Mkt4Edu Blog

How to get ahead of competitors’ marketing campaigns?

Written by Gustavo Goncalves | Nov 13, 2023 3:56:48 PM

Innovate and offer experiences that surprise, attract positive attention and increase enrollment at your institution. How to develop marketing campaigns that make your educational institution stand out among others?

If you have this question and want to discover the way to think about strategies and implement actions that make your institution a reference in the market, you have come to the right post.

Continue reading and find out how to get ahead of your competitors and achieve better results!

Never stop knowing your audience

You probably already know about the importance of knowing your institution’s audience and defining your personas. An essential step for your actions to attract the right people and, more than that, win them over.

To develop a successful marketing campaign, you need to understand that the process of getting to know your audience never ends. This does not mean that a new persona must be created every day, but that the educational institution needs to keep in mind that the profile of students changes (influences and is influenced by the environment) and, therefore, attention is needed to maintain adequacy ever.

Pay attention to trends

Data collected information about your institution's audience allows, among other factors, the identification of preferences and even patterns of behavior that allow needs and interests to be predicted.

Collecting and monitoring information about the market also contributes to a marketing campaign for sales Keep up with your demands and trends. And, to this end, it is also worth paying attention to what is successfully done by educational institutions abroad.

In addition to following trends, it is essential to conduct a structured competitive analysis. Tools such as SWOT Analysis allow you to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats related to your institution and the market. This strategic approach helps you understand your HEI’s positioning in relation to your competitors, allowing you to develop more effective and targeted campaigns.

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Be part of your audience’s universe

Another good way to discover trends and find opportunities to present an innovative campaign is to get to know in depth the universe of universes in which your audience participates.

It is by being part of this environment that your institution will be able to take advantage of specific opportunities to develop creative campaigns, at the right time and with a strong appeal to go viral and generate good results.

To stand out in a saturated market, consider implementing guerrilla marketing strategies. This approach involves creative, low-cost actions that generate great impact and visibility. Unexpected and innovative campaigns can capture the attention of your target audience and differentiate your institution from the rest, promoting greater engagement and brand recognition.

Pay attention to the message

Search and analyze marketing campaigns that become a reference is a good way to realize that the path is not always to focus on the solution (in the educational institution's courses or in its promotions, for example). Sometimes, it is the message transmitted that adds value, projects the brand and strengthens the image of an institution in the market.

What your educational institution communicates, how it communicates, as well as the values ​​it shares have the potential to make the public identify, recognize or feel represented by the campaign developed, increasing its chances of success.

Personalizing your communication is another crucial factor for successful campaigns. Using demographic and behavioral data to segment your audience allows you to create more relevant and targeted messages, increasing the likelihood of engagement and conversion. Data analysis tools, such as Google Analytics, can provide valuable insights into audience behavior, helping you create more effective content.

Caption: Competitive Advantage with Smart Marketing Strategies.

Run tests and track results

Based on the analysis of the data collected and the trends identified, your educational institution can invest in tests that help to assess the needs of the public and their perception of a topic that can guide the development of a marketing campaign for sales.

Furthermore, monitor reactions, track and analyze results. Every mistake and every success contributes to the development of increasingly powerful strategies. Remember that a successful marketing campaign doesn’t happen overnight!

In addition to traditional A/B testing, it’s a good idea to adopt a continuous experimentation approach known as growth hacking. This methodology involves running rapid, iterative experiments to identify the most effective strategies for attracting and retaining students. By fostering a culture of constant testing and learning, your institution can quickly adapt to changing market conditions and student needs.

Summary: To create standout educational marketing campaigns, it is essential to continually understand your audience, monitor trends, personalize your communication, and test strategies. Creative actions, data analysis, and messages aligned with your institution’s values ​​increase engagement and enrollment.

Do you want more tips for your educational institution to develop campaigns that make it stand out in the market? Discover our services and find out how 4RevOps can help!

How to create standout educational marketing campaigns?

Why is it important to continuously understand your audience?

Because student profiles evolve over time. Keeping up with changes in behaviors, interests, and expectations helps your institution build campaigns that are more accurate, engaging, and impactful.

How can I identify trends for educational marketing campaigns?

By collecting and analyzing data about your audience and the market. Observing successful practices from other institutions — especially international ones — and using tools like SWOT analysis helps spot patterns and new opportunities.

What does it mean to be part of your audience’s world?

It means understanding and immersing yourself in the language, values, and digital spaces your students interact with. This allows you to create creative, timely campaigns with strong emotional appeal that resonate with your target audience.

How important is the message in an educational marketing campaign?

The message can be more impactful than the offer itself. Campaigns that communicate values and connect with the audience emotionally help build a strong brand image and long-term recognition in the education market.

How does personalization improve campaign performance?

Using behavioral and demographic data to segment your audience allows for more relevant and targeted communication. Personalized messages increase engagement and boost conversion rates significantly.

Why is testing essential in educational marketing campaigns?

Testing different campaign formats, messages, and offers helps you understand what resonates best with your audience. It’s a way to learn continuously, optimize performance, and reduce guesswork.

What is Growth Hacking and how does it apply to education marketing?

Growth Hacking is about running rapid experiments to quickly identify what works best. By applying this method, your institution can adapt faster to market changes and student needs, improving both lead generation and retention.