Digital advertising is everywhere. Moreover, with the onset of the pandemic, the magical abilities of digital advertising were discovered on a larger scale. When everyone is adopting digital advertising, how can the higher education sector stay behind? However, there are some digital advertising mistakes that can prove fatal for your higher education brand. In this article, I am going to talk about 7 higher education digital advertising mistakes that your brand should stop making now.
It is only human that we make mistakes sometimes. These mistakes cost us and we learn from them. Take it as an experience they say (Who’s they? Even I am trying to find out. Let me know if you do.) However, in the business world, even the smallest mistake can become incredibly catastrophic. Especially when you are in a highly competitive industry like the higher education sector.
Students and parents alike are constantly looking for the best higher education platform. If your higher education brand makes a digital advertising mistake in the middle of it all, you will never be heard, be seen, and be loved. So what are these mistakes that your brand should avoid or stop making right now? Let’s take a look, but first, let’s see the dynamics of this higher education industry.
So, are you ready? Let’s begin.
What Are The Insights Of The Higher Education Industry?
According to a report, the higher education industry is expected to become a whopping $2,367.51 billion industry by 2027. The higher education industry has carved out various technological developments to make enrollment and studying easier in the pandemic-ridden world.
However, as the world is slowly moving beyond the pandemic, it is no surprise that the higher education industry will only grow further. This is why it is important to make your higher education brand be heard, be seen, and be loved.
The doors that opened for e-learning have greatly transformed the higher education sector. These developments have changed the shape of the higher education sector and this is only going to keep rising. Not only this, but the rise of AI and AR-infused learning is also contributing to the higher education sector. I am sure you are aware of it. But if you are not, let’s talk more about it.
I will give you an instance of the same. When we all were grappled with the core pandemic back in February 2020, Ireland based education institute announced an augmented reality intelligence system for its students.
This system helped the students gain all the surgical knowledge including practical ones from the comfort of their houses. This is how the education sector is evolving.
Not only this, according to another report, one of the LMS learning platforms accounted for about 28 billion user hours in march 2020. As a result, it is important that the advertising of these higher education brands is done strategically on the digital platform. To ace this platform, let’s see a few mistakes that you need to stop making.
7 Higher Education Digital Advertising Mistakes You Need To Stop Making
Now, we are entering the reality check. We are going to look at some very common but very grave mistakes a lot of higher education brands make. You might have also made some of these mistakes. Don’t worry too much though, you can still fix it.
However, if you have not made any of these mistakes till now. Kudos to you. You need to ensure that you constantly avoid these mistakes. This will help you be heard, be seen, and be loved. What can be better than this right? So, are you ready to see the mistakes that you might be making or the ones you should avoid? Let’s take a look.
Mistake Number 1: Talking About Your Brand A Lot
This is one of the most common mistakes I came across when I was reviewing the digital advertising plan of action of various higher education brands. Do you know what most brands think? I tried to go into their psyche to understand them better, and this is where I reached.
They think that if they talk about what they are providing and about their strengths, the target audience will be elated. However, let me tell you, this is as far from the truth as can be.
I researched a lot on consumer behavior, and let me tell you, too much self-promotion can and will hurt your brand. Put yourself in their shoes for a second. Now imagine a higher education brand in front of you. The brand only keeps saying “we are the best, we provide this like no other, we do this, we do that, we…we…we..we..we..” Would you want to listen to this constantly? No right?
No one repeatedly wants to listen to what you are good at. I am sure your audience has come to you after doing their research. However, what they do want to know is what your brand can do for them. They are not interested in how amazing you are, they are interested in what kind of value addition will you be to them.
Therefore do not make the mistake of indulging in too much self-promotion. It will only hurt your higher education brand.
Mistake Number 2: Taking A Shot In The Dark Without Proper Research And Planning
This is a very common mistake a lot of brands make. This is also why they fail miserably. You might think digital advertising is a cakewalk and you can hit and try one way today, and if it doesn’t work you can try another tomorrow. However, it does not work like this.
I am not saying this to dishearten you in any way. I am simply telling you this because I don’t want you to fall into the pits of failed digital advertising plans from where it gets very difficult to bring your brand back up. Let me give you an example.
Suppose you are a higher education brand providing exclusive education services to the life sciences department. Now, your target audience is those who are in the field of life sciences right? If you don’t research what kind of advertisements, content, and stories these audiences are responsive to, you will never be able to target them.
You might create a wonderful digital advertising campaign. However, if it is not in alignment with what your target customers desire, it is as good as not having one. Similarly, you can again have a wonderful campaign, but if you don’t know the channels where your target audience, you will never be heard, be seen, or be loved.
You don’t want that for your brand, do you? This is why proper research and planning are absolutely necessary to create a digital advertising plan that works out for you and intrigues your target audience. So, what mistake do we not make? The mistake of shooting darts in the dark. Capisce?
Mistake Number 3: Not Being Consistent With Your Brand Personality
In today’s time, having a brand personality is as important as having a brand. Through your brand personality, your audience will be able to form a deeper, more personal connection with you.
Through your brand personality, you will be able to tell your audience a story. A story of who you are, what is your mission, what do you stand for, the kind of voice you have, and more. Share on X
Your brand personality will give you a unique standing in front of your target customers. Moreover, by keeping your digital advertising campaigns in alignment with your brand personality, you will be able to form a deeper, trusting, and strong relationship with your target customers.
