those who have experienced them firsthand? Regularly survey alumni and facilitate focus groups to gather invaluable insights. Alumni advisory boards can help ensure your organization remains relevant and impactful. Their vested interest in your sustained success makes their guidance indispensable.
Sounds great, right? So why isn’t everyone already doing this? Activating your alumni may sound obvious, but even the best-intentioned organizations get stumped. See our post on some common challenges that organizations face when activating their alumni here.
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