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Chad Stoecker , Senior Digital Strategist
Fresh from the east coast, Chad is settling in naturally with the relaxed lifestyle that the west coast offers, especially here in the pacific northwest. Don’t get it twisted though– he approaches challenges head on with aggressive strategies to drive results. He takes his work like he takes his coffee, straight up with no fuss.
September 22, 2023 | Gain Knowledge
At Gravitate, we’re big supporters of helping eLearning and EdTech companies grow to new heights. Dive in below to learn about four of our favorite strategies!
EdTech is not another sector in the tech industry; it’s shaping the future of education. In the year 2022, venture capitalists invested 40 times more than what they invested in 2010.
With so many players entering the arena, marketing isn’t an option—it’s a necessity.
This blog delves into the ways to boost users through SEM, SEO, and paid social strategies.
Gravitate’s EdTech Industry Page Here
EdTech, short for educational technology, is a blend of digital solutions designed to aid the educational journey. Ranging from management systems to educational apps, EdTech is a broad category with big effects.
The EdTech sector, now a $123.4 billion industry, is on an upward trajectory. Yet, its booming status has led to a saturated market. This calls for ingenuity in marketing to not only get but also keep users.
The growth of the EdTech market means that having a great product is not enough; companies must adopt new marketing strategies to stand out.
With a lot of options at their disposal, EdTech firms face the challenge of choosing the most effective methods for their needs.
This makes it vital for businesses to be quick, data-driven and focused in their marketing approaches.
This is done by leveraging metrics, understanding customer pain points, and adapting to market trends,
It’s not enough for EdTech firms to attract new sign-ups; these users need to engage with the platform.
An inactive user-base balloons customer acquisition costs, hurting the value derived from each user.
Engagement goes beyond the sign-up; it entails how users interact with your platform’s features and content over time.
Low engagement levels can be a silent killer for any business model that relies on recurring revenue or long-term contracts.
Why does a dormant user base matter?
It raises your Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) because you’re spending for users who aren’t bringing in a return on investment (ROI).
This can alter your understanding of your customer’s lifetime value (CLV).
You could find yourself in a cycle of spending more to get less engaged users, making your model too costly.
A dormant user base can be a red flag that your platform’s user experience (UX) or content may be lacking.
Are the users finding what they need? Is the platform intuitive to navigate? Are there bugs or glitches?
All these factors can turn even the most enthusiastic users into dormant accounts.
Finally, low engagement rates can signal missed chances for upselling or cross-selling other features or courses that could further monetize your user base.
For example, an engaged user might be more inclined to buy more courses or recommend the platform to other likely users, thereby serving as a brand advocate.
For EdTech companies to thrive, a strategy focused on user engagement, as well as acquisition, is key.
This requires an approach that includes email, in-app messages, user surveys, and analytics to check user feedback.
So, it’s clear that a strategy that only focuses on user acquisition is incomplete. Without considering user engagement, EdTech companies may win the battle but lose the war.
Search Engine Marketing (SEM), through platforms like Google Ads, ensures you’re visible when it matters the most.
Yet, effective SEM isn’t as simple as investing money in popular search terms. It calls for a tailored keyword strategy and an eye on ROI.
SEM’s role in EdTech goes beyond visibility; it’s a tool that can show your offerings to the audience that needs them. Let’s dissect the components that make SEM indispensable in an EdTech marketer’s toolkit.
What terms are parents or teachers using when they scour the internet for educational resources? The key to effective SEM lies in decoding these search behaviors. By using various keyword planning tools and ongoing research, you can nail down the phrases that your target audience uses. Once you’ve got this down, bid on these keywords to put your ads in the spotlight.
Getting a click is one thing, but what happens after is crucial. Your ad copy should not only trigger curiosity but also build trust. Make sure your landing page continues the story, offering users a good experience aimed at conversions. Keep an eye on metrics like load time and bounce rate to ensure you’re on the right track.
Budgeting is a big part of SEM, especially when it comes to bidding. Your Cost Per Click (CPC) will fluctuate based on demand and competition. Tracking numbers in real time allows you to use your resources better, so you’re not burning through your budget.
