May 2012
Increasing Student Enrollment Through Course Bundling
Partners often ask us for new ideas on how to promote their courses and generate additional revenue through their partnership with ed2go. Program bundling is an easy, cost-effective tool that can address both these subjects. This solution takes minimal time to set up, and it can have a big impact on your student enrollment volume.
In this month's Featured Article, we'll explain what bundling is, describe how you can implement it at your institution, and show you what a sample bundling package looks like. Let's get started!
What is bundling?
Bundling involves grouping related ed2go courses and advertising them as a "package deal" that can result in a certificate in a chosen subject. You and your students benefit from bundled programs in the following ways:
- There's no need to reinvent the wheel. Using ed2go online courses to create many types of certificates eliminates the time-consuming and expensive task of developing your own certificates.
- You receive multiple enrollments from one student, resulting in more profit for your program.
- Students receive cross-training in related courses, giving them a bigger picture of the subject matter. For example, instead of only gaining skills in Microsoft Outlook, students can also study Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, thus making them competent in the Microsoft Office suite. Upon completion, they'll be armed with a certificate from your institution, making them a stronger candidate in today's competitive workplace.
How can I advertise bundled programs?
A bundled program that is advertised correctly results in multiple enrollments for you and a valuable certificate for your student. You may want to include bundled programs in your print catalog and on your department's Web page.
Here's how a bundled program appears in a partner catalog. (Click image to enlarge)
You can also create flyers and mailers for distribution. Email campaigns are another successful way to market to new and existing students.
Direct students to contact a specific administrator at your institution after completing the last course. Because your administrator has access to student completion information, through your Online Administration Center, he or she will be able to confirm that the student has successfully completed all required bundled courses. Then the administrator can issue the certificate.
Want more advertising ideas? Your Account Manager is happy to assist you.
What's the process for students?
We recommend students take one ed2go course of the bundled certificate each session until the bundle is complete. For example, if you advertise Certificate in Sales Management and the bundle includes Professional Sales Skills, Effective Selling, and Leadership, students would take the courses in the following order:
- January: Professional Sales Skills
- February: Effective Selling
- March: Leadership
Once the student successfully completes the March course, your administrator would then issue the certificate to the student. Of course, if a student wants to take more than one course at a time, he or she may certainly do so.
What are some examples of bundled programs?
Click here to find some great examples of certificates that ed2go partners have created. There's no set number of courses that students need to complete in a bundle; just keep in mind that you'll want it to be something that students can accomplish in a reasonable time. Most bundles are made up of three to five courses. You can also consider having a few mandatory courses, and a selection of one or two electives.
What's the best way to price the bundles?
Consider offering a discount on the bundle. Because students are enrolling in three or four courses at once, you receive more enrollments, therefore allowing room for a small discount. If your institution allows students to pay you directly without using the ed2go online payment service, a discounted bundle would be an ideal step in raising your enrollment numbers. If you offer the ed2go online payment service only, a discount for the bundle isn't possible at this time.
Bundling: One step further
Next month, we'll take this concept of bundling a step further. We'll discuss blended learning, also called hybrid learning, which involves setting up a program combining ed2go courses with your institution's on-ground teaching component. Be on the lookout for a microsite and a webinar addressing bundling and blended learning in the next few months!
If you're interested in learning more on bundling courses or blended learning options, please contact your Account Manager.
