Social Media Marketing for the Education Sector: Improve Growth and Engagement
Social Media Marketing for Education: Liberating Growth and Engagement As the world is connected as it has been in recent times, social media has emerged as a major marketing force in nearly every business sector, including education. Whatever form it takes from a school, college, learning website, or tutoring center, your social media marketing strategy can transform your presence, activity, and pupil enrollments. As more and more parents and students turn to the internet to find learning opportunities, it is crucial that schools have a robust web presence. In this blog, social media marketing in education will be discussed, as well as tips, advice, and wisdom on how to school your school in today’s technological age. Why Social Media Marketing in Education 1. Reaching Out to Potential Students View this post on Instagram A post shared by Garware Bachelor of Management Studies (Retail Management) (@garware_brm) The institutions had hitherto used conventional media such as brochures, advertising, and word of mouth when enrolling students. Today, however, the social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter offer the platform upon which the international marketplace can be accessed. You are able to target prospective students, parents, and alumni as well, if they are looking for undergraduate degrees, online certificates, or even co-curricular courses. With more than hundreds of millions of active daily social media users, possibilities for growth and reach are staggering. Social media also offers the ability to target specific age groups, geographies, and even interests, making it simple to find students who would be a perfect fit for your programs. 2. Building Brand Awareness and Trust View this post on Instagram A post shared by upGrad | Online Higher Education (@upgrad_edu) Trust is what schools need. Parents and students must believe that they are selecting an actual quality school and their money’s worth is being met. Social media marketing enables schools to market their values, culture, and academic success. Highlight alumni success stories of students who have succeeded big in doing great things. Post behind-the-scenes news with focus on faculty excellence, student life, and activities. Gave reviews and testimonials by current students, graduates, and teachers in building credibility. These items of content make your school more personal and credible, and thus more appealing to potential students. 3. Face-to-Face Communication and Engagement View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mashable India | A Fork Media Group Co. (@mashable.india) One of the best aspects of social media is that you can converse with and connect with your audience directly. Social media marketing lets you answer questions, converse with potential students, and provide live chat sessions. These establish connections and enable your institution to reply and empathize. Use Facebook Messenger or Instagram Direct Messenger to provide instant feedback. Engage in discussion in the comments section to answer questions. Provide live Q&A sessions to answer questions from prospective students regarding admissions, courses, or student life. 4. Targeted Advertising View this post on Instagram A post shared by Edutech Life (@theedutechlife) Social networks provide more advanced targeting options that can help you promote your educational services to the most relevant individuals. If you must target students by age, geography, or interests, or retarget past site visitors, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn provide convenience. With paid social advertising, you can: Promote open houses or application deadlines. Promote special scholarships and funding opportunities. Promote your workshops, certification programs, and online courses. 5. Community Building Social media is a wonderful platform upon which you can build a community for your school. Your community can consist of students, parents, alumni, and teachers, who can all engage with your post, share experiences, and refer your institution. By creating a solid community on LinkedIn or Facebook Groups, you can make your audience brand ambassadors who will gladly speak about your good experience and promote your institution. Top Social Media Marketing Strategies for the Education Industry 1. Create a Content Strategy Good, informative, and engaging content is the best use of social media to marketing. Your content must be that which differentiates your institution and meets the needs and interests of your market. Some of the content ideas are the following: Testimonials and graduate/students’ anecdotes: Showcase success stories, achievements, and individual anecdotes of students and graduates. Virtual tours of the campus: Provide a behind-the-scenes look at life on campus to prospective students through hosting live or video tours. Educational materials: Offer advice, tips, and information about your field of study or courses. Live events: Host Q&A sessions with current students or instructors, virtual open houses, or webinars. Behind-the-scenes posts: Provide followers with an idea of what goes on on campus or in class and provide them with a glimpse into student life. 2. Use Visual Content View this post on Instagram A post shared by Higher Education Department (@hedodisha) The beauty of sites like Instagram and Pinterest is that visually oriented content comes to the forefront. The education industry can learn a great deal from emphasizing visuals like images and videos. Sharing photos of your campus, teachers, or school life, or sharing teaching videos, interactive visuals make visitors talk and keep them. Invest in high-quality photos, infographics, and short videos to share on each platform. Visual content creation creates an affinity with an emotional connection with your target market. 3. Use User-Generated Content View this post on Instagram A post shared by upGrad | Online Higher Education (@upgrad_edu) User-generated content (UGC) is social proof at its finest. Encourage your existing students and graduates to share their experience on their own social media platform not only provides your brand with more visibility but also your institution’s credibility. You can also get your students to share their experience by: Hashtag campaigns: Develop a branded hashtag and encourage the students to use it whenever they share their experience. Contests and giveaways: Request the students to share pictures or stories