Trends in Education Marketing

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In recent years the education market has experienced significant upheaval. As an education provider, how do you stand out in the minds of customers? How can your organisation be a leader in the changing landscape? And how can you create effective education marketing?

The first step is to understand some of the most important recent movements and trends affecting the education industry.

Personalised education is an important movement taking place in the sector.

Personalisation acknowledges that students process information differently. Personalised education embraces this fact. As a result, the method of learning is adapted to the needs of each student, allowing them to work at their own pace.

So, what does the move towards personalisation mean for education marketing?

In essence, you need to re-evaluate the way they interact with customers. Students are placing more emphasis on individuality, self-cultivation and self-development. This is will fundamentally change the kind of messages that need to be used to gain traction.

We have broken the broad personalisation movement into three trends: globalised classrooms, self-awareness and collaboration.

1. The Global Classroom

Thanks to technology, today’s classrooms are no longer limited to a physical environment. Students can now move beyond the constraints of a classroom to interact with students around the world. Virtual field trips, global collaborative projects, and international student blogs are just three examples of the new globalised approach to learning.

How does this impact education marketing?

On one hand, globalisation means that there are many more competitors because consumers are not restricted to a local study. On the other hand, education institutes today have the opportunity to reach new overseas markets.

Keep in mind that global classrooms are also a significant selling point for local students and their parents because they provide students with new experiences in a convenient and cost-effective way.

Take onboard the wide benefits of global classrooms by implementing the trend in your own education marketing. You can use webinars as a great marketing tool that can expand your reach across the globe. Consider hosting a free, global webinar to stretch your education marketing efforts beyond Australia to tap into new markets. The global classroom trend, and the broader infusion of culture and technology, is growing in popularity, so don’t hesitate to jump on the bandwagon.

2. Know Thy Self

Today, concepts such as individualism and self-actualisation are considered an important part of education by students, educators and parents. For example, some schools are teaching students self-regulation by using the Zones of Regulation model. Based on four colour-coded emotional states, this model provides students with strategies to recognise and control their sensory needs.

Interactive Modelling is another model reflecting this trend of self-development. Instead of a teacher simply telling them how to behave, this model encourages students to observe, comment on and perform a positive modelled behaviour. This approach sees a higher level of engagement, analysis and critical thinking – vital skills in a future world driven by AI and data.

As shown by the above models, this trend marks a dramatically different way of approaching learning. Now more than ever, emphasis is placed on self-cultivation and personal growth. It is important for us as marketers to recognise this shift and adjust our message accordingly.

Now more than ever, consumers want to feel special and unique. As a result, traditional marketing approaches and messaging may not be as relevant. Instead, you should opt for a co-design method where the target market is involved in the design process.

Market research is a great tool for understanding your customers as individuals, as well as your organisation’s positioning in the market. For inspiration, read about our past work involving a comprehensive market evaluation for a well-known Australian education provider.

3. Collaboration, Not Dictation

The move towards collaboration is another big trend in education. As touched upon in the above section, educators are beginning to incorporate more and more student feedback into lesson design. This is based on the idea that students get more out of learning when they are involved in the design process.

Likewise, when it comes to your customers, don’t assume you know what’s best for them. Instead, work with consumers to understand their true needs, wants and desires. This is known as the co-design approach, a method that involves collaborating with stakeholders to make important decisions about aspects of your brand and product offerings. This ‘bottom-up’ approach allows you to learn from the people who are experiencing the educational products and services.

It can be a daunting process, so if you help with implementing co-design, reach out to us for help with research and co-design facilitation.

Bringing It Together.

The education sector is moving towards an exciting new approach: personalised learning. Education marketers should be paying attention to the above three trends: global classrooms, self-development and collaboration. To continue to gain traction, you need to embrace these changes and adapt your messages, placing more emphasis on individuality, self-cultivation and personal growth.

Students are not the only ones who can benefit from these exciting new education trends. They also provide educators and us, as education marketing professionals with fresh possibilities for reaching consumers.