At CB&A, we frequently survey educators to gain insights into their “go to” sources for information about new products and services. This data influences and informs critical decisions about publicity and marketing campaigns. Our June 2016 survey responses suggest that education marketers should diversify their approach and employ a strategic mix of channels for the 2016-17 school year.
Here are five key insights gleaned from this month’s quick “pulse” survey:
Catch them on your site:
Forty-three percent of respondents said they use company websites “frequently,” and 31% said they visit vendor sites “only when I’m considering a purchase.”
Educators frequently turn to vendor websites for information – especially when they’re choosing and evaluating products. For education marketers that translates to a strong focus on website copy that directly delivers the information educators need to make their purchase decisions, and to complete their transactions.
Banner day:
An amazingly high 87% of educators said they see your banner ads for educational products.
If your goal is to drive traffic to your site, effective banner ads can be strong, cost-effective components of your marketing program.
Be social:
Three out of four educators say they’re using social media in a professional capacity, with Facebook and YouTube tied at 74%, indicating that educators are either accessing these channels on mobile or are finding ways around district firewalls to access their accounts! Pinterest (66%) is growing in popularity, as is Instagram (26%). Rounding out the top responses were Twitter (20%), and LinkedIn (6%).
Social media channels are among the top sources that educators use for getting – and sharing information. The take-away? Digital campaigns targeting these channels can yield great returns for visibility and engagement.
Read and react:
Half of educators say they receive professional publications and magazines in print, and 62% say they read electronic newsletters for professional purposes.
Education marketers should consider both print and digital channels in a fully optimized campaign.
You’ve got mail:
Thirty-one percent of educators indicate they “sometimes” respond to vendor emails.
This highlights the need for testing to ensure subject lines are enticing. Beyond the subject line, it’s smart to test copy, offers, calls to action and visuals, along with landing pages to be sure you’re optimizing every open and click to generate leads that are qualified and have a better likelihood of resulting in a sale.
The CB&A team is glad to share additional insights from the survey and to review the mix of marketing channels in your 2016-17 public relations and digital marketing initiatives.
The preliminary results of this “pulse” survey were shared during the “Digital Strategy: New Channels, Metrics and Roles for Marketing Success” session at Content in Context, the annual conference of the Association of American Publishers (AAP) PreK-12 Learning Group. Huge thanks to the Winter Group, co-sponsors of the survey, and Linda Winter, fellow CIC session panelist.