In the changing times and rapid growth of educational institutes and schools globally, marketing has become one of the essential means to reach out to the public efficiently. Marketing is highly valued as it entices parents and students to choose a suitable school according to their needs.
Before providing any products and services, thoroughly research customers' needs and wants.
Some steps of market research are :
- What does the public want?
Market research is essential for determining what a school's target audience (parents and students) is searching for in a school.
- What are the problems in the market?
A school can become more active and hence attract and encourage the public to enroll by identifying the issues and potential solutions facing a typical Nepali school.
- Market analysis
Numerous schools offer comparable services; therefore, critically evaluating every aspect of a school to develop more effective marketing plans is crucial. Utilize the market research results to benefit the schools and enhance them.
In Nepal's scenario, people have been using old advertisement methods like signboards, newspaper and television ads, etc., which are unconventional for the new era of Millenials and Gen Z. However, Nepal has also well accepted the idea of digitization and digital marketing has become a powerful tool and a necessity for all kinds of businesses.
Let's look at some marketing strategies you can implement now if you want to increase enrollment this year.
Make Use of The Internet
Parents and their children want to apply to the best school. Nowadays, everyone has access to the internet, so they are sure to search the websites for information regarding the schools, their programs, and other benefits of enrolling in them. Making full use of the internet and investing in creating a website and having it updated and responsive systematically will have significant possibilities to impact parents and students about the school.
To prioritize the website, some ideas that can make it better could be:
- Involve students in it, allow them to publish blogs and articles, and unleash their creativity,
- A website that will enable teachers to post and students to submit their assignments,
- Create a section for the school notice board,
- Enhance it with pictures and fun graphics,
- Make it easy and convenient for parents to pay fees online.
Unique Programs and Courses
Nepal is known for its traditional teaching-learning system. Among all the schools that follow mainstream courses and subjects to study, a school can stand out by providing unique programs and practices that are sellable in the market and interest students to sustain them in the long run.
Bring such a program that engages students and makes them learn in a fun environment can be any program that is useful in practical life, such as:
- Vocational studies include cooking, sewing, painting, and crafts,
- Extracurricular Activities include physical activities like swimming, football, martial arts, dancing, and other sports that are good for health,
- Competitions and events like debates, quiz competitions, Model United Nations Simulations (MUN), etc. to develop intellectual qualities.
Besides physical and vocational programs, courses prepare students for real-world challenges worth learning, such as Basic First Aid Training, Public Speaking, and other soft skills utilized later in their professional and personal life.
Be Active on Social Media: Social Media Marketing
Communication plays a vital role in the management of any institution. In schools, frequent events and programs are organized. They could use social media like Facebook, Instagram, and Google Mail to flow information and other engaging content that helps students and parents stay updated with current activities or future ones in school. Social media are an easy, free and fun way to know what the audiences need and want with a high Return on Investment (ROI).
There are ways to stay active in socials like:
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Facebook
Create a community and a group to conduct various activities, create polls, add videos about the school and its alums, answer frequently asked questions, etc. Encourage and involve students to submit blogs on Facebook pages, reward them, and inspire other potential customers to join the initiatives. Similarly, by investing in Facebook ads, schools can increase their brand awareness and reach millions of audiences.
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Instagram
Youngsters these days are found to be more active on Instagram. To grab their instant attention, creating a page with good infographics can help a school attract students, and running an ad can also get a school's notice amongst its potential target audiences. Reels and videos can be fun activities for students and teachers. It can also be a good marketing tactic to attract attention.
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LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a platform that gives a college or university a better opportunity to create a profile. It will be noticeable for search engine performance, and it is the best way to encourage people to contact each other and provide some other significant benefits. Create a School LinkedIn group and encourage students to join and bring alums and teachers together professionally; it will strengthen its relationship with the faculty and increase its reputation.
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E-mails / Newsletters
By using e-mails and monthly newsletters, not only parents, teachers and students can stay updated with an effective social media presence; you can help to promote schools in Nepal.
