Navigating the Digital Shift: Mastering Online Educational Marketing

In our digital age, more and more people are turning to online platforms for education, making traditional schools seem like formalities in the quest for knowledge. If you’re providing online courses and can engage someone’s interest for a brief moment, it’s crucial to leave them with a positive impression, so they’ll want to come back to your website and, in the end, enroll in your courses. Marketing in the educational field might seem tough, but many organizations have already paved the way to success. Isn’t it your turn to give it a shot?

Navigating educational advertising on Google and Facebook

Progress in the field of education advertising has brought to the table a vast array of ad choices. It’s crucial to underscore that networks like Facebook and Google are heavily inclined towards paid advertising, thereby making it necessary to optimize your ads according to their preferred formats and features.

Google advertising

Google Ads is divided into two main types: Search Network and Display Network. 

• Google Search Network includes advertising within the search engine results itself. You bid on keywords relevant to your offerings, and your ads appear when users search for those keywords.
• Google Display Network: these are visual banner ads that show up on various websites that are a part of Google’s Display Network. It is a more passive form of advertising, since users are not actively searching for your product. 

You have a range of targeting options at your disposal, such as demographics, interests, remarketing, similar audiences, and more. It’s a good practice to perform comprehensive keyword research to gain insights into what prospective students are likely searching for.

Keep in mind that Google employs pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, which entails paying for each click on your ad. Important metrics to track include the click-through rate (CTR), conversion rate, cost-per-click (CPC), and return on ad spend (ROAS).

Facebook advertising

Facebook advertising is social media advertising where the display of ads is more integrated and natural in the user’s browsing experience. Facebook has a robust targeting system based on demographics, geographical location, interests, behavior, and connections. Here are two key forms of Facebook Ads:

• Boosted posts are regular posts for which you pay to reach a wider audience. They appear directly in the users’ news feeds.
• Facebook Ads: more sophisticated and diverse in formats (image, video, carousel, etc.), these ads can appear in multiple places such as the right column, news feed, Instagram, and even in Messenger.

Facebook offers the advantage of creating personalized audience “lookalike” categories, tailored campaigns for remarketing, and inclusive strategy targeting users on Instagram as well.

Key metrics to assess your Facebook ads performance can include engagement rate, CTR, conversion rate, CPC, cost per thousand impressions (CPM), and ROAS.

Remember the importance of abiding by the privacy laws like GDPR and COPPA when targeting younger audiences on these platforms. 

Harnessing search engines and understanding learner needs

When people are in the process of choosing a new educational institution, academic program, or learning platform, they usually conduct thorough research using search engines to find the best options. Many questions come up during this research phase.

To address these inquiries, it’s a smart move to spend time understanding the most frequently asked questions about your content and admissions. Compare your program with those of other schools to identify what makes it unique. When you promote your offering, make sure it resonates with people both visually and emotionally, reflecting your organization’s values.

Highlight the unique selling points (USPs) of your educational institution or course. Is it the flexibility? High rates of graduate employment? The quality of education? Think about the content of your landing page as well, and make sure it can convince potential students to convert.

Here is some advice on how to better understand learners’ needs:

1. Surveys and feedback. Gathering input from students and potential students is crucial. You can achieve this through surveys and feedback requests. This will help you understand what learners expect from your courses or institution.
2. Student behavior analysis. Analyze student behavior as well. Take note of which courses are the most popular and when students tend to disengage. This analysis will reveal what’s effective and what needs improvement.
3. Personalization. Consider offering personalized learning experiences when possible. This might involve personalized assignment suggestions, adaptive learning techniques, or tailored feedback. These strategies can enhance engagement and lead to more successful campaigns.

By combining search engine tactics with a deep understanding of learners’ needs, you can boost enrollment, improve engagement, and achieve better results in your campaigns.

Ad monitoring and re-engagement

To maintain long-term success, it’s essential to keep a close eye on all your advertisements. Continuously refine your campaigns to boost website traffic. Social media pixels play a particularly valuable role by allowing you to re-display your ads to users who have interacted with your website before. This approach serves as a reminder to individuals who have already encountered your brand, encouraging them to choose your educational resources for themselves or their children.

Conclusion

The evolving educational landscape presents thrilling, unexplored opportunities in the realm of digital marketing. With the growing trend of education moving to online platforms, the significance of skillfully utilizing advertising on platforms such as Google and Facebook cannot be overstated. By fine-tuning your ads on these platforms and tailoring them to meet the specific requirements of learners, you can achieve unparalleled outreach and foster higher engagement.