Online Marketing for Education: A Must for Education Marketers

Competition between Educational entities has become quite cut-throat. With the  onset of online marketing and online education, every entity now has access to a much wider market. They also have the opportunity to steal market share from any and all entities, even those that aren’t geographically close, through the use of online marketing for education. 

Here’s a list of proven online marketing strategies for Education institutions that work in 2024:

Content Marketing

Blogging

Blogging is the most natural medium for educational institutions because it is in itself educational in nature. Creating content that supports students and helps them make decisions related to their education will attract the right prospects. Also providing blogs about the admissions process and study tips can help support students after they have enrolled. HubSpot claims that businesses that blog generate 67% more leads than those that don’t – it’s a no-brainer.

Ebooks and Whitepapers

Growing your email list is a must if you’re an educational entity. Using e-books and white papers as free downloads will help you attract prospective students and segment your list based on interest. This segmentation will later allow you to create highly targeted email campaigns that convert at much higher rates. Demand Gen Report found that 49% of buyers prefer to engage with a vendor’s content before contacting a sales rep. This indicates the importance of providing valuable content to prospective students and their parents.

Webinars and Online Courses

Webinars are a no-brainer for educational entities because they are educational in nature – this makes prospective students more responsive to this medium, especially if you pick the right topic.

ON24 research reported that webinars can generate between 500 and 1,000 leads on average. Hosting sessions on relevant educational topics can attract prospective students and provide them with valuable information. Webinars, done right, can also sell directly to attendees.

Social Media Marketing

Platform-Specific Strategies

According to the Pew Research Center, 69% of U.S. adults use Facebook, and 73% of adults aged 18-24 use Instagram. This makes these social platforms alongside TikTok that boasts 29.5% of people between 20 and 29.

Although not a major enrolment strategy platform, these channels can be used to keep prospective students and enrolled students informed about activities, scholarships and open enrolments. These platforms can also be used to draw people to more in depth information on their website, such as blogs, e-books etc. which have a higher chance of converting prospects. It’s important to learn as much as possible about the platform algorithms and tailor your strategy accordingly.

Engaging Content

Sprout Social reports that 90% of social media users try to reach out to brands. If you’re a high profile educational institution or have worked to grow your brand, you could very well fall into this bracket.

By sharing success stories, alumni testimonials and other bottom of the funnel content you could very well manage to convert enrolments directly from social media. But be warned it isn’t a fast game, warming prospects on social media is a long game.

Paid Advertising

Facebook ads alone can reach 2.14 billion people, making targeted ads a powerful tool for educational marketers to reach specific demographics. Most social media platforms offer ads. If you have the budget it is a better way to reach prospects than organic because you can actually pick your audience.

It is however very important to get detailed demographics of your students. Often this is easy for educational entities because they collect a lot of details and data about their students.

Using features like lookalike audiences, retargeting and your own list you can show your ads to a specific audience that you know will convert higher than a cold audience – even if this cold audience has the right demographics.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Keyword Optimization

BrightEdge reports that 53.3% of all website traffic comes from organic search. Optimising your website for search engines is key to growing your organic traffic – it’s more than key, it’s the only way. Consistent content in the form og blog or articles will help but it’s important that all your content is optimised.

By competing to rank highly for relevant keywords, educational institutions can attract more visitors to their websites. And logically more visitors = more enquiries = more enrollments.

Local SEO

Local SEO is a great strategy to start you off on your optimisation efforts. It will help you attract students from your geographic area/s. According to Google, 46% of searches have a local intent. Optimising for local searches can help institutions reach students in their vicinity – these are more likely to enroll because of the convenience that comes from proximity. 

Content SEO

High-quality, keyword-rich blogs and articles will significantly improve search engine visibility. High visibility for keywords that have commercial intent (an intention to buy) will bring hot leads to your site. HubSpot claims that businesses with a strong content strategy can see conversion rates six times higher than those that don’t have one.

So don’t skimp on your content strategy make sure you start asap. and flexible educational experiences.

