Survey response rates decline over time, and alumni data goes stale fast. Steppingblocks gives alumni relations teams a continuously updated view of graduates, with filters by location, salary, major, skills, and employers, plus the ability to download lists and contact alumni directly.
Here are five ways to use that data to strengthen your alumni relationships.
1. Use location and employer data to build engagement programs.
Use Steppingblocks Graduate Insights data to map where your alumni are working and living, then built targeted engagement programs in partnership with top employers in those areas.
2. Refresh your alumni database with accurate, current data.
Use Steppingblocks Graduate Outcomes data to build an updated alumni database, then use that foundation to rebuild meaningful connections with your alumni community.
3. Build targeted outreach campaigns with multiple filters.
Alumni engagement has declined across higher education, but institutions using data-driven targeting are reversing that trend. With Steppingblocks, you can identify campaign goals by analyzing your alumni population, filter by geographic, demographic, and employment data, and tailor messaging down to the individual level.
4. Segment alumni into affinity groups.
Blanket outreach does not build community. Rather, segment your alumni by shared career paths, interests, or backgrounds to craft campaigns that connect who they are and what they care about. That specificity drives participation!
5. Connect current students with alumni for career exploration.
Graduate Explorer lets students search for alumni by job title, employer, or field, making it straightforward to find professionals who can offer guidance on internships and careers. Networking with alumni who share a connection to the institution is one of the most direct paths students have to career opportunities. Our partners at Western Kentucky were able to connect current students with alumni. They facilitated connections for finance students traveling to New York City with alumni working in finance or holding finance degrees.