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Access Creative College: Transforming Admissions with HubSpot.
INDUSTRY
Education
CHALLENGE
Prior to implementing HubSpot, Access Creative College relied on a patchwork of systems, including spreadsheets and outdated education-specific software. This fragmented approach hindered data tracking, made it difficult to analyse student journeys, and limited the ability to effectively report on key performance indicators. The lack of a centralised and integrated system also made it challenging to automate tasks and streamline the admissions process, impacting efficiency and potentially hindering conversion rates.
RESULTS
Since implementing HubSpot and partnering with HubGem, ACC has significantly improved its marketing and sales processes. Key improvements include enhanced reporting capabilities with live dashboards, streamlined workflows with automated follow-ups, and increased efficiency in managing student applications and inquiries. These advancements have contributed to improved conversion rates and overall operational effectiveness.
KEY PRODUCTS AND SERVICES USED
Marketing Hub Enterprise, Sales Hub Enterprise, Service Hub Enterprise, HubGem Consulting Services
Increased
number of Applications
Improved
Reporting
Increased
Automation
"You guys are recognised partners for HubSpot, an absolute preferred supplier. But because of HubGem's background in education and further education specifically, you know, that was something that really stood out."
Jo Graham
- Head of Admissions at Access Creative College
About ACC
Access Creative College is a creative college with multiple centres located throughout England. As part of the Access Education Group, the college specialises in offering a diverse range of creative courses. Admissions at Access Creative College are conducted year-round with a primary intake in September. The institution processes a substantial volume of applications and conducts numerous interviews annually. To streamline its admissions process, Access Creative College leverages the HubSpot platform to manage applications and oversee the entire admissions journey from initial inquiry to enrolment.The Challenge
Access Creative College grappled with significant operational hurdles prior to adopting HubSpot. Their reliance on fragmented technologies, consisting of spreadsheets and disparate databases, severely hampered their ability to effectively manage student data. This fragmented approach resulted in limited data visibility and significant difficulties in tracking student journeys comprehensively.
Furthermore, manual data entry, a lack of automation, and inadequate reporting functionalities plagued their admissions processes, leading to considerable inefficiencies. Isolated data systems added to these challenges, leading to a lack of understanding of student interactions and hindering data-driven decision-making.
The existing systems also lacked the analytical depth to provide meaningful insights into student behaviour, conversion rates, and areas for improvement. Consequently, the accuracy and reliability of the data were compromised, leading to inaccurate reporting.These challenges greatly hindered Access Creative College's ability to improve admissions, recruit students effectively, and make informed decisions.
The Solution
Access Creative College recognised the need for a robust CRM system for some time, exploring various options without committing to any specific solution. Ultimately, the board-level decision to invest in HubSpot was driven by the need for improved reporting and data confidence. This decision was significantly influenced by the recommendation of HubGem, as we have proven expertise in the further education sector.
HubGem's dedicated support and personalised guidance throughout the onboarding process were invaluable, particularly given the complexity of HubSpot and the lack of in-house CRM expertise. As ACC's Head of Admissions, Jo Graham, expressed, "I think it's ongoing. Like I say, it feels like onboarding never finished. I think our knowledge internally has obviously improved. I remember meeting with Gemma early on and the end goal, as such, was always the onboarding, then you guys could teach us to do stuff. So that we didn't have to ask you to do everything". This highlights the value of ongoing guidance from our consultants at HubGem, which has been crucial to maximising the benefits of HubSpot.
Access Creative College now leverages key features like live dashboards for valuable performance insights across regions and utilises automation to streamline processes, including automated email follow-ups, reminders, and lead nurturing. This has resulted in increased efficiency and improved data-driven decision-making, ultimately helping ACC to achieve their marketing and enrolment goals.
The Results
Access Creative College significantly benefited from implementing HubSpot, particularly in data-driven decision-making, increased efficiency, and improved conversion rates. By moving away from spreadsheets and isolated systems, HubSpot provided a single source of truth, enhancing data accuracy and enabling real-time insights through live dashboards. As highlighted by Jo, "Reporting is a key one... having live dashboards... being able to have like so many different versions of that... having different dashboards for different regions, but also being able to see a national overview". Dashboards in Hubspot provide valuable data insights across ACC's various regions, empowering data-driven decisions and improved strategic planning.
In addition, HubSpot's automation functionality streamlined ACC's workflows, freeing up the teams' time for more strategic tasks. Jo says that the automated processes reduced manual effort and improved efficiency, "The automation side of things... doing the hard work for us... being able to automate some of the follow-ups so we don't have to do manually... moving people along in terms of the stages of our pipelines, not having to chase people as much".
Hubgem helped ACC with creating targeted marketing campaigns and personalised communication using Hubspot tools, leading to improved conversion rates at various stages of the funnel. In particular this helped to streamline and personalise their student's experience from enquiry through to enrolment, and contributed to the increase in student satisfaction and overall enrolment outcomes.
Jo highlights, "I think it's improved our communication... streamlined workflows improved internal collaboration and communication within the organisation". HubSpot brought ACC's teams together by streamlining workflows, and improving internal collaboration and communication within the organisation.
