Whether you are just putting on your marketing hat or have worn one for years, you likely realize that the times, as Bob Dylan once sang, they are a-changin’! Marketers everywhere are taking a step back and asking, “Is our approach working? Are we reaching the right people at the right time with the right content?”
Administrators and other education decision-makers are bombarded with information from every direction. So how can we ensure that we don’t add to the noise, and instead sing a catchy tune that rises above the cacophony?
Be a Partner, not a Provider
Gone are the days when educational technology buyers were looking for the next, best thing or shiny, new tool. District leaders want a partner, not simply a provider. In this ever-changing landscape of ed tech, decision-makers need to know they can trust you and your brand.
Why make these busy people peel back layers upon layers of marketing hype? Why not give decision makers what they want? You invest time and effort conceiving, creating, and delivering your content, but if your audience isn’t finding your content useful (or finding it at all), why bother?
Before creating a piece of content (let alone a full campaign) ask yourself these four questions:
- How will I know that I was successful? Will the metric be buzz or sales ready leads?
- What is my end goal with this piece of content? Having a clear vision for how any single piece of content will be used will help shape your approach.
- Who is my audience? Any good inbound or content marketer knows that you simply cannot batch and blast the same message to a teacher as you would a superintendent. They have different needs and priorities for engaging with your content.
- Where is my audience in their buyer’s journey? Whether you are nurturing contacts you met a recent conference or reaching out to existing customers to expand a relationship, your content should resonate with that specific audience. Prospects, leads, and customers are each looking for different types and topics of content at different times. If you deliver what they need when they need it, you will earn their trust.
Of course there are other questions to consider, but if you can answer these four questions, you are most likely well on your way to creating solid, relevant content. If you are a bit foggy on any of these questions, take a look at data from past pieces of content and campaigns. What made your existing customers act? Was there a particular piece of content that repeatedly resonated with your customers? Maybe it was a case study, an infographic, or an article you posted on LinkedIn that tipped the scales. If so, that would be a great place to go back and start exploring these questions further!
