Defining and planning strategies for an educational institution's entrance exam campaign demands clarity regarding possible methodologies and actions. With that in mind, we ask you a question: do you already know the difference between inbound and outbound marketing?
Currently, inbound marketing is the main focus of planning and investments of time and resources in educational institutions. However, as we always defend here at 4RevOps, the outbound marketing still deserves space in actions to attract and recruit students.
We understand that the two methodologies can (and should!) be used in a complementary way because this enhances the results obtained by the institution. Knowing their differences is what allows you to understand how inbound makes possible what outbound lacks and vice versa.
What will we cover in this blog post?
What is inbound marketing and outbound marketing?
Inbound marketing for educational institutions;
Outbound marketing for educational institutions;
The difference between inbound marketing and outbound marketing;
Shall we dive in?
After all, what is inbound marketing and outbound marketing?
To point out the differences between inbound marketing and outbound marketing, we first need to understand both concepts. We started with inbound because this is the prominent methodology since the intense use of digital media changed the way people and companies communicate ― which also applies to educational institutions.
Inbound marketing for educational institutions
Therefore, we can say that inbound marketing is a customer attraction and conversion methodology that is based,especially in the production of relevant content.
To put it in other words, when we talk about inbound, we talk about the strategies that led to the creation of his blog educational institution and the more active use of social networks to share posts that are of interest to students and potential students.
The methodology also includes the use of landing pages to capture data and create a list of contacts who receive content from your institution via email, as well as other examples.
Outbound marketing for educational institutions
Outbound marketing received its name after the emergence of inbound. In truth, this methodology is nothing more than traditional marketing, already well known and practiced in different markets.
By traditional marketing, we can understand that which is more direct, focused on the brand and the promotion of its products or services. Something that can be done through advertisements both in an offline environment ― published in magazines, billboards or broadcast on radio, for example ― and in an online environment ― through pop-ups, banners and others.
Bringing this explanation to educational marketing, outbound marketing translates into strategies such as leafletting on the doors of high schools during the registration period for the university entrance exam.educational institution. Also, making telephone calls, the famous telemarketing, to try to attract students to the institution.
Personalization has become a crucial element in outbound marketing strategies, especially in the education sector. With the advancement of technology and the availability of data, educational institutions can target their campaigns more precisely, tailoring messages and offers to the specific needs and interests of each group of students.
This approach not only increases the effectiveness of campaigns, but also improves the experience of potential students, making communication more relevant and less intrusive. Implementing personalized outbound marketing actions can result in higher conversion rates and a stronger relationship between the institution and its prospective students.
See these additional resources as well:
- When does outbound marketing work for educational institutions?
- Learn how to generate leads online and offline;
- Offline lead generation: 4 strategies you can’t miss.
The difference between inbound marketing and outbound marketing
Based on what we have presented, it is easy to highlight some important differences between inbound marketing and outbound marketing that are necessary so that, later on, we can talk about how the methodologies complement each other. Follow:
- Inbound represents a more passive approach, while outbound is a more active and direct approach;
- Inbound marketing demands in-depth public knowledge and educational institutions to send you relevant content capable of attracting your attention. In turn, outbound marketing allows for more massive and generic communication;
- Inbound fulfills the task of guiding the student through the consumer journey from your first contact with the institution until enrollment. Meanwhile, outbound marketing focuses on the final phase of the journey, in this case, signing up for the university entrance exam.educational institution;
- Inbound marketing for educational institutions focuses on the potential student's needs and outbound focuses on the company's brand.educational institution and in its service, making a direct call for the student to register for the entrance exam.
Caption: Inbound and outbound marketing: opposite but complementary strategies for winning over and retaining customers.
How inbound and outbound marketing complement each other
With inbound marketing on the rise, there are those who believe that there is no room for outbound. This thought is common because inbound is the approach that delivers what the student needs and when they need it, but that is not always enough.
Let's understand better. Inbound is what makes your educational institution produce a blog post with "Tips for a grade 10 essay", aiming to help students perform well in their entrance exam. This type of strategy adds value and tends to be better received by potential students.
Outbound is what makes your educational institution create an ad "sign up for our entrance exam" that appears on the screen of the student who accesses your institution's blog to read the previously mentioned post. Something that can be uncomfortable and therefore seems not worth it. How to change this?
The combination of inbound and outbound
The integration of inbound and outbound marketing, often referred to as “allbound marketing,” has gained prominence as an effective approach to maximizing campaign results.
By combining the creation of relevant inbound content with the direct approaches of outbound, educational institutions can reach potential students at different stages of the decision-making journey, increasing the chances of conversion and optimizing the return on investment.
What we want to show you is the one: The differences between inbound marketing and outbound marketing do not make the methodologies exclusive. Your Educational institutionYou don't need to choose between one or the other, nor should you focus on just one of them.
Therefore, to prevent an outbound marketing action from being seen as a nuisance, its educational institution must be based on the data you gather for and from inbound actions. Information about the needs and preferences of each contact at the institution can be used to develop more assertive actions in traditional marketing as well.
To develop a successful entrance exam campaign, your institution should plan which students to directly call or send a whatsapp message directing you to register for the test.
It's better to schedule an announcement for that student who is at an advanced stage of the journey than to simply shoot ads to everyone and cross your fingers to find those who are ready to sign up for the entrance exam.
It is worth considering that the consumer journey is not linear. Some students arrive at the institution ready to enroll, others go through a few steps, while the rest take longer to decide.
Your Educational institution you don't need to develop all your communication strategy aiming to accompany each student through inbound marketing actions. Differently from this, you can assess which ones are ready to receive a call or WhatsApp message directing them to sign up and thus save time and resources.
Summary: Inbound and outbound marketing are not rivals—they complement each other. While inbound attracts students with relevant content throughout their decision journey, outbound acts directly to convert those ready to enroll. Combining both strategies enables more effective, personalized campaigns and better enrollment results.
Did you find the post interesting? Check out this article as well: Unleashing the Power of Outbound Marketing: Strategies to Enhance Your Educational Institution's Reputation!
How can inbound and outbound work together to boost student enrollment?
What is the main difference between inbound and outbound marketing?
Inbound marketing draws in students through relevant, helpful content and guides them through the decision journey. Outbound marketing, on the other hand, is more direct, pushing messages like “enroll now” to reach students ready to act.
Does outbound marketing still work in education?
Yes. When targeted effectively and informed by inbound data, outbound marketing can yield great results—especially for prospects who are already ready to enroll and don’t need to go through the full decision journey.
How can I combine inbound and outbound in a vestibular campaign?
Use inbound content (like blog posts or webinars) to attract students. Then, based on their engagement, trigger outbound actions like ads or personalized messages at the right moment to increase conversion rates.
Should I run direct campaigns for all prospective students?
No. It's best to analyze behavioral data and focus outbound efforts only on students at an advanced stage of the decision process. This reduces costs and improves your enrollment campaign efficiency.
What is allbound marketing?
Allbound marketing is the strategic integration of inbound and outbound. It allows institutions to reach students at various stages of the funnel, combining educational content with direct actions for stronger and more complete campaigns.
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