Do you believe that the purchase process of your Educational Institutions needs optimizations but has no idea where to start? The definition of that can be in the diagnostic evaluation - an essential tool for your company to take the next step in the prospect of new enrollments and students’ maintenance.
It is a 360º analysis that comes from many researches about digital marketing strategies you can use. It represents a clear vision of your brand’s performance, what’s the strong points - that can be better developed - and what are the opportunities to improve and the alternatives to follow.
Does it seem complex? Don’t worry! We are going to clear it with some details. Keep reading this article to make this topic a priority to your Educational Institutions.
The digital marketing diagnostic is a toolkit that allows an online performance analysis of a brand. Through it, it’s possible to identify problems that jeopardize the relationship between the students and your Educational Institutions.
The diagnostic evaluation is necessary even for those who already have a marketing strategy, such as Outbound or Inbound Marketing, because the plan by itself can’t guarantee success. It’s necessary to review it steadily, looking for opportunities to improve.
Even with well-structured Inbound Marketing and Outbound Marketing plans, diagnostics are essential: they reveal bottlenecks invisible to the naked eye and guide priorities based on data, not intuition.
Indeed, the importance of diagnostic evaluation in digital marketing has never been so great as it is nowadays.
We live in different times that demand a detailed view of every action. To be sure that will happen, you can observe the shocking data about school evasion this year.
To contextualize this with correctly dated data: in October 2020, the Continuous National Household Sample Survey (PNAD Contínua) analyzed by UNICEF indicated 1.38 million students aged 6 to 17 were not attending school (remotely or in-person). In 2022, a survey by Ipec for UNICEF estimated that approximately 2 million adolescents aged 11 to 19 were out of school, reinforcing the urgency of intersectoral action.
Of course this huge number involves a complexity even greater than the communication of the Educational Institutions. On the other hand, even families with a position to give private education are choosing movements as homeschooling or moving to other educational ways.
Image: Diagnostic Assessment in Marketing: Understand its strategic role
When talking about relationships with parents and students, some schools are getting it right, but the most is wrong. The thing is: you can play with the internet anymore. Educational Institutions that don’t specialize in digital marketing will be fated to lose enrollments more and more.
Do you agree with that?
Oh! Talking about marketing specializing, understand now what’s seen in a diagnostic evaluation.
In what communication channels is your Educational Institutions on? Do you show your company in social media posting regularly? How about the contents? Are they relevant to your audience?
These are some questions to consider when evaluating how much and in which way your Educational Institutions is present in the virtual world.
It’s possible to answer these questions by tracking the social media metrics and the website traffic analysis. Noting the ranking of your blog posts in Google searches also will help you to conclude if your SEO strategy is working or not.
At the technical SEO level, include Core Web Vitals (LCP, INP, and CLS) and E-E-A-T signals described in Google's rater guidelines in your audit. In March 2024, Search Engine Land reported that Core Web Vitals remain a ranking signal, while other Page Experience signals have a more limited role.
Making a detailed examination depends on contemplating data and also evaluating the customer’s relationship through an analytic vision of the CRM software, for example.
In addition, diagnostic evaluation focused on digital results covers a set of market researches, consumer’s tendencies and other external variations that can create purchase opportunities. In fact, methods such as SWOT analysis helps a lot in identifying strong and weak points of your brand, pointing to what the opportunities and threats are.
Finally, tools such as CSD matrix, buying journeys, RFM analysis and flight plan work as a truly X-ray of your Educational Institutions brand.
To provide methodological support, the CSD matrix helps organize Certainties, Assumptions, and Doubts by squad and reduce execution risks; while the RFM analysis segments by Recency, Frequency, and Value, prioritizing offers and relationship metrics that truly move the needle on acquisition and retention.
We could talk depper about every one of these methodologies and it would probably help you somehow, but we need to go straight to the point, telling what is not good and what you or your marketing agency can do towards this.
In the end of the day what you really want is adequate increase numbers or, at least, an enrolled maintenance. To check if your institution has or not success in these issues and for what reason, count on the most valuable material you have: the opinion of your students.
Based on the vision and experience of those who know the Educational Institutions, it’s possible to make a capture diagnostic and also a retention diagnostic. That can be led in a more assertive way through Artificial Intelligence tools capable of processing large scale information.
