Transforming Education Marketing In 2021 With Increasing Digitization

As with any major global event, the pandemic has caused a massive shift in the way every sector operates. Amongst the many, the education sector was posed with nationwide lockdowns and the need to adapt quickly. Schools and colleges all across India quickly shifted to the online medium in order to not lose out on valuable time.

While the shift was sudden and rapid, the eventual switch to an online medium was only a matter of time. Digitization is slowly seeping into the education sector, however, the pandemic has acted as a catalyst to boost the process. The education sector is transforming and here’s why it’s beneficial to hop on the digitization wagon.

The ability to reach a larger audience

Despite its students all across India, a university based in Maharashtra can easily conduct online lectures and continue to provide education. This is largely due to the decreasing gap in internet accessibility. With more and more students across India being able to access the internet, this proves to be useful for education institutes. It not only prevents loss of education but also provides institutes with the opportunity to promote their courses to a larger audience.

Traditional methods are a big no-no

The technological advancements over the past decade or so have truly transformed the way people connect and made the world a smaller place. With newer and effective ways of connecting with a large audience, marketing strategies have evolved over time as well. For Gen-Z, the generation that has grown up with the internet being an integral part of their life, modern marketing strategies are much more effective.

A student is more likely to read more about an institute based on a social media advertisement than a pamphlet. Modern methods of marketing are faster and reach a far larger audience than traditional ones. Those who have already made the shift see a major difference in their numbers. It is imperative for educational institutes to make the switch to digital marketing strategies.

With over 3.2 billion active users on social media, it is just one of the many methods various institutes all across India are relying on to not only teach but also promote their courses. To attract more students and stand apart from others, institutes now focus on branding themselves. It is the process of defining what the college stands for and the students they want to attract. As offline tours of colleges are not possible, many institutes have taken to virtual tours and webinars in order to facilitate the students better.

Furthermore, creating engaging visual-based personalized content is a great way to reach out to students. For education institutes, it is easy to transform their existing curriculum into videos or infographics that can be posted online. In terms of content creation, education marketeers will have to ensure constant updates in order to keep up with social trends.

The need to train

While some may be familiar with the internet and its tricks, many are still oblivious. In order to effectively use digital marketing strategies, education marketeers need to learn new skills. The term digital savvy is becoming increasingly popular and has become a prerequisite in most jobs. It is important for education institutes to train their staff in order to ensure a swift and efficient transition. The complete digitization of the education sector is imminent and those who invest in training and setting up for the future now will reap huge benefits,

The pandemic may have affected people across the world, but it did not put a stop in the education sector. Despite the situation, 2020 recorded an increase in applications to schools and colleges. This is mainly due to the quick adoption of the new normal by education marketeers and professionals. However, in order to sustain the new normal, education institutes and marketers need to move towards digitization.

Vishwajeet Patil

Guest Author The author is Vice President - Operations, SRV Media