I often get phone calls from colleges requesting estimates for a campaign using Personal URLs (PURLs – e.g. “JohnSmith.YourCollege.org” – it’s what Facebook is doing with their vanity URLs: “facebook.com/JohnSmith“).
The conversation usually goes something like, “Can you give me the cost for doing 100,000 search mailers and emails with PURLs?” The PURL is being treated as an accessory or commodity, not as a powerful marketing tool. I will always politely decline to give costs for a campaign in this case, unless I know:
- How is the PURL being utilized?
- Why is someone going to respond using a PURL?
- What happens when someone does respond to his/her PURL?
- How are PURL responses and activity being tracked?
- How is the PURL tied in to the overall message of the marketing piece?
- Is the PURL being utilized across all media channels: print, email, web?
If any of these questions do not have answers, then what you end up with is a campaign with a low response and low return on investment (and an admission or advancement office that never wants to use PURLs again!)
The personal URL is a powerful response mechanism which allows for relevant communication, total automation, tracking of all interest, and a call-to-action that can integrate all communications to increase response rates. However, if PURLs are only an accessory, you won’t see an increase in response rates or significant return on investment. What’s most important is the strategy behind the technology.
Relevancy + Automation + Tracking = Success
