It was since the late 90s that educational brands have looked beyond the classroom and notebook. Earlier television and print were the only mode of advertising. Education brands (namely publication houses or coaching centers) advertised their products by bringing out product features and at times testimonials or success stories of subscribers. But with the advent of social media, education brands have seen a new high.

The supplementary education market in India for school students is estimated to be close to $25 billion and is expected to touch $30 billion by 2020. The KPMG 2017 research forecasts a CAGR of 64% for the online test preparation market in 2021.

However, most of the market share lies with premier EdTech brands that charge a high amount for online test packages and have very few centers, mostly in metros cities.

Digital marketing strategies for higher education

With the online education market expected to grow from 1.6 million users in 2016 to 9.6 million in 2021 (according to KPMG), the online test preparation platform is seeing the biggest boom ever.

With the upcoming quarter going to be the busiest season for government and banking exams, conducted by the UPSC, SSC, CGL, and IBPS till February 2018, students are preparing better using such aids, which include the latest changes in patterns as well as mock tests, helping them familiarize concepts and question patterns better.

The Indian educational market is a highly segmented one and it is interesting to note that almost all segments are high on demand.

Today parents want to download worksheets and practice pages for kindergarten kids.

Middle school students are becoming more reliant upon online resources (in the form of video tutorials, downloadable notes, question banks and more). For high school, college, and competitive exams, the demand was always high. Educational brands, now known as EdTech brands (the smart and trendy name for today’s students) are riding high on personal branding.

Why is digital marketing strategy for higher education important?

While one brand is offering video tutorials for solving complex Mathematics or Physics problems, another one is giving out ready-to-solve mock test sheets for practice.

While one EdTech brand is growing its subscriber base with flexible payment structure (for online and offline course packages), the other one is building an online platform for teacher-student interaction.

Gamification of academic modules has also gained immense importance in the recent past. Well-known brands like Edurite or Scoremore post quizzes or questions for users. Hourly prizes or quiz of week strategies very much at play.

EdTech brands have redefined the importance of time to the millennials. PixelBenchmarks, a leading online mock test platform for users aspiring to perform well at exams.

Mapped to the updated syllabus and changed examination patterns, mock test banks are available at an affordable rate. Users may enroll for basic, intermediate, or advanced levels of one or more subjects. Registered users can take a free sample test to see for themselves.

It operates on a pay-as-you-go model and generates revenue mainly through exam fees (to be paid by students) and registration fees (paid by resource providers), and advertisements.

Bigshots in West Bengal like BITJEE and Pathfinder put up special online study resources for students appearing for high school, engineering, and medical examinations.

They can enroll in both classroom or online courses by logging in through their social media accounts. This helps them access academic matters and also aids in the instant sharing of resources if required. Timely updates on social media on exam schedules and results help students.  

The coming years will see more interesting and attractive offerings in online learning. Gear up for more fun on the way.   Want to share your thoughts. Let us know how you feel. Comment below.