Boost the Search Visibility
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Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
People use different browsers, e.g Google Chrome, Yahoo, and Bing, to search for answers to their queries,people search on the internet about it, which is why having a search engine presence is essential to attract and interact with the audience.
What do you google if you are a parent moving to a new area and looking for schools for your children? Every 12 seconds, 1.83 million people worldwide, including approximately 25,000 in Nepal, search for a "high-quality college in...?" on Google.
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Google Ads
Google Ads is also why many businesses run successfully; finding new business leads using Google Pay-Per-Click (PPC) allows companies to run their ads and display them in Google search results.
For instance, if a school runs a PPC campaign during the admission months, target keywords like "best school in Kathmandu" can redirect them to the website and ultimately lead them to the online admission form submission page. The ad appears 1st in the Google search. Chances are that parents are looking for a good school, and they might even fill out the online form. The information used in the form can also be used to remarket the business.
Why PPC?
- We can keep costs under control by establishing a maximum price per day, which will aid in budgeting,
- With the speed of PPC, you can outperform your competitors,
- It is faster than organic SEO.
Content Marketing
Despite all the marketing formulas, one of the schools' most serious issues is declining enrollments. While no one can guarantee that good content will solve this problem, it can get potential students into your admission earlier and in more significant numbers. And the sooner you can promote and communicate, the better.
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Blogs
Featuring blogs that can frequently interact and relate to the audience can impress the audiences, target the readers among students, teachers, and parents and allow submissions for articles from all people associated with the school. Blogs that contain engaging visuals or photographs can make it enjoyable.
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Videos
Video content generates more engagement than written content or images, so incorporate it into a strategy in small steps. Going 'live' on social media with the school's digital camera and smartphone, filming alumni testimonials instead of writing them down, captures candid moments of students enjoying the school environment.
Moreover, building a School's digital brand and emphasizing online marketing make it a priority to make people remember the school, a good school slogan, a motto, or its eye-pleasing logo that reflects the values and morals of the school. Social media marketing promotes a school as a brand and service and builds relationships with parents, students, teachers, and potential customers. Digital marketing of schools not only helps to reach targeted audiences but helps to understand them and engage and pursue them to consume a product.
Traditional Marketing
Traditional marketing is any form of marketing that uses offline media to reach an audience. Newspaper and other print ads are basic examples of traditional marketing, but there are also billboards, mail advertisements, and TV and radio advertisements. Some people still need to be on the internet and learn how to use it. To reach potential audiences on the internet, traditional ways of marketing are the best. Making it more exciting and evoking emotion in advertisements that make them feel good about the product.
Public Engagement
It is crucial to uphold the school's reputation in the community, connect with the students, parents and pique their interest in the institution. Go out into the community and set up a kiosk or stand to inform the public about the school in places like amusement parks and shopping centers. Organize a fun education fair to reach
Quality Education
Unfortunately, not all Nepalese schools can afford to use these marketing tools and techniques. Some schools have a tiny marketing budget, while others do not have one at all. That school, which has spent a lot of money on marketing tools, has already established itself in the market. However, quality of education is always a number one priority of a parent from a middle-class household, and providing quality education should be the most important ambition for a school. Either by revising the syllabus every now and then and developing new content for students or hiring experienced teachers and employees, etc. Education should be broader than books; let students practice a culture of learning by doing rather than by learning by rotting books. Engage the school in public activities, organizing various awareness programs, school trips, and rallies; by doing so, students will get a new environment to learn by experience. At the same time, the school will be recognized for such activities.
For a school to exist is no big deal, but the ones that make an impact within the community are rare, so let people know about the salient features, infrastructures, and prospects, influence and inspire them to get enrolled.
Edusanjal
Edusanjal, a comprehensive platform that features in-depth and insightful news about the education sector of Nepal, has been assisting millions of students by offering thorough, accurate, timely, and unbiased information about education, including colleges, schools, courses, results, scholarships, and careers. In addition, Edusanjal works with universities and organizations to promote education through campaigns and events.
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