You have updated the curriculum, hired knowledgeable teachers, built world-class infrastructure, but still facing a tough time increasing enrollments for your educational institute? One thing that might have slipped off your mind is “Marketing.”
A lot of school administrators cringe at the thought of marketing as it deviates the institute from its primary pursuit of imparting education. But let’s be real, education is more or less a BUSINESS. An educational institute has to decide the budget, hire trained professionals, formulate school-wide policies, and constantly churn out highly successful individuals like any other business. Plus, the never-ending strain of losing students to its competitors adds fuel to the fire.
To outsmart your competitors and satisfy the needs of the students and parents, you need to have an effective marketing strategy because there is no magic button you can push to increase the enrollments.
Below we have compiled a list of marketing strategies to increase the enrollments.
Take out your notebooks-marketing class will begin now.
1. Secure an A+ in social media presence:
To connect with prospective students, you need to leverage social media platforms. As per the Datareportal, there are more than 4.55 Billion users on social media platforms, equating to 57.6% of the world’s population. Take advantage of this massive number and start creating content on social media.
Start with Facebook and Instagram, showcase campus life through videos, generate informational content, conduct webinars, career guidance contests, publish your institute’s achievements and engage with your connections to increase retention.
2. Excel in the content marketing exam:
The best marketing ideas take into account the mindset of the target audience. Think from the perspective of your students and publish content with the desire to attract them. One way to connect with them is to create SEO content that they would find useful and relevant.
If your educational institute has a special focus on vocational training, create an SEO optimised article titled “Importance of vocational training for career development” so the parents will stumble upon your blog and find your institute through this unconventional and unexpected venue.
Your content should provide:
Awareness: Let people know about your institute’s latest achievements, events, and programs.
Engagement: Provide valuable resources that persuade them to respond and engage.
Action: Give a proper CTA that inspires them to join your institute.
3. Be Google’s star student through SEO:
Nearly 70% of all the online experiences begin with a search engine. However, only 0.78% of searchers look for the information beyond the first page. So, if you are not ranking ahead of your competitions, there are high chances of losing prospective students.
Conduct research in your institute to determine the best keywords for SEO, which should then be placed strategically into your web content for effective organic search rankings.Also, make your website local SEO friendly, so when a mother in your area searches for “educational institute near me” your institute’s name tops the charts.
4. Learn the chapter-Email Marketing:
Some marketers have neglected email marketing, saying it is obsolete but this is far from the truth. Email marketing is by far one of the best ways to nurture leads and maintain the retention span.
Add a form to your website and encourage people to sign up for your email newsletter and then send them your latest content. The primary goal here is to come up with new content to attract new people and keep the present ones engaged.
5. Make your website mobile-responsive:
According to a recent study, 61% of the internet traffic occurred via mobile phone in 2020 and that number grows every year. If your website is not mobile-responsive and you are asking potential students to pinch and squeeze to read your website, you are creating a poor customer experience.
Make an attractive and user-friendly interface and also include social proofs like alumni testimonials, success stories of alumni, photos of the campus,etc. so you don't miss any chance of wooing your prospective student.
Final Thoughts:
Educational institutions can achieve a lot by applying these marketing strategies and fuel their enrollment rate.
Now the ball is in your court.
Of course, the planning and execution will take time but if performed well, the mentioned marketing strategies can propel your educational institution to newer heights.
