Successfully Integrating your K12 Market Strategy EIA University, 2014 Relevance, Relationships & Revenue 1

Successfully Integrating your K12 Market Strategy EIA University, 2014

Relevance, Relationships & Revenue

1

Copyright © 2014 Market Data Retrieval 2

Building Relationships

What does it take to grow your business in K-12 today?

Great Product

Brand Recognition Visibility

Clear Prospect Audience

Fans & Evangelists

Accessible Support

Strong Value Prop


The Importance of STORY

Know your customer’s storyand become part of it…

Intertwine your story with theirsUse a mix of tools to become a

relevant voice


How can you find the right mix of channels to become a

relevant voice to your customer?


Define your market

What does my customer look like?

Historically, we’ve had a very building-centric view

Enrollment, poverty indicators, and Title I funding drove marketing strategy from the rooftop down to everyone in the building

A demographics-based approach can be useful in determining high-level targeting

Segmentation at the rooftop level


Define your customer

ASK: What does my customer look?

More and more opportunity to understand the prospective buyer as a person

Firmographics and psychographics can enhance demographics

– Know not only who to market to but how to market to them

Understanding behaviors can better position your marketing message


Harness all the data you can…

Contact

Demographics

Occupational

Financial

Buying Behaviors

Social Media

Direct Marketing Channel Preference

Advertising Receptivity

Interests


…and get started with analysis


Understand educator behavior

64% of educators check their email on a wireless mobile device

77% of teachers make buying decisions based on personal recommendations

74% of educators purchase products for teaching online

How does this research affect my strategy?

Source: Digital Marketing Trends in the Education Market 2013: A Comprehensive Analysis of the 2011-2012 School Year


What is the profile of my best customers?– Use research to shape your go-to market

strategy

Where can I find them?– Use an integrated strategy to introduce

your brand, invite them to engage, and build a relationship

Use data to define your strategy and shape your tactics


Who is today’s educator, and how can you engage with her using an integrated strategy?

Here’s an example…


• Heavy social media user, Twitter user, blogger

• Uses Internet for professional and personal use – involved in iPad pilot program in her school

• Strongly influenced by social/mobile site/blogs/reviews

Meet Michelle Swan…

• 24-year-old, single female

• Resides at 123 College Street, New Haven, CT

• Rents condo

• Median HHI $65,000-$80,000

• Prefers to purchase online

• Prefers solicitations via email and mobile

• Bachelor’s degree

• 3 years teaching third grade at Center School, Shelton, CT


Michelle reads a tweet from WeAreTeachers that links to an

Infographic about classroom management…and it references

your product.

She Googles your company, visits your website, and signs

up on your email list.

Michelle gets your email newsletter, full of helpful teaching tips. She puts one idea to use in her class the very

next day, with great results.

Michelle sees your Display Ads on various sites she visits throughout the day and remembers how helpful your newsletter was.

Michelle visits the WeAreTeachers Facebook page and sees a discount promotion on your product, with positive comments about it from other teachers.

Connect with Michelle at all her favorite touch points


Over multiple impressions, Michelle develops a positive association with your brand

Using the discount code from FB, she purchases your product and creates and executes a successful lesson with it.

Now a loyal brand fan, Michelle:• Writes about her positive

experience on her blog• Tweets her teacher friends about it• Likes your page on Facebook• Pins photos from her lesson—

featuring your product—on her Pinterest board


So how can you make the most of every channel?

Let’s talk about:

Creating an effective presence at industry events and trade shows

Maximizing email to generate and nurture leads

Incorporating display advertising

Social strategies and content marketing


Trade Show Strategies

• Metrics

• Presence

• Social Media


Get Serious About Metrics

• Establish a metrics tracker and update every event

• Define metrics to evaluate pre- and post-event activities as well as on-site

• Establish a “Hot Lead” objective and track it


Assume Nothing About Your Team

You’ve worked hard to create a lovely exhibit—now get out.

Exhibit

HEADS UP

Talk to anyone, but don’t encourage everyone.


Social Media: Include or Stay Home

If you aren’t integrating social media domains into your events strategy, you might as well stay home

Leverage communities to drive traffic on-site and online

Get involved with event/association communities

Invite third parties to contribute to your social media content


Making the Most of Your Digital Channels

Integrated Digital

Marketing

Email

Web Ads

Social

Mobile


Email Marketing

A marketer’s bread and butterEducators’ preferred channel


Percentage of Teachers Purchasing an Educational Product or Service as a Result of an Email Advertisement



Amount Spent by Teachers Who Purchased Educational Products as a Result of Email Advertisements



Direct Marketing Channel Preference



Channel Effectiveness



Best Practice: 3 Checks

• What is the campaign’s goal?

• What is “success”?

• Does your call-to-action support the goal?


300%Increase in opens on mobile devices since 2010

-Return Path “Email Mostly Mobile” Infographic

Best Practice: Design and Landing Page Optimization

Important Aspects of Email Design• Images• Image Suppression• Mobile


Best Practice: Targeting Works

100-999 1,000-1,999

2,000-2,999

3,000-3,999

4,000-4,999

5,000-5,999

10,000-19,999

20,000-39,999

40,000+0.0%

2.0%

4.0%

6.0%

8.0%

10.0%

12.0%

14.0%

12.7%12.0%

11.3%

9.8% 9.7%

8.8%8.2%

7.6%

6.0%

4.3%3.6%

3.2%2.6% 2.6% 2.4% 2.3%

1.9%1.4%

Open Rate Click-Through Rate

KEY TAKE-AWAY

Targeted campaigns perform better


Best Practice: Nurture Leads

Responder Triggers engage your responders for maximum conversion!

4x Click Rate!


