Changes to social media algorithms, more time spent on mobile and digital platforms, and advanced targeting capabilities have moved social media advertising from “nice to have” to a mandatory fixture of any education marketing plan. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn provide edtech marketers with the ability to target teachers and administrators with the right message at the right time.
As the new year unfolds here are four ways to leverage social media advertising to raise awareness, promote content and drive new leads.
Promote News Coverage
Securing a strong piece of editorial coverage is a big win for edtech companies, but your work is half done when the article is published. The next step is to promote your coverage, which can be done in a variety of ways: through email, on your website, in your organic social content and social media advertising are just a few easy ways to amplify your win.
A major benefit of running paid social media campaigns is the ability to reach new audiences in a cost-efficient way. A campaign to promote new editorial coverage can be very reasonably priced. Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn all offer campaign objectives, ad formats, targeting capabilities and cost structures that allow campaigns to be successful even if the budget is just a few hundred dollars.
Leverage Content Assets
A robust content marketing plan comprised of whitepapers, case studies, blogs and eBooks can raise awareness, promote thought leadership and drive new leads. You can further leverage these content assets with paid social media or email campaigns to promote your content to recent website visitors, current social media followers and new audiences.
FreshGrade, a portfolio and assessment platform, published a comprehensive eBook library for their customers. The library was created to drive leads in key states as FreshGrade broke into the U.S. market. Through Facebook and Twitter advertising campaigns, the CB&A team promoted their eBooks on social media to drive 136 downloads among the targeted states.
Stand Out at Conferences
EdTech conferences such as FETC, TCEA, ASCD and ISTE are opportune times to engage in valuable face-to-face conversations with educators and there is fierce competition for attention on the show floor.
Something else is happening in the exhibit hall: attendees are often on their phones. For marketers, this is a big opportunity. Targeting event attendees using Facebook and Twitter ads allows your business to take social media engagement to this highly targeted audience. To boost the likelihood of the best prospects visiting your booth, give them a reason to visit and customize your ads in each platform.
Our social media strategy for creatED Professional Learning by Crayola drove booth traffic and spiked online conversations by targeting conference attendees with content about a mobile-only contest during the conference. The strategy resulted in 121 submissions and an increase in traffic to the creatED Professional Learning by Crayola booth.
Build Brand Awareness
Previously, raising brand awareness took years of meetings, conference travel and networking. Now, it happens much quicker with Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn offering campaign objectives to position your company, message and product in front of your target audience at the best time to reach them.
Looking to reach math teachers in Florida? Trying to entice curriculum directors in the Pacific Northwest with your new science curriculum? No problem. The platforms offer micro-targeting options to match all budgets. Managing campaigns with videos, graphics and short, yet effective messaging is the best way to build awareness and generate leads. When it comes time to download an eBook, read a blog post or sign up for a demo, your prospects will already know about your company and will be more likely to take the desired action.
Social media advertising allows marketing teams and companies of any size to reach their target audiences. Social ads that promote news coverage, leverage content marketing assets, or highlight conference activities will achieve your lead generation goals. These campaigns can be run individually on each platform, or through a central platform such as HubSpot.
Is your #edtech brand looking to add social media advertising to your 2020 marketing strategy? Are you creating content and you’re not sure how to leverage it? We can help your team drive new leads this year using social media advertising… you just have to reach out.
For more on what’s trending in social media for education, take a look at our other blogs:
- How to Leverage Social Media for Sales in the Education Industry: Social media is more than a way to connect with friends and family, it’s also a vehicle for companies to engage with current (and future) customers.
- Best Practices for Collaborating with Social Media Influencers: Marketers are reaching out to influencers to help generate awareness and establish credibility. We talk with 5 experts and break down the tips for your business.
- Spread the Message: How to Build Employee Advocacy on Social Media: An effective social media strategy recognizes the importance of employee advocacy.
- How To Use Influencers In Your Education Marketing Strategy: Including a prominent education influencer in your education marketing strategy can ignite viewership, giving your brand a boost.
- Six Easy Ways to Integrate Social Media into Your Company’s Sales Efforts: Social media is one of the most effective and affordable sales tools available, and a key asset to any education marketing strategy.
- Why Education Marketing Needs Social Media Advertising: Support your education marketing strategy with social media advertising to raise awareness, generate leads and more.