Winter Content Marketing: Educational Institutions
FROM TRADITION TO MODERNITY
The education industry is all about tradition. While that might be great for reputation, it isn’t great for marketing. Education institutions could make a lot more progress with lead gen and conversions if they invested more in content marketing.
Why move from traditional to modern? Because your target audience are almost exclusively young people. Some of you might call them millennials. And millennials are very clear on how they want to be marketed to and it’s not with sale pitches in the mail, email, or on TV. It’s not with speakers at their high school. It’s with funny, interesting, valuable content on social media platforms.
WHY CONTENT MARKETING?
Content marketing is absolutely perfect for educational institutions because there is so much mystery and confusion over things as basic and necessary as applying to the institution and filling out a FAFSA. And most of the content that universities do have are in the form of studies, which are great for some purposes, but not great for convincing students to apply.
There is a need for clear advice, definitions, and policies. Which is why content marketing can make you stand out compared to your hundreds and thousands of competitors.
WHY WINTER THEMED?
We’re not saying you have to write content about winter wonderlands (though that will convince quite a few potential students to at least check you out). But this is a key season for you. Many students are applying for colleges. Many others have already applied but need to make a final decision. Others have already been accepted but still have a million questions and you can’t leave them hanging either.
Let’s look at some of your potential targets for a winter content marketing campaign.
POTENTIAL STUDENTS
Whether they are applying or making their final decision, any helpful or cool content you create will be one more deciding force for them. Create content about perks to going to your institution. But don’t make them in a sales sort of way, but in a fresh, authentic, transparent sort of way. Look at day-to-day life. Interview real students. Write about how you are improving, not so you can get students and make money, but so you can improve the lives and education of your students.
Create helpful content about the application process. How to fill out your FAFSA. What the next steps are. How to decide what major to choose. All of this content will help convince students that you will give them the best experience.
CURRENT STUDENTS
This content will do double duty for you. Not only will it show potential students you are serious about helping your student base, but it also helps the students you have accepted. Content geared towards these students might consist of advice on study habits, the most efficient routes through campus, and the best places to study on campus or around town. S
tudents often don’t take advantage of the resources they have at colleges and other institutions. Trust me, I never knew how much I would miss the free gym until I left. You could write helpful content on all of the great resources such as study groups, clinics, gyms, and mental health facilities you have
THIS IS JUST A TASTE OF THE POTENTIAL OF CONTENT MARKETING
There is literally an endless supply of content marketing ideas for educational institutions. And remember, doing your own content marketing proves to your potential and current students that you care about them. It also is a way to organically improve your “brand awareness” and puts the control of how people see your institution in your hands.
ABOUT PIXEL506
Pixel506 is a digital marketing company that believes in the intersection of quality writing, design, and technology. Together, these three major components create some of the best digital marketing and content marketing campaigns that bring about the kind of leads and conversions that boost ROI and bring real growth to your company.