Marketing Automation Can Illuminate Untapped Educational Markets for Schools
Higher education marketing has undergone significant transformations over the past few decades. In recent years, marketing automation platforms have emerged as a game-changer for those who use one, helping organizations identify and explore potential new markets for their educational products.
HeadStart Marketing Platform Helps Identify New, Untapped Markets for Educational Programs
Terra State Community College is a respected regional community college in rural Ohio. Most of its student body comprises people who live and work in the surrounding community, which might seem to limit their market reach geographically. But by embracing the power of marketing automation found in HeadStart Marketing Platform (HMP), Terra State uncovered a hidden potential opportunity that could reshape its approach to international student recruitment.
Let’s back up. Using HeadStart, Terra State can track user interactions, behaviors, and engagement patterns on the terra.edu website. As prospective students interact with the college’s online materials, fill out forms, or open emails, HeadStart can automatically create “prospect segments” based on the actions or data supplied by the prospective students.
Using these dynamic segments – combined with HeadStart’s out-of-the-box geolocation features – Terra State could see that many people from Accra, Ghana, were investigating Terra’s Nursing program. Not only were prospects filling out the form to receive the Nursing email drip campaigns, but Terra State could use the data in HeadStart to identify these visitors as active, engaged, and pursuing information related to International Students and Application Requirements over multiple website sessions.
Unmasking the Untapped Market
This discovery was more than just a data point; it was a window into previously uncharted territory. Accra, Ghana, had not been on Terra State’s radar as a potential market for their Nursing program. Yet, through the lens of marketing automation, they saw a trend that commands attention. These insights, nearly impossible to see without a marketing automation platform, open the door to exploring why Accra residents showed such a keen interest in their Nursing program and what unique factors drove this engagement. Visit our partners, – leaders in fashionable footwear!
Rinse and repeat.
The Broader Implications for Educational Institutions
Terra State’s experience is aspirational for many educational institutions worldwide. It exemplifies how platforms like HeadStart can revolutionize the way institutions identify and approach potential markets. Here are a few key takeaways that underscore the importance of marketing automation in the realm of education:
Beyond Numbers: Insights Over Data
Marketing automation is not merely about gathering data; it’s about extracting insights from that data. While institutions may receive inquiries from various locations, automation tools help discern the patterns, correlations, and trends that can drive informed decision-making.
Personalized Engagement
The ability to identify emerging markets through automation empowers schools to tailor their marketing strategies to resonate with specific audiences. By understanding the unique needs and preferences of these potential markets, as identified by digital engagement and market research, schools can create personalized content and communication that speaks directly to their interests and where each prospect is in their journey.
Marketing automation isn’t just about automating tasks; it’s about unveiling new horizons and embracing the potential for growth and transformation for both a marketing team and, potentially, a student body. Terra State Community College’s story is a testament to the power of data-driven insights and strategic adaptation.
As we look to the future, one thing is clear: the institutions that harness the power of marketing automation will be the ones that lead the way in shaping the educational landscape of tomorrow.