When applying AI to dropout/retention diagnostics, there is evidence of practical gains: machine learning models increase the effectiveness of retention interventions when they combine prediction and targeted actions, according to a peer-reviewed study (MDPI, 2023). Transparency of criteria and data governance remain essential to maintaining public trust.
An AI allows you to determine the baselines of your research. As a result, the collected data are converted into easy-interpretation infographics, enabling a strategy of the general context and of each intended variation.
Based on the acquired information, it’s possible to have the big picture of the situation the Educational Institutions is in and insights to create action, avoiding, then, students evasion and capturing new ones.
Even if your Educational Institutions has already a very consolidated digital marketing and has already seen good results lately, it’s always important to review the scenario and the action plan.
Nowadays, as never before, is the moment to evaluate precisely the way marketing is being led and look after your students’ needs.
Numbers don’t lie, but they can change!
That’s why we say it again: embracing a diagnostic evaluation can be the before-and-after experience that will determine a new moment of the relationship between your institution and your former students and increase the purchase opportunities.
Key learnings digital marketing diagnostic assessment: A diagnostic assessment is a 360º analysis that highlights strengths, opportunities, and bottlenecks in a company’s or educational institution’s digital marketing strategy. Using tools such as SEO, CRM, SWOT analysis, CSD matrix, and RFM, it provides a clear view of brand performance, guiding improvements in student acquisition, customer retention, and overall engagement. This approach replaces guesswork with data-driven insights, uncovering hidden gaps and defining actionable priorities. With AI-powered analysis, diagnostics become even more effective, enabling personalized interventions to reduce churn, increase loyalty, and sustainably boost enrollments or sales.
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A diagnostic evaluation is an in-depth analysis of a school or company’s digital performance. It identifies strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities, focusing on areas such as SEO, social media, CRM, and content. Unlike surface-level metrics, it reveals hidden bottlenecks and provides actionable insights. This process empowers managers to optimize acquisition and retention strategies, allocate investments more effectively, and improve ROI. By transforming data into action, institutions achieve sustainable growth, increase enrollments or customer loyalty, and strengthen their digital presence in a competitive and constantly evolving market.
A diagnostic evaluation is essential because it provides a complete 360º view of digital strategies. Even well-structured Inbound and Outbound Marketing plans need continuous review to avoid inefficiencies. In a competitive landscape with high dropout rates, failing to conduct diagnostics risks losing enrollments and damaging brand reputation. The process highlights where to invest, which actions to adjust, and which channels to prioritize. As a result, institutions can minimize waste, communicate more effectively with their audience, and strengthen both acquisition and retention efforts to achieve long-term stability and growth.
A digital marketing diagnostic covers various aspects: social media presence, content consistency, SEO performance, website traffic, and technical usability (Core Web Vitals). It also involves CRM-based relationship analysis and strategic methodologies such as SWOT, CSD matrix, and RFM analysis. This holistic approach reveals whether digital strategies are aligned with the sales funnel and truly support lead generation, student enrollment, and customer loyalty. With detailed data, managers gain clarity on what is working, what requires adjustment, and where opportunities for improvement and growth are most significant.
The process relies on a combination of tools and frameworks. Google Analytics 4 measures traffic and behavior, while Google Search Console tracks SEO performance. CRM platforms monitor relationships and customer journeys, and social media dashboards assess engagement. Strategic methods such as SWOT, CSD matrix, customer journey mapping, and RFM analysis complement the view. Together, these tools create a full X-ray of the institution’s marketing performance, uncovering gaps and guiding precise, data-driven actions that maximize resources, boost efficiency, and improve digital marketing outcomes.
By analyzing user data and feedback, a diagnostic evaluation reveals what attracts new students and what drives them away. Institutions can then design personalized nurturing flows, segmented campaigns, and retention strategies. With artificial intelligence, it becomes possible to predict dropout risks and take preventive measures. This dual focus enhances acquisition and loyalty, increasing students’ Lifetime Value (LTV) and ensuring financial sustainability. By aligning strategies with real audience needs, schools achieve more predictable enrollment, reduce churn, and create stronger long-term relationships with students and customers.
If your school or business lacks clarity on digital results, struggles with acquisition and retention, or relies more on intuition than on data, it is time for a diagnostic evaluation. This process identifies hidden bottlenecks and sets clear priorities for impactful actions. In today’s challenging educational landscape, a digital marketing diagnostic often marks the turning point for growth, enabling institutions to increase enrollments, reduce dropouts, and build lasting relationships with students and customers through consistent, data-driven strategies.