In this blog, we will talk about some of the most effective ways that educational institutions can use to become a brand.
With the fast-moving nature of education today, standing apart from other institutions is more important than ever. An institution’s brand is more than just a graphic representation; it is a gathering of all of that institution’s reputation, values, and experiences – the differences that cause students to pick one educational institution over another. It includes everything from a dynamic campus experience to a consistent digital presence, supported with innovative techniques and offering advanced ways for student engagement. There are many educational marketing companies who provide services like SEO, SSM and Ads, but Techglide is one of the best choices for educational institutions. Over the past seven years they have worked with several educational clients and also by using smart ways of marketing techniques they have increased their online presence. Are you ready to turn your institution into a brand?
Some Ways for Educational Institutions to Grow:-
- Develop a Clear Mission and Vision
- Mission: Develop a mission statement that clearly communicates the institution’s core values and educational philosophy, speaking to students, faculty, and parents
- Vision: The vision should reflect goals and aspirations for the long-term, while engaging stakeholders to work within the context of the institution’s mission.
- Ongoing Communication: The mission and vision should be continually communicated in a purposeful way to various stakeholder groups over various platforms to continue to engage stakeholders to ensure they work within the framework of the mission.
- Create a Unique Value Proposition
- Target Audience Knowledge: Authenticity establishes the value proposition that meets the needs and dreams of prospective students, parents, and employers.
- Messaging: Ensure that the value proposition is presented clearly in marketing materials, websites, or when recruiting prospective students.
- Participating in the Community
- Collaborations and Partnerships: Establish partnerships with local businesses, NGOs, and municipal and governmental agencies to come together on programs that address community needs and offer the institution’s exposure.
- Community Engagement: Facilitate students who are engaged in community service and experiential projects, with opportunities to build their engagement and commitment to the community.
- Events: Create events in the community, open to the public, like community workshops or seminars can serve some measure of community engagement, commitment by the institution, and social good.
- Social Media Thoughtfully
- Content Plan: Set up your content plan to include success stories, faculty stories, student stories, and campus events to keep your audiences continually engaged.
- Interactive Engagement Ideas: While the goal is to inform your prospective students and other current partners, think about ways to engage them, such as holding live sessions, asking our team anything, polls, etc.
- Visual Storytelling: Be sure to use Instagram, Facebook, and other platforms for your visual storytelling, tell the stories of campus life, events, and overall student experience.
- Highlight Alumni Success
- Alumni Networks: Foster meaningful alumni networks that create relationships for current students with mentors.
- Spotlight Features: Feature alumni successes in newsletters, social media, and on the school website to promote their successes and the school’s role in their successes.
- Events and Panels: Host alumni panels or events for alumni to speak on their experiences to current students and share what they have learned.
- Quality Education
- Ongoing Improvement: Continuous evaluation and updates of academic programs to reflect preferred industry trends and changing needs of students are vital if they are to remain relevant, contemporary, and quality programs.
- Professional Development: Funds for the continuing professional development of faculty members so that they have the knowledge and skills to effectively educate students and engage with them.
- Create student-centered supports
- Feedback: Create a feedback (or suggestions) mechanism for students to provide feedback on courses, facilities, and services, to ensure students can express their voice, as well as that we take appropriate action towards that advice.
- Support services: Include support services, such as counseling, career guidance, and academic advising, as means of supporting the overall experience of the student.
- Extracurricular activities: Include extra-curricular options to develop the whole person, develop leadership, and build a sense of belonging.
- Invest in Educational Marketing
- Search Engine Optimization: You need to optimize your institution’s website for search engines so that it ranks high for relevant keyword phrases, hence allowing prospective students to easily find the information they are looking for.
- Targeted advertising: Use targeted online advertisements through Google and social media to target specific niche demographics interested in education opportunities.
- Content Marketing: Create valuable content (blogs, videos, webinars, etc.) that addresses the concerns and interests of prospective students and establishes the institution as a thought leader within the education space.
There are a number of educational marketing companies, but of all educational marketing companies, Techglide would be the best match for educational institutions.
- Gather and Respond to Feedback
- Ongoing Surveys: Regularly survey students, faculty, and alumni so you get a better sense of what people think about your brand, and where areas need improvement are.
- Be Transparent: Share the findings of your survey and explain how you will respond to the findings. Be transparent with partners about where their feedback will make a difference.
- Build a Strong Online Reputation:
- It’s important to monitor your online reviews, conversations on social media, and news stories for any negative perceptions or inaccuracies associated with either your institution in general or specific people, in that case, and step in to address those issues.
- While you’re working on building your stronger online reputation, be proactive and create positive content that highlights the strengths and achievements of your institution, and put things into context so that you take control of the conversation.
Conclusion
When it comes to developing a great brand in education, it is not just about a logo or tagline; it’s about the ongoing creation of value, trust, and awareness that students, parents, and the community can connect with.
By utilizing the ten powerful ways of building a brand—delivering quality in learning, investing in student success stories, being visible and candid, using digital opportunities, creating opportunities for alumni engagement, faculty stardom, providing clarity and uniqueness in identification as an educational institutions—educational institutions can position themselves as respected leaders.
Each of these ways work together to help us not only attract new students but also retain our current students through loyalty and sustained credibility. In an increasingly competitive academic market, a strong brand represents an institution’s required vision, core values, and commitment to developing our future leaders and eventually our workforce. In truth, all brands, when effective, serve as the credibility and trust piece that serve as the primary basis for future opportunities and ongoing excellence in the next 5, 10, and even 20 years.
This is especially important in a digital age where students, especially younger students, are spending more time in digital spaces and engaging in online experiences that are direct, personalized, and authentic. Techglide can be a tremendous asset for creating brand visibility while achieving outcomes.
