?? How to get into the Top 100 Alumni Communities

AlumBee recently published the inaugural Top 100 Alumni Communities list. Since then we've been getting many questions on our rationale, our method, and our secret sauce. Why did we run primary research? We could have shared the perspectives of Alumni leaders. Why did we reflect user-centric perspectives? We could have regurgitated PR and comms articles. And why did we publish comparative research? The traditional benchmarks and Glassdoor comments would do fine.

Who was asking these questions? Leaders at law firms, management consulting firms, advertising agencies, and financial services companies. Behind their questions lies a common puzzle. They wonder why their investment isn't driving more engagement, and more business. They wonder how they could make things better, quickly. And they wonder why the intern in HR, whose third job this is, hasn't figured it all out yet. 

The Problem

The core problem is this : these questions show a misunderstanding of what alumni need. Here's a sample of what we've been hearing (names changed to protect the innocent):

• What's wrong with the online alumni platform at Wallace & Gromit LLP? After all, many people have signed up!
• We're spending so much money on the annual alumni party at Buzzword Consulting Group - is it not doing the trick? We held the party at the coolest spot in town! 
• Every alum who filled my yearly internal survey said they're happy! How come you're hearing something different?

But here's the secret. It's not about you, it's not about the brand of champagne, and it's not about the features on your platform. And you won't find the answers in your survey either. Asking a biased section of Alumni what they want won't help you build what the broader group of people need.

So what is it about, I hear you ask? It's about the way your alumni feel towards each other. It's about their willingness to pay it forward with others. This explains how 70%+ of registered alumni can be active on a weekly basis (instead of logging in every 5th year). It also drives 50% of registered alumni to get involved in events. It helps 15% of registered alumni take a new job every year thanks to referrals by other members. Community drives engagement, not the other way around.

Community is a tangible benefit. It's in the eye of the beholder. Alumni volunteers take time away from their jobs, their families, and their friends. They invest time and effort into programs and events, supporting their former company. This magical sense of Community doesn't appear by chance. It appears when people trust each other, belong with each other, and work towards a bigger purpose.

The Playbook

You wouldn't have read all the way here if your alumni already felt that today. So here's your reward - here's how you can get there, in a very particular order:

1. Make sure your whole team consistently supports your alumni.
2. Help your alumni start a project they believe in.
3. Help this project get the success and recognition it deserves.

That's all nice and good - but what's in it for you, and what will get out of this investment?

?? The Prize

Our sister company, Alumeet, has been developing this playbook for years. Alumeet helps Professional Services leaders nurture and leverage their Alumni Communities.

Following these 3 steps can dramatically improve your bottom line. Get closer to your alumni to support them, and you'll end up benefiting in return. The impact can be pretty massive: the best in class get to sell 2/3 of projects to Alumni. They have also measured an incremental margin of 40% for these projects.

Oh - and to top it all, you'll have a really good shot at entering AlumBee's Top 100 Alumni Communities in 2020. Like this good-looking group below!

Sound nice, but impossible?

Reach out to me, and we'll help transform your Alumni Community.

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