10 Jun 10 How to Promote your Educational Institution?

You may have a superb educational institute equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure, fantastic courses, and excellent panel of faculty members; but still fail to attract many students. In this age of fierce competition it’s indeed not easy to attract many students, convince them to feel that you are the best education provider. Indeed just good quality isn’t enough, you need a push, an extra effort towards marketing initiatives. Follow the simple tips to generate an increasing popularity of your institute.

12 Promotion tips

1. First of all your institute should maintain good quality of education, at par with the global standard. Even good marketing effort cannot boost a weak educational institution for very long time. So if your institute falls short of quality education, updated course curriculum, quality faculty members, placement assistance or infrastructure check them before getting into promotional activities.
2. Unknowingly we all are exposed to millions of advertisements every day. And they actually sell. Advertise your institute in various media, which you consider your target audience is exposed to. You may consider educational journals, education column in dailies, educational portals, television channels youth and their parents are exposed to, outdoor media and the like. Keep a large pie of your marketing budget for advertising.
3. If you are offering job oriented courses like management or computer courses and have a good track record of successful students, flaunt them in your communication. You may flaunt the success story of your ex-students, their work, awards. You could put their testimonies. If your placement assistance is good enough highlight that along with names of companies people have been placed in.
4. Participate in educational fairs, exhibitions, meets; where lot of prospective students flock in, and even inquire, collect forms and brochures.
5. Make institute appear more enthusiast and updated by sending good bunch of students to educational quizzes, talk shows, competitions, debates, seminars. Good name of your institute will attract many prospective youngsters.
6. Create community, fan page for your institution in social networking sites like facebook, myspace, hi5, twitter. A growing number of fans/followers/members/friends will definitely boost image of your institute.
7. To draw more attention of the youth you could put posters or distribute leaflets in and around areas where youngsters hang out like – coffee shops, shopping malls, book shops, libraries, movie theatres, music shop. But don’t do this activity for too long, as it may appear you are desperately looking for students.
8. Word of mouth sells the most and specially when it comes from passed out students. Treat ex-students with care. Make sure they pass out with good experience, so that they spread good words about the institute.
9. While you advertise, make your institute look appealing from all aspects – quality of education, faculty board, placement, and infrastructure.
10. If you are a business school with ranking or an award winning school (be it in any aspect) flaunt your achievement in your communication. Put the source of achievement too.
11. Sponsor educational seminars, quizzes, talk shows to generate good will of your brand.
12. Keep good media relations. Press conferences, coverage of college events may look even better with a long maintained good media relation.

There are many more ways to promote a school. You are just limited by your imagination.

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