Business trends have vastly diversified over the years. When talking about the education sector, business engines were the last thing to come to mind. However, these days education is now considered a competitive, high-earning business. Thus, to boost your enrollment numbers and revenue, adopting modern marketing strategies is of great importance. The amount invested is of importance, whether it is a million dollars or 10 cents. The goal is to spend it right.
A robust digital marketing plan is likely to instill the growth your institute may require. Therefore, here is a list of top marketing strategies to increase the likelihood of your success for 2020 and beyond.
Mobile-first
With the advance in digital marketing strategies, a prominent online presence has become a necessity for educational institutes. Most college students use their cellular devices as their primary means for accomplishing a variety of tasks. Therefore, creating websites and optimizing them for mobile phones is an integral factor for the growth of your establishment.
Although the aesthetics of a website may seem to be imperative, what users truly demand is a well-optimized and responsive website. Navigation elements and other links mentioned on the site must be easily accessible, as well as the loading times that need to be short. When clicking an ad, the user should not navigate to an ill-optimized, computer-styled landing page.
When designing a website, it is crucial to understand the mentality of your audience. Younger generations will prefer a different approach to your content. Moreover, consulting a higher Ed marketing agency is also a great option to keep pace with the rapidly shifting digital trends.
Video Content
The attention span of people has significantly declined over the years. It has never been this difficult to have someone read your content. So how do you capture a viewer’s attention and keep them engaged for a prolonged amount of time? The answer is simple; Video content.
People today, more than ever before, prefer videos over written content. Educational content is among the most viewed content on platforms like YouTube and Facebook. Video content can be made available in various formats, which include ads, demo videos, interviews, tutorials, and other educational content. The videos can act as a medium for income, as well as a tool for marketing your institute.
Moreover, interacting with the audience and producing the content they require will drastically improve your viewership. It is also strongly advised to study and analyze the platform you choose to upload your content.
Social Media Platforms
Over time, social media has become a part of our lives. The platforms have developed and matured exponentially, providing countless means of engaging in higher ed marketing. Thus, integrating social media into your marketing plan can be advantageous if executed correctly.
Despite the perplexing nature of the problem, the implementation requires but a few key tactics. It is vital to choose a well-suited set of social media platforms for your marketing plan. Knowledge of the age demographic and the time spent by each age group needs to be studied thoroughly. Moreover, studies show the younger population follow Instagram and YouTube more frequently compared to Facebook and Twitter.
The creativity of your posts and overall approach will go a long way. Opting for a unique yet professional style of content is likely to attract the attention of the younger generation.
Interactivity
Interacting with the student body and community is an activity not practiced by most institutes. Entrants, even the extant student body, frequently have several queries regarding various aspects of the institute. The inability to obtain the answers to the said queries often leads individuals to shift their attention towards other institutes. The ‘frequently asked questions’ section may answer the generic queries, it is impractical for answering key questions most students ask.
Although email support is effective in supporting individuals, having the option to live chat with the support team is more reassuring. A dedicated blog for discussing their problems can also prove quite helpful. However, when addressing the community, it needs to be noted that the language and content must be relevant to the audience. Keeping your answers short and concise, with good readability, is also recommended.
Online Classes
After experiencing a worldwide lockdown in 2020, we have come to know the importance of the digital world. However, the traditional way of life, businesses, and educational institutes continued to operate without any problems. Technologically speaking, we are at the point where we can receive a quality education from our homes. Applications such as ZOOM and Skype make online teaching a cakewalk. A vast majority of students prefer such online lesson options for several reasons. Thus, the choice to study from anywhere around the world is sure to appeal to a lot of people. Nonetheless, this will also increase the enrollments your institute receives, considering the admission opportunity for international students.
Consequently, broadcasting events and other co-curricular activities can also be part of your marketing stratagem.
Standing-out
Scholarships, housing, a vast array of activities, and highly regarded professors may be the deciding factor for some students. However, don’t all institutes offer the same benefits? For many students, education itself is not the main priority when enrolling in an institute. Instead, it is the uniquity of the institute that allows students to choose to sign up or not. Therefore, the success of your institute is in promoting the feature that makes your school unique.
For instance, some schools are offering immersive learning options with the aid of virtual and augmented reality. Incorporating advanced technology in everyday education is bound to attract students from across the globe. The idea is in its early stages, but it is undeniably the future of education. Thus, the right course of action would be to become an early adopter and an innovator.
Conclusion
As important as these strategies can be, it goes without saying that the execution is what truly matters. Although the amount of budget invested matters, more importantly, the implementation of your stratagem and tactics must be done right. Get the execution right, and you will see the enrollment numbers hit the roof!