An alumni program offers many benefits to both academic institutions and corporate organizations. But to keep it as functional and productive as possible, you need to keep all your alumni data up to date. This will prevent losing contact with your alumni, and therefore increase interaction and program participation.
But what are the best ways to keep alumni data updated? And what other benefits will it offer them and you? Discover the answers to these questions in this short guide on the 10 best ways to keep alumni data updated.
Why is it important to keep your alumni database updated?
An alumni database is a detailed repository of all your alumni information. This includes their personal profile data, contact information, and even their skills and workplace experience.
An accurate alumni database is crucial because, without up-to-date information, you can easily lose contact with top alumni. However, there’s a lot more to it than that. Outdated data can negatively impact both you and your alumni.
The problem with outdated data
You may lose out on potential revenue and contributions for your academic institution. Why? You aren’t up to speed with your alumni professionals’ latest achievements and thus do not know who best to approach for funding.
Alumni may lose out on exciting new job opportunities, event registrations, and networking sessions arranged through your company. Why? You don’t have the right contact information and can’t reach them in time.
Keeping alumni network data on track is essential for an alumni program that benefits everyone.
10 Best ways to keep alumni data updated
These are the 10 best ways to keep alumni data updated, for any type of institution or organization.
1. Invest in dedicated alumni management software
The best way to keep alumni data updated is by investing in alumni management software.
Dedicated alumni management software is so much more than just an alumni directory. It offers alumni a platform for communication with their alma mater or previous employer. It also boosts engagement and, when necessary, re-engagement. However, the right choice in alumni management software is key.
Aluminati is the world’s most customizable online community platform, trusted by academic institutions and corporate organizations for their alumni program management needs. It includes a wide range of features that you can tailor to meet the unique demands of your alumni network.
2. Facilitate regular communication and alumni engagement
Facilitate regular communication with your alumni, and keep them engaged. This will make it easier to stay in touch with alumni and request updates. Your alumni will also be more likely to update their data themselves, without being asked to do so.
So, what sort of communication and engagement are we talking about here? One of the best ways to keep alumni engaged and informed of recent events is with a regular alumni newsletter. Include a CTA to update their profile data or contact info in the newsletter, at regular intervals.
If you’re dedicated to ongoing engagement, you’ll love the Aluminate Intelligent Matching Engine feature. It takes the hard work out of matching alumni to their most relevant interests, by automating these matches. Now you can create even more alumni engagement without all the admin hassles.
3. Establish self-service portals for more accurate data
Another way to keep alumni data updated without much hassle is to establish self-service portals.
This allows your alumni to maintain their alumni program profile data easily, at any time that is convenient for them. Your alumni will appreciate this, as it puts control in their hands, and can easily slot into their busy schedules.
4. Encourage your alumni to stay connected via events
Encourage your alumni to stay connected via alumni events. When they see how much value they are getting from these events, they will want to keep their profile data accurate and up-to-date.
The Aluminate platform makes it easy to keep alumni informed about upcoming events, on the digital dashboard. This is a highly dynamic tool that shows users the most relevant posts for their specific interests.
5. Use data enrichment tools
Ensure data accuracy with data enrichment tools. These are automated software solutions that help you gather, edit, enhance, and update your data.
This is a simple yet effective step toward keeping alumni data accurate and functional. If you’re a company with a corporate alumni program, this will also lighten the burden on your HR services team. They’ll have the most accurate data on hand for everyone, including your former employees.
(As many top businesses know, corporate alumni are often ideal candidates for top positions).
6. Offer surveys and feedback forms
Surveys and feedback forms not only help keep your alumni data updated, but they can offer insights into alumni interests.
Any survey or feedback form should include a section for updating personal data, contact information, and any new work experience or achievements. This should be right at the start, to avoid being missed if the survey is abandoned before completion.
It can be followed by questions on interests and suggestions for the program.
7. Leverage social media networks
Leverage social media networks to keep your alumni database updated. Your alumni probably spend a great deal of time on social media platforms for professionals, such as LinkedIn. And they likely update their information on those platforms regularly. This is where you will find the most up-to-date data.
We make this even easier for you, with our social data sync feature. It is approved by LinkedIn to be used for data updates of your official alumni programs. This sync feature offers the best way to access legitimate and accurate data from social media.
8. Enable mobile-friendly data collection
Simplify keeping your alumni database updated by enabling mobile-friendly data collection. This takes your alumni program forward in terms of modern convenience and makes alumni participation possible on the go. It’s a must for keeping busy alumni professionals engaged.
9. Incentivize alumni data updates
One of the best ways to keep alumni data updated, particularly when other efforts don’t seem to be getting results, is incentivization. Are your alumni reluctant to update their info, or do they take too long to get around to it? Make it worth their while to do so, by offering small incentives.
10. Implement continuous data monitoring and reporting
Implement continuous data monitoring and reporting and your alumni data will naturally stay current and accurate. You’ll enjoy another benefit too. Data monitoring and reporting will highlight all the areas of your program that are working, as well as those that aren’t, so you can make the necessary changes.
Get deeper insights in real time with the Aluminate platform’s Insights feature. This allows you to analyze alumni participation, gauge their interests, and assess their engagement levels. Pinpoint the ways to keep alumni interested in the program, and you’ll find them willing to update their data, regularly.
Keep alumni data up-to-date, with Aluminate
The best way to keep alumni data updated is to invest in alumni management software. It will make light work of your alumni program admin tasks. But more importantly, it will enhance the communication and engagement that every successful alumni program relies on.
We offer Aluminate for Education for the academic alumni community, and Aluminate for Enterprise for the corporate alumni community. As part of the world’s most customizable online community platform, each offers multiple benefits for any alumni association.
So, make the right choice for your alumni program. Request a demo today.