As a result, consistency through your digital advertising campaigns, brand appearances, and across all channels is very important for your education brand. Make sure to never make the mistake of being inconsistent. That will just put people off and they will really move on. We don’t want that do we?
Mistake Number 4: Creating A Cumbersome Website
Whenever you looked for an educational institute for your higher studies what do you see first? Correct, their website. You, me we are the same. We always prefer going to the website first to get information about the institute, the courses, and other important details.
Moreover, even the enrollment is done online on their website. Now think for a moment, what happens when your website takes a lot of time to load. Think further, what happens when your enrollment takes a long time to process on the website. Not only this, what if the site becomes irresponsive when a surge of traffic comes its way?
You are right, the users will be put off right? When you are in this field, you know how fierce the competition is right? This one mistake may seem very tiny, but it will cost you a lot.
Therefore, it is important for your education brand to have a website that is easily navigable, interactive, compatible with all devices, and gives all the necessary information to a student or anyone seeking it.
Not only this, but you have to also ensure that your website is mobile-friendly. I don’t think I need to give a reason for this. We all know how everyone is on their mobile phones these days. If I am searching for your brand’s website, there is a good chance I am doing so on my phone.
There are many like me I am sure. So, it is important for you to have a website that speaks to you and speaks with your customers easily. So, what mistake you should not make? Good. You are getting there already.
Mistake Number 5: Ignoring SEO For Your Higher Education Brand
I am going to snowball here from the last mistake I spoke about. I mentioned that if someone is searching for your brand, they will come to your website. However, where do you think your target audience will search for you? Correct, search engines.
Over the years, Google has evolved to become one of the best search engines we have had. Any doubt we have, anything we want to know about. What do we always do? We google it. Even though sometimes Google tells me that my headache might be a brain tumor, Google is shining because of the extensive information it has on almost anything at all.
I mean seriously, only in the rare of the rarest case will you see Google say “We don’t have any result for it”. This almost never happens because Google knows everything. As a result, your audience is looking for you on Google. However, if you don’t focus on SEO optimization, you will never be heard, seen, or loved.
Most of us only scroll through the first page of Google. This is where you should aim to be as well. For that, you need to have a proper and well thought SEO strategy in place. Who would want to miss out on customers just because they didn’t pay attention to such a crucial digital advertising detail right?
So, what mistake you should never make? Correct, overlooking the importance of search engine optimization.
Mistake Number 6: Overlooking The Power Of Social Media
Social media is one of the most powerful digital advertising tools to exist today. With the proper use of social media, not only will you be able to educate the audience about everything you are, but you will also convert the now audience to potential customers.
I will tell you about my own example here. Just after my graduation, I was looking for universities to pursue my master’s. Firstly, I went to google and typed my requirements. It showed me a lot of options. What do you think I did next? I went to check out their social media pages.
Even today, I always check the social media pages of my potential clients before attending a meeting with them. The most common problem I see is that a lot of people think social media advertising accounts for merely posting on social media.
That is not the case at all. If used correctly, social media can be the best thing that happened to your brand. It is a place where you get to showcase all that your education brand is about. You get to show your students, your way of teaching, what your audience will be a part of when they join your community, and more.
Not only this, but you will also be able to form an interactive connection with your audience. You can constantly engage with them and they will stay loyal to you. So, what should you stop right now? Not paying enough attention to social media. Got it?
Mistake Number 7: Not Hiring Digital Advertising Experts When You Know You Need One
Now, this is very important. I understand that being in the higher education sector, you have to deal with a lot of elements all at once. As a result, it might seem daunting to add digital advertising to your list of things to do.
Moreover, you might not be able to give it your full potential. My advice to you is don’t keep ignoring the fact that you need help. Sometimes, asking for a helping hand might work wonders for you and your brand.
If you keep thinking that you don’t need a digital advertising expert even though deep down you know you need one, you will only be wasting time, energy, and resources with no actual result.
So, it is important that you don’t make the mistake of not hiring a digital advertising expert when you are fully aware you need one. Hiring an expert with experience in this field will not only make your work easier but will also give you the edge. You can research various independent digital advertising agencies around you and choose the one you think will be the best for you.
This way, you will do what you are best at, and the digital advertising experts will make sure what you are best at is shown to the world so that they can come become a part of your family. So, what mistake do you stop right now? Not asking for help from the digital advertising experts.
Are You Ready To Sore High With Higher Education Industry Digital Advertising?
That’s it, folks. I am sure you are aware that this is not an exhaustive list. As and when the dynamics of the market change, so will the elements of this list. However, for now, this list will definitely turn your brand’s boat in the right direction.
If it gets too overwhelming for you, you can always contact us. We will be more than happy to help you out. Stop making the above-mentioned mistakes or rectify them now. This way, you will set course in the right direction and who knows, you might meet Arya who will tell you what’s west of Westeros.
The point being, you will move forward with grace in this digital advertising world. Your higher education brand will be heard, be seen, and be loved. So are you willing to set the course in the right direction? I’ll leave you be to think about it. Laters.
Smart Business Owners Learn from the Mistakes of Others
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