The term OPM—short for online program manager—refers to an organization that helps a university or other higher educational institution bring its traditional degree or certificate programs online. OPMs partner with higher learning institutions to expand enrollments by providing marketing and other necessary services. The number of OPMs has expanded in recent years as more colleges seek to move their programs online. Increasingly broad acceptance of the online arena for education, entertainment, and commerce, further spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, has also contributed to the growth of OPMs.
Let’s explore the type of services OPMs typically provide and discover how Apollidon Learning is transcending the OPM label with its own category-leading business model.
What Is an OPM?
Sample OPM Services
OPMs provide a broad range of services, including any of the following:
Marketing
OPMs market their partners’ programs through a combination of social media, email, original content articles, videos, podcasts, and other promotional strategies.
Branding
OPMs can help craft a unique brand for each university partner, and even specific programs, helping them find a distinctive identity that will resonate with and make a lasting impression on prospective students and the public.
Market Research
OPMs use data on competing universities and the broader higher education industry as a basis for their marketing strategies.
Student Support
OPMs help direct prospective students toward the assistance they need to choose a suitable, rewarding degree program.
Enrollment
When needed, OPMs can supplement partners’ enrollment efforts with their own student support personnel.
Retention
OPMs help their partners keep students engaged and enrolled through a broad range of retention techniques.
Loyalty
OPMs help stir students’ passion for education and school spirit with creative student loyalty initiatives and programs.
Specialized Technology Services
OPMs invest in sophisticated online technology so their university partners don’t have to.
Education Consulting
OPMs may offer focused, skilled assistance in areas including:
- Market research
- Strategic planning
- Online program development
- Analytics and reports
Apollidon Stands Apart
Apollidon Learning was created to help our university partners expand enrollments through a variety of effective marketing services. While we are an OPM, that label doesn’t do us justice.
- We offer all the services outlined above, plus some advantages not offered by other OPMs. This enables us to be a “one-stop shop” for our university partners.
- We employ experienced, caring student support specialists, not just people who can answer a phone or email.
- We help partners broaden and diversify their student populations using a proprietary cutting-edge platform of our own design.
- We take an educated approach to marketing, leveraging real data to make enlightened recommendations to our partners.
Apollidon offers our university partners tremendous value without compromising their budgetary constraints, their good name, their curriculum, or their students and faculty. Our key principles and strategies in this effort include:
Program Exclusivity
Apollidon promotes only one program of its type. If we represent a Master of Arts in Psychology program, for example, we won’t promote any competing master’s-level psychology programs. We won’t share leads from one program with other institutions, and we don’t put our university partners in direct competition with other institutions we represent.
A Risk-Free Relationship
Our tuition-share model means our partner universities pay us based on enrollments, i.e., performance; we do not charge upfront costs. We can provide comprehensive services or customize individual fee-for-service options based on a partner’s budget and needs.
Program Differentiation
Apollidon’s market research team assesses competitor programs and websites through proprietary tools that enable our marketing team to craft breakthrough messaging and help our partners’ programs stand out in the crowded educational marketplace.
A More Diverse Student Body
We know that universities aren’t merely looking to expand their enrollments and boost retention: Modern higher education programs must also attract a diverse group of students that better represent a cross-section of our country and world. We have delivered proven results in boosting diversity and inclusion in higher education programs and would be happy to share specific case studies with prospective partners.
Data Analytics
Our customized Student Relationship Management (SRM) infrastructure monitors the student life cycle from initial contact through to graduation and beyond in real time. With this information, we’re able to gain invaluable insight into where students are coming from and where they want to go—better enabling us to create highly targeted marketing.
Quality Curriculum and Instruction
Apollidon doesn’t interfere with the academic aspects of our partners’ programs: We leave that to the experts. Instead, we complement and support a university’s existing curriculum and the renowned faculty who teach it with impactful, comprehensive marketing services.
Interested in learning more about Apollidon? Contact us today to experience the full benefits of an OPM!