Why we should stop worrying about putting “bums in seats”

August 3, 2010

Remember that moment when you were so enthralled with what you were learning it seemed like time stopped? Your worries melted away and you were in that space somewhere in between reality and potential. It’s a little like being in a dream state isn’t it? You feel your untapped potential surging forward, about to launch you into a new space, where you had abilities you’d only previously dreamed about.

I remember a time like that when I was learning Spanish. It was the moment when I was so into a conversation that drudgery of memorizing verbs and vocabulary melted away. It was the moment – ever so fleeting that first time – when I was so into the moment that my lack of confidence vanished and I just spoke. It was the moment when my heart filled with joy because I realized that moment had been a dream for me – and it was coming true.

Having the ability not only to speak – but actually to engage with someone else in a meaningful conversation – was something I hadn’t been capable of in Spanish up to that point. Once I’d passed the threshold, I knew I could do it again. Knowing that spurred me on to keep learning.

Ever had a moment like that? Sure you have.

If you didn’t, you wouldn’t believe in the power of knowing other languages.

Your students have those moments, too. Or at least, they crave them. Learners crave breakthroughs; breakthroughs make a challenge worth the effort.

What are you offering your students to help them achieve those “ah ha!” moments? How are you challenging them to reach within themselves to tap into their potential? How are you making their dreams of fluency and sincere connections with others, enabled by their language learning experiences, come true?

When it comes to marketing your ESL, second language, literacy and other educational programs, keep your goals worthy and your sights firmly set on why we do what we do.

Stop worrying about how to put bums in seats.

Always worry about how to empower your students.

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

1 Comment | education, ESL, languages, leadership, marketing | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

A picture says a thousand words: Tap into the world of stock photos

August 2, 2010

A while ago I did a post on photo tips and ideas for language and literacy programs. In that post I gave some ideas on the types of things you can take pictures to marketing and promote your language and literacy program.

Really though, unless you have someone on staff who was has excellent photography skills, your photos may lack professionalism. Using stock photography has some advantages for marketing. Not only are you guaranteed to get excellent quality, royal-free images, you also don’t have to worry about getting students or their parents to sign waivers allowing you to use their image to promote your school.

There are a number of companies out there that offer stock photos, as well as images and sometimes audio tracks, too. Either you buy credits which allow you to purchase photos on a pay-as-you-go type of arrangement, or you buy a subscription for a certain period of time. Buying credits is a good way to test out the system for not very much money, just to learn how it works.

Once you get to the site, type in a key word that matches the image of what you’re trying to portray. You’ll usually get thousands of images, some of which will work and others won’t. Words I’ve used for marketing ESL and EFL programs include “multicultural”, “students”, “international”, “school” and so forth. Get creative with your key words if the results aren’t giving you what you’re looking for.

  • Getty Images
  • Jupiter Images
  • Fotolia
  • iStock – The photo from this post is from iStock. Every week they offer a freebie for members. This particular freebie was very appropriate for languages and literacy, so how could I resist?

The size of the photo you buy depends on what you are using it for. For website use only, you can get away with smaller images. If you’re using them in printed materials such as brochures, school prospectuses, etc. then you’ll want a higher quality image.

Once you’ve purchases the rights to a photo, you can use it for a variety of purposes, providing you stay within the agreements. For example, don’t go and re-sell the image by putting it on merchandise such as coffee cups or T-shirts that you charge money for.

Some people have said to me that using stock photos seems insincere because the subjects aren’t real students or staff from your school. That is true. It is one trade off of using pro quality stock photos. Ultimately you need to decide what you want – and can – do for yourself. Also, have a look at what your competitors are using in their photos. If their images are pro quality, you may be looking at stock photos.

For me, using stock photos for at least some of your marketing materials, is a good investment of resources.

Do you have a favorite site for photos that’s not listed here? Leave a comment, so others can find out about it, too.

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

2 Comments | ESL, languages, marketing, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

3 “big rules” of 21st century marketing

July 30, 2010

In a recent post I talked about some signs your marketing is outdated. Today I’ll share some tips on updating your marketing for the 21st century:

Big Rule #1: Make it about people.