Email Marketing

Newsletters

In 2024, email marketing is still one of the highest converting online marketing strategies with the highest ROI. How well it does depends on how you grow your email list. An email list that you grew with on-topic webinars, ebook downloads and blog articles will convert way better than an email list you purchased or grew without any segmentation.

The Data & Marketing Association reports an average ROI of $42 for every $1 spent on email marketing.

Personalised Emails

Personalization can make a big difference in email marketing. Epsilon research shows that personalised emails improve click-through rates by an average of 14% and conversions by 10%.

Drip Campaigns

Automated email campaigns can also be highly effective. Forrester Research saw that companies using automated email campaigns saw a 451% increase in qualified leads. This often is not the result of a newsletter but an email marketing strategy that involves sales email sequences that warm up prospects and sell to them.

Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising

Google Ads

Done correctly Google Ads can bring substantial returns. However like other ads, it is not just about the ad but also the funnel. Where are you directing the ad traffic? Designing specific landing pages and funnels for each advert will help you convert more of that traffic. WordStream reports that businesses make an average of $2 for every $1 spent on Google Ads.

 Video Marketing

Virtual Campus Tours

Videos are a compelling medium for online marketing for education. Wyzowl’s study shows that 84% of people have been convinced to buy a product or service by watching a brand’s video. Educational institutions can create explanatory videos and virtual campus tours to help convert prospective students.

Testimonial Videos

Testimonial videos are particularly effective. BigCommerce reports that they can increase conversion rates by up to 34%.

Public Relations (PR)

Press Releases

Press releases are a powerful tool for announcements. The catch with PR is that you really have to have something to say or your article will not make it to the platform you’re pitching/paying.

So make sure there is plenty happening that is worth talking about, it’s not just about writing, it’s about doing things worth talking about.


Media Coverage

Earned media is highly trusted. Nielsen shows that earned media is trusted by 83% of consumers, making it a credible source of information.

Events

Marketing campus events and engaging students and prospects to get as many attendees as possible is an important part of education marketing. The Event Marketing Institute reports a 52% increase in engagement rates from event marketing, so do not underestimate the power of marketing your event.

Influencer Marketing

Student Ambassadors

Influencer Marketing Hub reports that it can deliver 11 times higher ROI than traditional digital marketing methods. Using students with strong social following as micro-influencers can help garner quick marketing results.

Partnerships with Influencers

Collaborating with niche influencers based on the niche topics that your educational institution offers, can boost brand awareness and engagement significantly.

Partnerships and Collaborations

Corporate Partnerships

Corporate partnerships can enhance an institution’s reputation and provide valuable opportunities for students. By creating collaborations such as jon experiences and work scholarships, you can brand-ride and quickly grow the relevance and strength of your brand.

Educational Collaborations

Collaborating with other institutions can expand program offerings and attract a wider audience.

Referral Programs

Incentivizing Referrals

Referral programs can boost enrollment rates. Nielsen reports that referral programs can increase enrollment rates by 10-30%.

Alumni Networks

Leveraging your alumni to get direct referrals can be highly effective. Word-of-mouth is trusted by 92% of consumers, according to Nielsen.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

Promoting Scholarships

Highlighting scholarships can attract a diverse student body. EducationDynamics reports that 70% of students consider financial aid when choosing a college.

Financial Aid Workshops

Providing financial aid workshops can increase application rates, as understanding financial options is crucial for many prospective students.

 
Website Optimization

User Experience (UX)

A nice-looking yet simple website designed to convert visitors can significantly improve conversion rates. Forrester reports that a good UX can increase conversion rates by up to 400%.

Landing Pages

Effective landing pages are crucial. HubSpot reports that businesses with 30 or more landing pages generate seven times more leads than those with fewer than 10.

Clear Call-to-Actions (CTAs)

Clear CTAs can boost conversion rates significantly. WordStream reports an 83% increase in conversion rates with more targeted CTAs.

Ready to uplevel your marketing?

At TAYB we can help you with digital marketing strategies. We have many years’ experience leveraging social media, Google Ads, UI & UX Design and much more. Contact us here for more details: tayb.sa/contact

If you would like support to understand whether HubSpot is the right choice for your institution, book a free DEMO and talk to our CRM Specialist here.