Digital marketing for education sector
The education space has become very competitive than ever before globally, that makes education providers to invest and be more strategic in their marketing approach to make it more appealing to their target audience.
It has become more challenging for education providers to attract students who are determined to purse qualifications that’s globally recognised and accepted. Within student population, certain segment of students are already ‘ foreign- driven’ but majority of them are content joining a nationally recognised higher education provider relying on meeting educational demands that leads to employment and well-being.
Attracting students has been a topic evolves amongst education providers irrespective how long they have been in the industry. They invest heavily in ‘ digital marketing space’ in addition to traditional marketing. These competitions are getting tougher each day and become very challenging at times to identify methods that a campaign becomes balanced and effective. The ideologies behind every campaign we notice are for an education provider to thrust oneself over another – as long as these campaigns are ethical and well- balanced, it gives the readership and followers the right reason to make the right decision. At the end, we must realise that as a responsible education provider, we offer accurate information conforming to facts, standards and truth.
How do you prioritise?
There are so many digital marketing channels available in the market; some try to be too thin to achieve a balanced presence which results ineffective. Best for any institution to prioritise their promotional and marketing campaigns across all relevant channels to reach to the target audience for effective results at economical cost. Being a strong believer in data, it is paramount important to be aware and having data helps you assess your audience and to get to know their interest. Many always keep looking at their social media sites they regularly engage e. g. Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. but expectation levels vary for one particular ‘post’ they have posted. The audience who has been following you might be the same, but if you look at the results it will be one more or less than the other social media platform which carried your post. This is a simple example of data which helps you identify which platform your contacts or network has been regular in using. This also could help you analyse their interest – we will fail if we don’t cater to a student’s interest as an education provider.
Measurable outcomes
Digital marketing is a great tool to an education provider that helps the institution based on the data build over a period of time to support marketing activities, at the same time these activities are effectively managed. It is expected a marketing campaign should inspire a potential student who is exploring options therefore accurate information is a critical part of the campaign. Digital marketing is not a tool to sell ‘education’ but it’s a system that you have in your folder to measure and evaluate the needs, and analyse and offer solutions. As long as this tool provides a potential students the answer he or she was expecting, that shows the point it has indeed helped with the right information and helped choosing the correct pathway that suits their future goal.
Network
Personally, I don’t think an institution can claim they aren’t challenged, and many I have come across in my professional network have built a network around them at time to face these unexpected challenges. Although their focus has been students, but they have realised parents are integral part of this as well as businesses including service providers.
Education is all about building knowledge in transforming one, and helps built ones’ life to pass on that knowledge gained to another and it goes from generation to generation. Digital marketing is a great tool that shouldn’t only be used to promote business but also help build knowledge. Some platforms have been used very effectively to help knowledge transfer by identifying the immediate needs for students – what they looking to study, what exposure they like to experience, and where they could find them.
AnEducator
Business Advisory Group collaborate with AnEducator which is a one stop access to institutions to position their profile and promote their courses whilst for aspiring students it’s a great platform to explore study opportunities locally and overseas. ‘An Educator’ is an online business platform that provides amazing and incredible access to reputed education providers locally and internationally to promote, profile and position their institution, courses on offer, events and collaborations and latest updates on innovation, research and recognition. As for students, it’s an effective and powerful tool that provides up to date information on education providers, select desired courses of offer, and online consultation to choose the best education provider locally and internationally to pursue their higher studies.
Education providers, students and parents have the privilege to be one step closer to easily access information e.g. best digital marketing platform, recognised education providers, desirable courses and duration, validated information on accreditations and affiliations, relevant government and department certifications, cost of study, payment methods, and importantly allows to analyse institution to institution strengths and options available.
Whilst many countries are still battling the impact of Covid-19, it is kind of ‘back to school season’ for students in Sri Lanka as well as for teachers. It is also time for marketers and those especially in the space of ‘digital marketing’ to be more effective in supporting businesses in the education industry.
Some good lessons we learnt during the pandemic period are educators influenced people to adhere to health and safety measures, educators continue to support students through social teaching, students shown interest to continue learning via social media, and we were reminded that ‘ educators and teachers are much valued’.
Finally, we all knew educators make a different in people’s lives therefore it is the responsibility of each and every institution in the education space that, ‘ you invest in the hearts of students’ at the same time they ‘ invest their money to win a place in the educated society’ so make your marketing smart with positive and accurate information.
David Samuel, CEO/Director, Business
Advisory Group