“If we teach today as we taught yesterday, we rob our children of tomorrow.”
– John Dewey
Edtech, which is short for education technology, refers to the use of technology (both hardware and software) in teacher-led classrooms. The goal behind these innovations is to improve the development of children by combining computer-based training, mobile learning, and online teaching, among other methods. Edtech promotes a constructive and diverse learning environment by catering to the needs of students from each age group and their different learning styles.
In recent years, the Edtech industry is one of the world’s most upcoming and booming industries. China, USA and India are the top three countries to raise the most venture capitalist funds in this sector. But many parents still fear that incorporating technology into the educational space is detrimental to the growth of the child. This stems from the idea that edtech will take over the role of teachers who are seen as the primary social agent for children to develop social norms and skills. However, we should remember the popular Chinese proverb: “Do not confine your children to your own learning, for they were born in another time.”
Are you an Edtech company that is trying to build your brand but don’t know how to attract clients in an attractive, relevant and purposeful way?
Don’t worry because we have you covered with the top 10 Digital Marketing strategies to help boost your Edtech Company!
How is Digital Marketing Beneficial for an Edtech Company?
Today’s children have not only started using technology at an early age, but they also show proficiency in gadgets that many elders still struggle to understand. They have grown up in an environment they cannot be separated from. Thus, taking advantage of this unique opportunity could drastically improve the quality of learning received by them.
In the internet age, using a traditionally offline marketing strategy could be detrimental for your business. This is because digital marketing enables your Edtech Company to engage with a larger audience base. This helps you build your brand and promote its services, it is more affordable when compared to offline marketing strategies. Additionally, the online platform allows you to personalize the content given out to consumers and could thus ensure higher rates of conversion.
Top 10 Digital Marketing Strategies for an Edtech Company
One of the greatest challenges faced by any company is the ability to inform users and the target market about the products and services offered by them. In today’s competitive world, it becomes difficult for one company to stand out among the variety of options available on the internet. Here is a curated list of 10 Digital Marketing Strategies to grow your Edtech Company online.
1. Work on your SEO Strategy
Search Engine Optimisation helps to improve your website’s visibility in order to increase the number of engagements it gets when a user searches for a particular service, phrase, or product. Google is one search engine that assesses various factors of your website, like keywords and customer reviews, to identify whether your website offers products or services that users are looking for. Each factor is assigned a value to judge how authentic your website is and create a digital footprint for your company.
Search Engine Optimisation is a cost saving yet effective method that can be used by Edtech companies to draw in attention from schools and educational institutions. The easiest and perhaps most effective way to use SEO is to generate quality content that incorporates keywords relevant to your industry. Another SEO strategy is to open a Google Business Profile and become active on various social media platforms. Designing a digital marketing strategy around SEO techniques will ensure that Google ranks your website higher in the search results rankings.
2. Create a Good UI for your website
Any good SEO plan starts with building a website. Something that differentiates you from your competition will be the unique design and interface of your website. A personalized user experience such as product trials, one on one interaction via chat, and course recommendations based on the student’s age could give you an edge over the competition.
In order to create a good UI for your website, you will have to ensure that users can navigate through the pages and content of your website. To do this, include an ample number of images and videos to increase readability. Also keep in mind the colour, font, size and placement of text that will make your website attractive and give it a unique persona. Your website’s design is the first thing that any customer will see, so it is the first thing to leave an impression on your customer.
3. Generate Relevant Content
The content you include on your website or social media pages could include photos, blogs, videos, or customer reviews. Each of them will contribute to building your brand and attracting customers. The content you generate has to be engaging, relevant, creative, original, personal, and informative. If a user finds your website reliable and informative, they may be tempted to try your product, even if it is out of curiosity.
Do not underestimate the value of a blog. If your Edtech Company provides online coaching classes for students, then creating content about the “Different learning styles of children” or “5 ways to improve your attention in class” would resonate with children who are struggling with academics and attract a larger audience to your website. Ensure that you use relevant keywords to boost the number of website engagements you receive.
4. Video Marketing Strategies
Human beings are very visual creatures. Because we rely on our eyes as the primary sense to perceive information, your Edtech Company will have to cater to this sense the most. Imagine this; you explain your product in a 200 words paragraph versus you create a short 15 seconds video to give users a glimpse into your product. Which one do you feel will attract a larger audience?
If that hasn’t convinced you, then this will: Hubspot has reported that 60% of marketers agree that videos gross the highest amount of leads for their products and services. As an Edtech Company, you can put out videos on your private YouTube channel, share long videos on Facebook, or create interactive videos for your website. Try to make your videos as engaging, informative and interactive as possible to make potential customers curious about your product or service.
