One thing’s for sure – content, SEO, and email marketing are key elements of successful marketing campaigns and should not take a back seat. However, with so many developments in the digital sphere, it’s important to acknowledge and utilise these new marketing tools, to keep up with your competitors. Here are the top marketing trends you should watch out for and implement in 2020:
1. Video content
Engagement stats for video content are unparalleled and they keep on growing. People watch content online more than ever before, with nearly half of Millennial digital video consumption happening on mobile. Therefore, incorporating videos into your marketing strategy should not be optional – your school has a lot of live-action, news, and events that are definitely worth capturing. With consent, it’s great for prospective parents to see students in action, in classes, or in extra-curricular activities. This is a great way to highlight the uniqueness and best traits of your school.
2. Personalised content
Personalisation is the future of digital marketing. Most social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and YouTube are already customising a user’s newsfeed based on their likes, interactions and click preferences and it is not impossible for you to do the same. One of the easiest ways to do this is through email marketing, as you can easily get statistics on what each person in your email list is opening and clicking on. A simple place to start is to segment your email data. Send relevant and different content to each group on your email list.
3. Niche platforms
Whilst Facebook, Instagram and Twitter cater to a large variety of audiences, we will see the rise of platforms like LinkedIn which serve a more niche purpose. It’s important to keep a lookout for these to see if there are any more niche platforms that you can use that will allow you to reach an audience with the right intent ie. parents looking for a school for their child. Even doing things like joining forums or groups online and taking part in conversations can be a great start.
4. Advanced insights
With the rise of AI and platforms like Google Analytics/ SEO analytics programs constantly developing, in 2020 we will have access to data about people’s online activity more than ever before. This means it will be easier to produce content that prospectus parents, students, and the wider community will enjoy – so it’s important to invest in a good platform that provides you with these insights. At Digithrive For Schools, we have our own easy-to-use marketing platform where clients can sync all of their social media and content outlets. Our analytics tool – Advertising Intelligence – analyses data across all of your platforms and frames it in a way that is easy to understand and analyse trends. To find out about getting your school signed up to the platform for free, get in touch.
5. Augmented Reality (AR)
Augmented Reality (AR) is the layering of digital objects onto the real world as seen through a screen – for example, the Snapchat dog filter. The inclusion of these digital objects can enhance and amplify the real world perception for the viewer and as we shall see, the application of this technology offers almost endless possibilities for marketers, as well as the opportunity to increase your competitive advantage. For example, did you know that you can create your own filters on Snapchat and Instagram? This is great for promoting school productions and events such as sports days. Augmented reality is a unique way to keep your target audience engaged and interacting with your material.
If you would like more professional tips on marketing your schools do get in touch with the Digithrive For School’s team who are always happy to help. contact us here