Education Marketing and the COVID-19 Cloud

 2019… what a great year for education marketing!  Enrollments were strong and costs to market were steady.  Then, in 2020… cough, cough…. COVID-19 entered the equation.  And student outcomes rested on the sum of the equation.   Online school, hybrid school, part time in person, all in person… the variations of delivering education to students of all ages proliferated rapidly to meet the needs of higher education, secondary education, primary education, and even preschool. 

The challenges were fueled by the newness of the virus and what was and wasn’t known about its’ impact on children and young adults.  Keeping students safe had to become the top priority, and at times quality of education had to be sacrificed on the altar of safety.  We all hoped that the 2021-2022 school year would bring relief and a return to the normal classroom experience.  Enter… the Delta variant of COVID-19 and the increased virality of its’ impact.  Educational leaders are scrambling again, learning, balancing, and juggling priorities to help their students succeed while protecting their health.   And, as educational leaders scramble and juggle, education marketing once again needs to adjust messaging and methodologies.

Can Education Marketing Still Grow Enrollments?

The answer is yes!  How? By listening.  What?  That’s right.  Listening is the key to growing enrollment in these strange times.  How can you possibly offer solutions if you don’t know what the concerns are?  Some parents are truly frightened and value online options.  Others value in person education and choose a normal in person academic environment.

Effective education marketing must begin with listening in troubled times.  Conducting geographic, demographic, and sociographic research, using market surveys, social media outreach, and town halls can all help to understand the felt needs of students and parents.  Once identified and solutions created, the marketing messages must reflect the understanding of the felt needs.  Messaging needs to resonate with the people who are served by the school(s) students, prospective students, and their families.

If your school(s) have enough going on, and you need help growing enrollments during strange times. we have a proven education marketing track record.  The schools we serve typically grow enrollment while reducing lead generation cost and cost per enrollment. Find out more about the education marketing services Elevate Marketing provides HERE.