5. Give Customers Access to Product Demos
Providing product demos is perhaps one of your best forms of marketing to combat any hesitation or uncertainty experienced by potential customers. No one will say ‘No’ to free trials and to give them first-hand experience of accessing your product would give them a good idea about what you have to offer. To guarantee that your product demo leads to a high number of conversions, ensure that you assign essential company resources to generate the best graphics, user experience and content. After all, this gives potential customers a glimpse of your product and its many features.
6. Tap into the Social Media Market
Social Media marketing is a great way to inform people about your products and services. Today, almost everyone, including educational institutions, is active on at least one social media platform, be it Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. As an Edtech Company, you must be careful about which marketing strategy you adopt for which social media platform. This is because the demographics of each platform differ and you would thus need to generate different forms of content to be relatable to the target audience.
You can use social media in various ways to promote your business. Visually aesthetic videos can help to instil excitement and curiosity in the viewer’s mind. You can also encourage existing users to share posts or stories about their experience using your product and ask them to tag you. This will help your product get recognition among its followers. Social media is also a good place to inform individuals about your latest offers and trials. You can also organize contests and lucky draws to attract new customers.
7. Collaborating with Influencers and Sponsors
Collaborating with influencers in the Edtech industry can be tricky, but it is an essential tool of any social media strategy. Influencers you can contact range from Edtech experts, education enthusiasts, teachers and professors, and public officials who are linked with the educational sector.
Byju’s has one of the biggest success stories when it comes to Influencer marketing. Helming the marketing strategy of Byjus is Shah Rukh Khan as its brand ambassador and face of the brand alongside its partnership with Disney. It has also run several regional campaigns and used popular figures like Mahesh Babu to create a positive association with the target audience. Additionally, it is one of the main sponsors of the Indian Cricket Team, which gives it immense brand exposure because of cricket viewership in the country. All of these strategies combined have made Byju’s a household name today.
8. Do Not Overlook Email Marketing
Communicating with existing and potential customers in a direct way is often the best strategy to create a long-term relationship with them. With the rise of social media, many companies often overlook the benefits of Email Marketing; however, it is an effective tool to inform your customers about new products, offers, campaigns and deals for services offered by you. An ideal target for Email Marketing is your existing customer base, that is, individuals who have bought your products or services at least once in the past.
Another strategy you can adopt is to email schools and other educational institutions on their official email to inform them about your offerings. In this way, you are more likely to get a response from the concerned body. However, you can also give interested users an option to subscribe to your website in order to receive updates about the latest products and services offered by you. This option increases the chances of a user going through the content of your email and reverting back to you with a purchase decision.
9. Ask Customers for Feedback and Reviews
Always try to get feedback and reviews from customers who have used your products or services in the past. Not only does this help build credibility for your brand and attract new customers to try out your products or services, but it also shows you how you can improve your offerings. A negative review should be given special attention in order to create a better user experience for future clientele.
Additionally, a positive review improves the rankings of your company in Google’s search results. This is because consumer feedback is an important SEO tool. There are several ways and platforms through which you can ask customers who share their feedback and reviews. Email marketing can be one of the most direct and best ways to ask past customers for testimonials or reviews. You can use various other techniques to ask for feedback:
1. Request them to fill out an online form- you can share the link via email, company website or SMS
2. Request them to leave a review on Google or any other third-party app
3. Encourage them to share their experience on social media and tag your account
4. You can also have a separate section for testimonials on your website and ask them to leave a review their
10. Review and Revise Your Digital Marketing Plan
Building a website and opening a social media account are only the first steps in your Digital Marketing plan. If you have decided to promote your business online, you should understand your target audience on each platform – what makes them tick, their online behaviours, and what kind of posts gather the most engagement. After a few months of starting out, collect information regarding the number of clicks, shares, etc, assess and analyze this information to make essential modifications and alterations to your existing digital marketing plan.
For example, if YouTube is attracting a greater proportion of consumers than Instagram, then you could assign company resources to generate interactive and quality videos for your YouTube page. Or, if you notice that blogs about ‘Study Hacks’ is drawing in more students than blogs about the subject matter, you could change your digital marketing strategy to increase the number of ‘Study Hacks’ put out by you.
Conclusion
A wise person once said; “Technology will never replace great teachers, but in the hands of great teachers, it is transformational”. The Edtech Sector is perhaps one of the most important industries to help the growth and development of children today. Edtech companies should identify innovative and new technologies that complement traditional teaching methods and cater to a wider range of students. And it is equally important that educators, students and policymakers are aware of Edtech products and services offered by you.
These 10 Digital Marketing Strategies can be used to promote your Edtech Company in the online sphere. Your digital marketing plan can be implemented on a daily, weekly, biweekly or monthly basis depending upon the resources at your disposal. A good Digital marketing strategy will boost the amount of traffic, engagements and purchases you see on your website and social media. Lastly, never forget that the customer is King and work on building a positive long term relationship with parents, educators and students alike.
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