Geo-fencing is an often-overlooked strategy in SEM, but it’s particularly relevant for EdTech. Do you offer a coding course that is curriculum-aligned for a particular state? Or a language course relevant to a specific region? Geo-targeting ensures that you’re reaching the audience that will find the most value in your product.
The beauty of SEM is its adaptability. With metrics pouring in real-time, you can tweak and pivot your strategies based on actual performance indicators. From adjusting keywords and ad copy to reshuffling your budget based on CPC trends, data is your guiding light.
To sum it up, SEM for EdTech is far from a “set and forget” strategy. It’s an ever-evolving, adaptable tactic that thrives on specificity, relevance, and real-time adjustments. With a saturated market and shifting consumer behaviors, SEM could be your ticket to sustained growth and user engagement.
SEO is a marathon, not a sprint, offering enduring benefits. Through site structure, content, and backlinks, SEO lays the foundation for your online presence.
In SEO, particularly for the EdTech sector, in-depth content can serve as a magnet for organic traffic. By creating resources that delve into subjects like “The Future of Virtual Classrooms” or “Gamification in Education,” you answer queries and become a go-to educational resource.
Instead of stuffing your content with popular keywords, aim for semantic relevance. Understand the questions your users are asking and format your content to answer these questions. This kind of keyword optimization makes you more visible to your target audience.
As Google evolves, user experience elements like site speed, mobile optimization, and intuitive navigation play a critical role. These are vital in keeping your visitors engaged, thereby improving your SERP rankings.
Building a portfolio of genuine backlinks, especially from authoritative educational websites, helps to cement your SEO standing. The more credible the sites linking back to you, the more authentic search engines deem your site.
If your EdTech services are designed for specific geographical areas, focus on local SEO. Create location-specific landing pages, local citations, and localize your keyword optimization to capture local demand.
No SEO strategy is set in stone. Using tools like Google Search Console or SEMrush, analyze your performance metrics. Take note of what’s driving engagement and conversions, and don’t hesitate to pivot your strategy.
If you’re in the EdTech business, it’s key to produce content that speaks to educators, administrators, and learners. Comprehensive study guides, how-tos on educational technology, or in-depth reviews on learning platforms can make your site indispensable.
By placing an emphasis on these areas, SEO becomes more than a tool for visibility; it becomes a key part of your EdTech brand’s long-term viability and growth. The slow, steady nature of SEO is a counterbalance to the immediacy of SEM, providing a full-fledged, well-rounded online marketing strategy.
Paid social media advertising offers unparalleled targeting. In a sector like EdTech, where target audiences range from students to educators, paid social channels allow brands to cast a wide yet refined net.
The true power of paid social lies in its ability to micro-target. You can direct ads based on interests, age groups, and even educational backgrounds. This allows for specialized campaigns targeting, say, math teachers in the Midwest or college students.
Paid social platforms offer robust A/B testing. You can experiment with different ad formats, messages, and CTAs to determine what drives the most engagement and conversion. The data-driven insights you gain can further refine your targeting strategy.
Platforms like Instagram and Pinterest allow for more visual engagement. For EdTech companies that have appealing content or platforms, these channels can be effective. For example, a stunning ad showing interactive lesson plans can draw more attention than a text-heavy post.
One of the most potent features of paid social advertising is the ability to create custom audiences. These are groups of users who have interacted with your brand in some way. Re-targeting these users can be cost-effective and yield higher conversion rates.
Webinars, tutorials, and other educational events are bread and butter for EdTech. Paid social allows you to push these events to a targeted audience. The ROI comes when these events convert prospects into paying customers or long-term subscribers.
Most social platforms offer robust analytics. From here, you can track everything from engagement rates to the exact ROI of a specific ad campaign. You’ll know exactly what you’re getting for every dollar spent, allowing for more efficient budget allocation.
Paid social advertising becomes much more than throwing money at a platform and hoping for the best. In the realm of EdTech, it’s about understanding your audience, tailoring your message, and using the powerful tools at your disposal to make each campaign more effective than the last. These strategies create a multi-faceted approach that complements your SEM and SEO efforts, making your EdTech brand unstoppable online.
The professional landscape of LinkedIn makes it a fertile ground for B2B marketing in the EdTech industry. LinkedIn’s targeting options, such as job title, industry, and company size, helps you zero in on decision-makers at schools.
