How are modern parents participating in the education of their children?
A parent that is concerned about the type of future that he or she wants for its children is constantly searching information about the available institutions that can offer him competitive degrees with excellent opportunities in the industry. Things like location and distance from home is not a big issue anymore. Several parents prefer quality in education, even if it means that their children have to move out of the house or have to travel long distances. Adolescents and young adults are also understanding that this is all a benefit for them. Starting to understand the concept of independence from a young age will give them a sense of responsibility, a crucial factor for when they begin to work.
With this in mind, local advertisement in newspapers, brochures, and pamphlets is nowadays obsolete. People are going to the internet to find the best institution, not necessarily the closest one. They also want to learn about prices, opportunities in their fields of expertise, the amount of research articles published by the institutions, quality of the professors and installations, among many other details that would not fit in a simple piece of paper. For this, it is important to have a strong online marketing strategy. This will allow these parents to find the information quickly and comfortably, having the chance to compare the different options simultaneously and choosing the one that they find is the best for their children.
How do parents or potential students find institutions?
The names of the institutions are the first thing that a parent or a student looking for college or universities will input in a search engine. If you do not show up at the top of the result list, people could have the sensation that the institution is not that relevant in the field. As a consequence, potential students could prefer to other institutions that are more concerned about being quickly and easily found on the internet.
Having a strong SEO strategy can make a major difference when the people are looking for the name of the institution. A search engine not only can show the name, but also display the most important faculties and some other information about careers and campuses available that could make a great first impression to a parent or a potential student. If the institution is easy to find, then it must be important, relevant and renowned.
What other online services are being used to look for institutions?
Search engines are not the only source of information that people use to know more about the education industry. Social media are also crucial to learn more about how the institution “behaves.” Sharing posts and pictures about accomplishments made by the alumni of the institution, posting pictures about events made in the university, attending inquiries from students and external people from the social profile, are some of the factors that people notice and like. An institution that is active in social media gives the impression of being interested in what is happening with their alumni, engaging everyone that reach their posts with their vision and way to do things. Also, it is easy to see what kind of information the institution finds relevant enough to share in a social environment, creating a bond of empathy with potential students that identify with the same type of interests that the university has.
Depending on the type of social media that the institution uses, the reached audience can also determine whether the institution understands the new technologies or not. An institution needs to balance the informality of social networks with the professionalism and the seriousness that an institution must have to be credible. This is no easy task due to the thin lines that exist between a comedic post and a childish post, for example. However, if it is done properly, the institution could build a very solid and loyal base of followers. With this, the newcomers will feel like they can be part of a strong and dynamic community that also provides a brighter future. An institution that is not capable of reaching this balance could be considered either old-fashioned or simply boring. Institutions need to embrace new technologies correctly before those who really understand how to use them leave them behind, taking all of the students and eventually reaching the educational quality with passionate and engaged students that institutions that still use traditional marketing strategies have.
The time has come for every institute to trigger a long term Digital plan in a carefully thought objectives so that it maintains its brand identity and presence. Education Institutions thus need professional help of best digital Education Strategy partners.
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