Web Advertising

A natural digital extensionAmplifies campaign reachEasy real-time optimization


Display Advertising…Natural Extension of Your Existing Strategy

Web advertising is a low-risk strategy that supports your overall marketing plan and boosts the performance of your campaign

Increased reach

Brand/product awareness and favorability

In-progress campaign testing

In-progress campaign optimization

Strong metrics and measurability


Web Advertising Optimization Tactics

Design

Use animation

Clear, well-written message or hook

Strong call-to-action

Simple design elementsLanding Page

Design connectivity

Call-to-action actualized

Brief, clear, concise messagingConfirmation Page

Use conversion tracking


Wrapping Up

Walk before you run

Define measures of success up-front

Lean on your marketing partners’ expertise


A robust content strategy can…

Content marketing is thebackbone of an integrated strategy

• Build brand awareness and interest

• Establish thought leadership

• Extend the reach of all your channels


relevant content +multiple repurposed iterations +

multiple channels =

Relationship development and audience engagement

How? With a winning formula.


…and the more engaged your audience is, the more likely they will be to think of you

when it’s time to buy


Make It Real. Make It Relevant. Build Relationships.

• Is not about products or services

• Speaks directly to customers’ needs, solves their problems, or gives them information they need to overcome challenges

• Focuses on building a Relationship, not making a sale

Real relevant content…


Check out our products for new teachers!


5 Classroom Management Tips for New Teachers


Tip: Real, Relevant content doesn’t always have to be yours!

Use your social channels to share valuable content from other sources

For every 1 piece of your original content posted, share 3 to 4 pieces of relevant content from other sources


Get the most out of every piece of content: Repurpose

Step 1: Create real relevant content

Step 2: Create another iteration of that same content

Step 3: Repeat Step 2


Create stronger Relationships: Propagate content in various forms across multiple channels

Build every channel strategy around real, relevant content, such as:

• Highlighting article content or research in email and direct mail campaigns

• Incorporating user-generated content into your email newsletter or blog

• Creating a survey-based infographic and sharing across all your social platforms


Did you know…?

The most popular reasons for visiting these sites are exchanging ideas (39%) and obtaining free resources (38%).

The most frequent cited reason for doing so is to get coupons or discounts.


Sometimes 2 is better than 1!

– What brands add strength to what your brand represents?

Goal: Both brands wanted to demonstrate brand leadership to related audiences through the creation of relevant and valuable content

Example: WeAreTeachers & Volunteer Spot


1. Brands collaborated to develop one survey altered for their audience of teachers or parents

2. WeAreTeachers compiled the results

3. Both brands worked together to determine key findings

People love data and factsStep 1: Research survey to each audience


Step 2: Content development to support multiple channels

Checklist Hook

• Headlines• Bullet points

Graphics• Repurpose for

distribution channelsCopy

• SEO friendly CTA Review for best

practices


Step 3: Distribute & Promote!Post, publish, email, share, pin, tweet…etc.


Goal– Brand awareness– Engagement– User-generated content

Content Strategy– Data/stats on how teachers and parents can be

smart about screen time– Facebook poll on teachers’ favorite apps

Example: “Smart Screen Time”


Distribute & Promote!Post, publish, email, share, pin, tweet…etc.


Expand the social reach of your content with PR efforts

Identify bloggers and journalists that would most be interested in your content

Start outreach with sample content so they know your area of expertise and can come to you when they need that information

Create a page on your site or a quarterly “tip sheet” for bloggers and journalists

Even with little to no marketing budget, you could:


Anatomy of a Successful Marketing Plan

Key Steps in the Educational Marketing Space



1. Planning• Defining the goals of the

campaign

• Segmentation strategies

• Marketing channel mix

• Defining any testing goals

• Understanding the full value of the marketing effort

• Establishing benchmarks



2. Execution

• Timing

• Versioning

• Campaigning

• Lead Nurturing



3. Measuring Results

• Email

• Social Media

• Display / Ad Words

• Ecommerce

• Lead Gen / Lead Quality

• Sales


Break into groups to generate your own marketing case study!

Activity



Case Studies


Background

Classroom magazine that engages students while presenting them with high-quality nonfiction content and comprehensive teacher planning materials and a digital edition

Strong direct mail strategy using highly segmented, modeled lists

Email historically only used as a renewal mechanism


Goal: Test New Channels

TFK wanted to test new channels for driving customer subscriptions

Integrated Approach for TFK:• Continue to use DM• Test email as acquisition channel• Use targeted online display advertising to boost

overall response• Increase Social Awareness

Email

Direct Mail

Web Ads

Social Media


DM

Dro

p #

1

Emai

l #1

Trig

gere

d Em

ail

DM

Dro

p #

2

Emai

l #2

Trig

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d Em

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Start

+ 1 week+ 5 days

+ 30 days

+ 1 week+ 5 days

Web AdvertisingSocial Media

Plan at a glance

• Integrated plan leveraged online and offline

• Each step was reviewed and optimized


Lead Process

Lead Nurturing Program

Hot Leads - #3

Hot Leads - #2

Hot Leads - #1

Convert

Inform

Valuable Content


Integrated Success

• Double digit growth!

• Established social benchmarks. Sharing was “priceless”

• Email/DM tag team drove subs

Web Ads Web Ads achieved above average clicks/ conversions

Email

Web Ads

Social

Direct Mail


What’s in your marketing plan?

• Q & A• MDR help you with your go-to-market

strategy! Contact us at:• [email protected]• Derek Fairfield, MDR Product Manager• Stephanie Nash, MDR Marketing Manager• We’d love to hear from you:

800-333-8802

mailto:[email protected]

Documents

Successfully Integrating your K12 Market Strategy EIA University, 2014 Relevance, Relationships & Revenue 1