Using thought leadership articles with sponsored content, you can grow an engaged audience that can lead to loyal clients.
LinkedIn isn’t a billboard for your offerings; it’s a forum for discussion. Share unique takes on pressing educational trends to make your brand an information hub rather than a service provider.
Don’t post; engage. Comment on relevant discussions, provide your insights, and ask for opinions. This isn’t social media; it’s networking at its finest.
LinkedIn InMail isn’t another inbox; it’s a targeted outreach tool. Craft personalized messages that speak to each recipient’s needs and you’ll get responses that lead to conversations, and conversions.
LinkedIn’s targeting features are more than a marketer’s wish list. They’re tools for an industry as varied as EdTech, where you may need to speak to K-12 educators, university admins, and even government officials overseeing education.
LinkedIn’s Story and Video features to showcase your product in action. Remember, this is a professional network; make sure your content reflects the serious impact your product can have.
LinkedIn’s native Lead Gen Forms. Why? Because on LinkedIn, people keep their resumes updated. That means better quality leads and, better quality conversations.
Your team members are already on LinkedIn, and they’re your brand’s natural advocates. Equip them with content to share and encourage them to engage with your company posts to reach new networks without extra ad spend.
LinkedIn offers a myriad of analytics options. Pay attention to them. If a strategy isn’t working as expected, LinkedIn’s data will show you where and how to pivot for better results.
LinkedIn, when used, isn’t another marketing channel; it’s an opportunity to position your EdTech brand as an industry leader. Your strategies here can grow relationships that turn into partners, allowing growth in the EdTech field.
In an industry as nuanced and competitive as EdTech, relying on a single marketing strategy is a one-way ticket to mediocrity. The takeaway here is clear: Your approach must be blended, and it must include SEO, SEM, paid social advertising, and LinkedIn marketing.
This is your foundation, the slow-burning engine that powers your brand’s online visibility over time. Neglecting SEO is akin to ignoring the future—you’ll pay for it in missed chances and higher costs down the line.
Think of this as your rapid-response team. When you need to capture market attention—fast—there’s no better tool at your disposal. It’s the yin to SEO’s yang, offering quick but temporary visibility that complements your long-term SEO strategy.
This isn’t a ‘nice-to-have’; it’s a ‘need-to-have.’ Paid social opens up targeted engagement chances, letting you converse with everyone from Gen-Z students to baby-boomer educators, across many platforms.
In the B2B EdTech space, LinkedIn is king. It allows you to target decision-makers, offering unmatched networking combined with powerful advertising options. The potential for high engagement and conversion rates makes it a must in any comprehensive marketing strategy.
The synergistic effect of SEO, SEM, paid social, and LinkedIn marketing creates a robust and agile system that maximizes reach, engagement, and revenue. Adopting a comprehensive strategy that leverages all four pillars not only sets you apart in the crowded EdTech market but also paves the way for sustainable, long-term growth.
So as you move forward in crafting your EdTech marketing strategy, remember that a balanced approach will always outshine a one-trick pony. Harness the unique strengths of each marketing channel to build a marketing strategy that is not robust but also resilient, adaptive, and primed for long-term success.
A well-rounded EdTech marketing strategy should focus on building both short-term and long-term value. The most effective plans incorporate a mix of SEO, SEM, paid social advertising, and LinkedIn marketing.
Determining the ROI for EdTech marketing isn’t as simple as keeping tabs on sales figures or new user registrations. Each marketing channel, whether it’s SEO, SEM, paid social, or LinkedIn, comes with unique metrics that shed light on its performance.
Recognize that ROI is multifaceted; it’s not about the financial gains. You may also be looking at boosting brand recognition, sustaining customer loyalty, or augmenting community interaction. Align these varied metrics with your distinct objectives for each channel, making sure the data you collect is actionable for future planning. Doing so will give you a comprehensive understanding of how each channel is adding value to your EdTech marketing goals.
The quickest way to boost user engagement in EdTech is through targeted paid advertising campaigns, particularly SEM and paid social. These channels allow you to reach your specific audience, driving traffic and encouraging user interactions. Measure success by tracking metrics like click-through rates and conversion ratios to refine your approach.
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