On the one hand, we have a basic need for educational institutions: to increase student recruitment. And on the other, we have the marketing methodology that generates results and is the most sought after today: inbound marketing. How about combining one thing with another in your educational institution’s marketing campaigns?
The result of this union is what shows us how to attract more students with inbound marketing and that's what we're talking about in this post. More than pointing out the power of inbound strategies, our goal is to share with you tips to enhance the results of your educational institution's campaigns, from attracting new enrollments to closing.
To begin, it is important to keep two points in mind: 1) inbound marketing does not just happen in the online universe, but 2) you must be willing to explore this universe and take advantage of its full potential. Let's go?
CONTENTS OF THIS POST:
#1. Bet on the power of informative images
Continue reading and check out the 5 tips we’ve put together for you!
#1. Bet on the power of informative images
As you may already know, content marketing is one of the powerful inbound marketing tools for student recruitment because it permeates strategies from attraction to conversion, as we said in the post How to manage leads in education.
The point is that when planning its content, an educational institution must think about diversifying, especially considering the formats that generate the most results ― something that can be understood from the data analysis ― and those that have the most potential for engagement.
With that in mind, the first of our inbound marketing tips for educational institutions is to bet on the power of infographics. This type of content can be complementary to a text or even be posted separately on the educational institution's profiles on social media.
The interesting thing about infographics is that they carry useful information for students, in addition to making reference to the institution. Therefore, they have a good chance of being shared among your target audience, allowing potential students to get to know your educational institution.
#2. Believe in video streaming
Netflix is the main example of video streaming that we currently have and its idea is precisely to transmit video content online through a platform.
For those who want to discover how to attract more students with inbound marketing, streaming can be used to share a video that presents the educational institution or a specific course to be published on the website, for example. Always, of course, containing information relevant to your potential student.
In turn, live streaming or live broadcasts are gaining ground on social networks such as Facebook and even onstories frequently used on Snapchat and Instagram. In these cases, the idea is to present less produced content (without edits and without effects), but which is still informative and interesting.
Both streaming and live streaming favor student recruitment because it brings the educational institution closer to its audience and contributes to arousing the interest of potential students.
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#3. Use gamification
Are you already familiar with the term gamification? Originating from the word game or "game" in English, gamification refers to a way of combining fun and promoting your educational institution's brand.
We have already presented this inbound marketing tip for educational institutions no post The most used marketing tactics by pre-university courses in Brazil, but it is applicable to any educational institution.
Through the educational institution's website, it is possible to provide quizzes with relevant questions for those preparing for the entrance exam. By itself, the game encourages participation because we are naturally competitive, even when trying to prove our knowledge to ourselves, but it is possible to go further. It is possible to award discounts on registration for different score ranges, for example.
#4. Hold webinars
One webinar is a video seminar or conference held live over the internet. It works with one or more participants in the video, sharing knowledge or promoting debates on a topic of interest while the public watches online.
The webinar is a good inbound marketing tip for educational institutions because it is another chance that the institution has to share relevant content and add value to potential students, which helps to attract them. Your educational institution can, for example, offer a free virtual class, instead of opting for an in-person one.
It is worth noting that, to access the webinar, the student needs to provide data such as name, email and telephone number, which puts them on the educational institution's contact list. As a result, the institution now has permission to send messages and newsletters aimed at nurturing its leads and their subsequent conversion, resulting in new enrollments.
#5. Have stands at fairs/events
Setting up stands at fairs or career shows or participating in educational events aimed at students is not a new strategy. The important thing now is to understand that it is possible to do this using inbound marketing in the offline world.
At your educational institution's stand, it is possible to replace the human and direct approach with equipment that allows students to approach students spontaneously. This equipment contains informative content in different formats and even games that contribute to the engagement and success of the action.
To access certain content or more complete material in relation to that seen on the stand, the potential student may be invited to share their email with their educational institution. The same applies to the withdrawal of any prize related to the game that the student participated in the event.
The idea, therefore, is to explore the possibilities of including technology in offline or "real world" situations and focus on integration with the virtual world to enhance the actions of student recruitment of the institution. And most importantly, always remember to look for ways to add value and offer a memorable experience to students who participate with the educational institution.
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