BY VALERIE HAWLEY
COMMUNICATION STRATEGY
BUILDING
CONNECTED COMMUNICATIONS
Developed an integrated communications and recruitment strategy designed to increase awareness, generate inquiries, and strengthen long-term visibility for the University of Kansas’s online Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) preparation course.
The strategy aligned institutional priorities, audience research, digital engagement, and multi-channel storytelling to support enrollment growth, workforce development, and future learner pathways.
200%
INCREASE IN WEBSITE TRAFFIC
54%
INCREASE IN ENROLLMENT
THE CHALLENGE
The University of Kansas’s online Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) preparation course needed a more strategic and measurable communications approach to support awareness, inquiry generation, and long-term enrollment growth.
While the course held a 93% first-time exam pass rate and strong academic credibility, communication efforts lacked clear audience segmentation, consistent inquiry tracking, and visibility into which channels were driving engagement and conversion.
At the same time, audiences varied significantly — from pre-career learners and exploratory students to paraprofessionals, educators, employers, and behavioral health professionals — requiring more targeted messaging and outreach strategies.
The challenge was not simply promoting a course, but building a data-informed communication framework capable of supporting measurable recruitment efforts, stronger audience engagement, and future optimization across digital, partnership, and outreach channels.
RESEARCH, TRACKING & STRATEGIC FOUNDATION
Communication planning began with researching audience behavior, website engagement, inquiry sources, communication performance, and partnership opportunities to better understand how prospective learners were discovering and interacting with the program.
Efforts focused on identifying gaps in audience segmentation, inquiry attribution, messaging consistency, and communication tracking while creating a stronger foundation for measurable recruitment marketing moving forward.
Analysis included:
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Organic search performance
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Referral source evaluation
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Website traffic behavior
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CRM and HubSpot engagement
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Email campaign performance
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Landing page effectiveness
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Inquiry conversion tracking
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Partnership and referral traffic
Research findings informed the development of a more connected communication framework designed to support awareness, engagement, inquiry generation, and future optimization efforts.
STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT & COMMUNICATION PLANNING
Communication and recruitment efforts were intentionally aligned with broader institutional priorities, organizational goals, and measurable enrollment objectives within Jayhawk Global’s strategic framework.
The communication strategy connected university-wide student success initiatives with workforce development, audience engagement, inquiry generation, and long-term learner pathway development.
Campaign tactics, outreach efforts, and communication channels were structured to support both immediate enrollment goals and broader objectives related to access, workforce development, and lifelong learning.
This planning process helped connect communications strategy directly to organizational priorities while establishing a clearer framework for measurement, scalability, and future growth.
AUDIENCE RESEARCH & MESSAGE STRATEGY
Communication planning included audience research, labor market analysis, digital behavior insights, and segmentation designed to better understand learner motivations, barriers, and career interests.
Distinct messaging strategies were developed for:
Pre-Career Learners
Seeking fast workforce entry, meaningful impact, and career growth
Exploratory Students
Exploring psychology, education, and behavioral health pathways
Future ABS Pathways
A pathway into Applied Behavioral Science and long-term academic growth
Education & Childcare Professionals
Seeking credentialing, advancement, and greater impact in their work
Messaging emphasized accessibility, career opportunity, workforce demand, professional growth, and KU’s academic credibility while adapting communication approaches to each audience segment.
STORYTELLING & RELATIONSHIP BUILDING
Communications focused on connecting audience motivations with meaningful career outcomes, institutional credibility, and real-world impact.
Faculty perspectives, student experiences, workforce demand, and industry expertise were integrated into storytelling efforts designed to build trust, strengthen credibility, and support long-term engagement.
The campaign balanced strategic enrollment messaging with authentic stories that demonstrated both the personal and professional impact of becoming an RBT.
Impact
Connected institutional priorities, workforce demand, and learner motivations into a measurable communication framework designed to support both immediate enrollment goals and long-term educational pathways.
