2020 was a very hard year and the COVID-19 pandemic affected every aspect of life. While the government was making decisions to de-escalate the spread of the virus, schools were made to accept a new reality. There were fears that the virus being around would make it impossible for schools to resume their ‘usual’ activities, the threat of another virus breaking out also added to this.
Adapting to the new normal
The pandemic lockdown has redefined how schools build and nurture relationships with parents and students. The ability to adapt, being creative and digital skills are now more important than before. During the pandemic, schools had compassion on their students and parents by giving discounts on tuition and engaging in free online classes, these were recorded in our report.
It became difficult for schools to practice their traditional method of marketing, but still, they had to always be in constant communication with their parents as this is part of their brands’ value and purpose. The pandemic impacted schools marketing in the following ways:
Migration of Information Online
In the past, there has been a slow but gradual movement of parents and students to digital platforms, the pandemic hastened this process. A large number of parents have been forced to make use of digital platforms in one way or the other. This is so much easier when it comes to the case of millennial parents as they are conversant with this.
What this means in the marketing sense is that schools are forced to re-strategize on how they will continue to reach out to parents. Adoption of online marketing is germane towards ensuring the continuity of the school. You can read more on that HERE.
Re-designing the Parents & Students journey
School marketers also need to examine the journey of parents and students as their behavior has changed. The pandemic lockdown tells us that the way parents look for schools has changed and with the huge competition in the education sector, it is better for you as a school owner to make the value you are offering more attractive.
Consumer adaption towards digital platforms
Banking and e-commerce industries now offer most of their services via digital platforms – one can order a car and it will be delivered to your doorstep. Schools should also make use of these digital platforms as it allows connection with more parents. Schools should focus on building relationships with both current and new parents.
These digital platforms should be interconnected with other services and product offerings to ensure that parents do not have to switch across multiple websites when looking for your account.
These three listed above are not the only ones, but there will be greater changes as the world adapts to the new normal. Schools need to ensure that they are adept at communicating with the target audience through digital channels, are agile in developing marketing strategies that use paid versus free advertising, and ensuring greater gains for ad spend.
