The education sector was among the worst affected industry when the Coronavirus hit a global scale. According to UNESCO, almost 1.37 billion students across the world have been affected by the temporary shutdown of educational institutions.
Despite online learning being popular in some niche, traditional education is not completely ready to integrate such in the system. But with schools and universities ordered by authorities to temporarily close to contain the spread of the virus, several instructors are forced to embrace digital technology.
School and university administrations have also learned to adapt. They now resort to digital portals to address concerns of students and parents. Though social media received a lot of bad raps from parents and educators in the past, this now serves as an important channel for communication.
Why the Education Sector Needs to Embrace Digital Marketing
Even before the pandemic, the global e-learning market was already upscale. There are already plenty of online courses, eBooks, websites, and other e-learning materials easily accessible through Google Play and App Store. But with the outbreak of the virus, all the more that the players in the e-learning industry increased.
With the market thus far saturated by existing players coming from traditional educational institutions and private developers, new competitors will have to face several challenges in order to be noticed. However, all is not lost with the application of digital marketing strategies to e-learning. Through education marketing, helpful educational content can be promoted.
In this modern digital age, the traditional marketing approach no longer works for steering younger demographics. Millennials and gen z-er parents expect educational institutions to have a digital presence. Gone are the days where schools banked solely on word of mouth and their reputation. Modern parents are tech-savvy. What they see on the internet largely impacts their decisions.
Top Marketing Strategies for Educational Institutions
Connect Through Social Media Channels
Getting the attention of students nowadays has become easier. A simple post on social media accounts on facts about Mars, the planet will naturally entice the curiosity of learners. In the same line, publish relevant content on social media that not only easily captivates students and parents alike, but is also in line with the institution’s vision.
On a global scale, more than 3.2 billion people are on social media. Social networking sites have always been an invaluable instrument for educational marketing. A single post could, in an instant, reach millions of users. Furthermore, it allows you access to check who is actually sharing your posts. Such access provides you helpful insights in improving your marketing maneuvers.
Invest in Digital Advertising Campaigns
Another effective way to bolster market reach, leads, and conversion rates is by investing in digital advertising. Educational institutions can benefit from digital advertising campaigns by targeting specific demographics, engagement patterns, and other criteria.
For instance, digital marketers for a graduate school may focus only on college graduate students living in a specific area and who have shown to be enticed on a specific product or service. Targeting this specific group of the audience could be done using several advertising channels, such as social media advertising, video ads, or display ads.
Optimize Website
Search engine optimization or SEO is an essential element for any successful marketing plan, even with education marketing. An SEO specialist could help bolster brand visibility by making your website rank on search engines using keywords and several other criteria, such as title tags, meta descriptions, and internal links.
Apart from focusing on SEO to increase site rank and site traffic, attention should also be given to the educational institution’s website interface. Consumers, especially younger generations, expect a seamless user experience when accessing a website. Moreover, most people will judge how good a company is based on its website.
Create a Mobile-Friendly Website
Aside from providing a seamless website interface, educational institutions should also invest in making their websites mobile-friendly. Nowadays, the majority of internet users access the internet using their smartphones. For schools and universities wanting the business to stay afloat, creating a mobile-friendly website is a must.
Accordingly, a mobile-friendly website not only looks aesthetically pleasing on a smartphone’s screen, but it also offers a smooth user experience. All elements on the website, such as links and navigation buttons, should be clickable. Also, the page should be fully loaded within the 3-seconds time frame. Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test could help you determine if your website has these features.
Other educational marketing tips include:
- Encouraging reviews and feedback from students and parents;
- Providing omnichannel communication;
- Creating video content;
- Stakeholder networking; and,
- Holding live online events.
By implementing any, or even all, of the educational marketing strategies above, your educational institution will surely succeed in enticing more students to your educational program.