Education Marketing: Overcome Challenges, Capitalize on Trends - Jeff Adelson-Yan, Levelwing

We are at a time of big transition for the higher ed industry There are several trends that are contributing to both positive and negative perceptions of higher learning Here are a few ideas about how to utilize digital platforms tools to overcome new challenges and capitalize on trends1 Cost Value QuestionsBecause of the shaky economy people are much more conscious about how much theyamp8217re spending on higher learning Whether itamp8217s a parttime student earning her Masteramp8217s degree or a high school studentamp8217s parents exploring what institutions are affordable for their child There is a question among parents and students alike about the value of a college degree since many graduates are not in a highearning position at workIn order to overcome this challenge educational institutions must look at their school as a business Communicating the return on investment to parents and students is imperative to drawing in numbers Supply data in your recruitment documents and website that show how many of your alumni were recruited by large corporations or went on to successful careers If the institution does not have great data available regarding this communicating the value of various programs could be another way to prove positive ROI For example instead of just saying amp8220Our writing program is stellar because of xy and zamp8221 documents can reflect the various career fields that your students who graduated from the writing program have gone into amp8220Graduates of the writing program have gone into career fields including but not limited to teaching law government and real estateamp8221amp1602 Social Media as Research ToolNow more than ever students and parents are researching institutions online and it goes beyond a Google search They want information about studentsamp8217 experiences there and to get information about the vast opportunities the institutions provide Use social media to connect current students your biggest asset on these channels to prospective students Encourage conversation on your social media platforms Create platforms that engage both prospective students and alumniSome ways to do this publish photos from educational and social events throughout the year post about unique traditions other differentiators how they came about who started them who is responsible for carrying them on now have alumni submit their favorite memories and publish them across social channels create a YouTube channel and publish video tours of the facilities dorms and interviews with current students Utilize your social channels to champion your sports teams clubs and studentsamp8217 extracurriculars that provide added value to student life3 MOOC Alternative Learning ChannelsThe MOOC trend Massive Open Online Course is nothing new and many institutions are now embracing the trend rather than trying to fight it And there is no better way to offer value than to give some of your knowledge away for free Being a resource for students who want to learn is a great way to develop a positive online reputationOffering alternative learning sources outside of the four walls of your schoolamp8217s buildings can positively impact your siteamp8217s authority increase brand awareness and build the prospective donor and student base Offering online tools and resources is not giving away too much for free In fact if users find your resources helpful they are more likely to share their experiences online return to your site and perhaps eventually enroll or donate Applying the trend weamp8217ve seen with amp8220freemiumamp8221 business models to education is a smart way to drive change in your organization4 Appealing to NonTraditional StudentsThe current public perception is that everyone has the right to do what makes them happy And why shouldnamp8217t that be the attitude We can have it all This attitude has contributed to an increase of nontraditional age students These are people going back to school after having an established career who are wishing to switch gears completely or just continue their education to put them in a better spot for promotion Educational marketers need to be aware of this trend and cater programs that speak to these individuals Schools need to find out where this target audience is online Are they on LinkedIn Are they listening to Pandora at work Are they searching for new career opportunities on Google or a job search site All of these channels hold potential opportunities to reach those folks who wish to start a new chapter5 Digital Fundraising EffortsIt is no secret that digital marketing has the ability to be tracked on a granular level and provide you with a hard return on investment A fact that may have eluded you however is that digital is a great tool for fundraising Email marketing campaigns are an effective way to stay in contact with your donors and remind them about upcoming giving opportunities Social channels are a great way to provide transparency to donors eg amp8220Hereamp8217s a picture of the new library youamp8217re helping us buildamp8221 There is plenty of opportunity to track engagement on digital channels which allows you to test and refine your messaging and fundraising tacticsRelated Services Digital Marketing Strategy Marketing Intelligence Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotosnetJeff AdelsonYan is a CoFounder and Managing Partner of Levelwing a digital advertising agency that provides datadriven marketing solutions In 2002 AdelsonYan cofounded Levelwing with Steve Parker Jr growing the agency out of a 450 square foot New York apartment into a multioffice agency serving global clients Today Levelwing operates in both NYC and Charleston SC and serves clients in the automotive financebanking healthcare retail and travel industries among others Jeff can be reached at jefflevelwingcomRead all Jeff39s MediaBizBloggers commentaries at AskingSmarterQuestionscomCheck us out on Facebook at MediaBizBloggerscomFollow our Twitter updates MediaBizBloggerMediaBizBloggers is an openthought leadership blog platform for media marketing and advertising professionals companies and organizations To contribute contact Jackmediadvisorygroupcom The opinions expressed in MediaBizBloggerscom are not those of Media Advisory Group its employees or other MediaBizBloggerscom contributors Media Advisory Group accepts no responsibility for the views of MediaBizBloggers authors

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