Build community. Clients, customers and prospective students and program participants are bombarded with options. Every day. Give them a place to belong and they’ll not only come to you, they’ll stay a while.

Eliminate the sales talk. It’s old. It’s tired. It’s annoying. Yes, you still need to sell services or products, but fast-talking sales pitches are out. The pushy sales approach is now considered harsh and insensitive to the other’s needs. Well, it always was that way, but now people have completely lost their tolerance for it.

Add a human element. I started talking about this when the first edition of 101 Ways to Market Your Language Program came out in 2002. Some people balked then, saying they didn’t have time for that; it took too much effort and there was not enough return on investment (ROI). My answer: If you don’t have time for other people, why would you expect them to have time for you? It’s about people. For example, on your website, list the names of people who hold positions of leadership. People want to connect with other people, not with some big (or small) organization they know nothing about.

Big Rule #2: Build trust

Give away a sample. Ever been to one of those big-box grocery stores and they’re giving away samples at the end of every aisle? Why are they doing this? Because people love to try new things. If they try it, and they like it, they’ll buy it. If they’re not sure, the chances of them buying it goes down. How do you do this if you have a service-based business? Offer a free workshop, webinar or class. Let people try you without risk.

Ask for testimonials. Ask prior clients for testimonials about your work. In order to be considered reliable a testimonial has to have the name, and preferably also the organization (or at least the city) of the person giving it. Testimonials need to be authentic in order to be credible.

Stick around. Doing consistent marketing over time is what gets results. People will trust you more once you’ve been around a while. In my experience, it takes at least a few months of consistent marketing, relationship building and community building before much happens. I’ve had clients come back to me years after an initial conversation or short contract. If I wasn’t still around, they couldn’t work with me, now could they?

Big Rule #3: Leave a digital footprint

Have a web site. Are you laughing when you read this? I still meet services organizations that do not have a website. Seriously! There’s no excuse today not to have a website. If you can’t afford your own domain, then start a blog through a service like WordPress or Blogger.

Use social media. You don’t have to be a social media addict, but it does help if you have a web presence. Social media isn’t going away. Learn to use it to your advantage, rather than resisting what is here to stay.

Be “Google-able”. Where do you look when you want to find out more about a product, service or an organization? On line. Where do you think other people look when they want to find out about you? The same place. You don’t need to pay a lot of money for “SEO optimization”. Just be out there. A website and using social media are good way to start.

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

1 Comment | 101 Ways to Market Your Language Program, marketing, social media, technology, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

New York Times: Learning a language on the web is trendy

July 29, 2010

“The Internet, with its unparalleled ability to connect people throughout the world, is changing the way that many people learn languages” writes Peter Wayner in Learning a Language From an Expert, on the Web, an article from the New York Times (July 28, 2010).

The article touches on 2 of the themes that emerged in my study Global Trends in Language Learning in the 21st Century:

  • Using technology in language learning (new trend)
  • Taking an individualized, learner-centered approach (new trend)
  • Saying that learning languages is easy (outdated myth)

The way we learn languages is changing at a rapid pace. A new school year is approaching. What techniques, methodologies and approaches are you going to use that are appropriate for the 21st century?

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

Comments Off on New York Times: Learning a language on the web is trendy | education, ESL, languages, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

7 signs your marketing is outdated

July 28, 2010

Marketing and promotion has changed tremendously in the past decade. Here are some indicators that your marketing is “sooooo 20th Century!”

  1. Buying print ads. Unless your ad is very targeted to an audience that reads the print material, and offers a direct benefit, print ads have lost their impact.
  2. Direct mail. The campaigns have a very low return on investment.
  3. Cold calling. People resist telemarketers like the plague.
  4. E-mail spam. Do you hate spam? So does everyone else. If you do mass e-mail, you’re not only outdated, you’re likely losing customers because you’ve ticked off the person on the other end.
  5. Spending money with no deliverables. Spend your marketing dollars on things that will get you a trackable return on your investment.
  6. A “Buy me! Buy me!” approach. There’s no faster turn off in today’s world.
  7. Focusing on your products. If the writing in your marketing materials start with “This service…”, “This course…”, “This program…”, or “This product…”, your writing style is outdated and likely to make others tune out.

If you’re still doing these things, your marketing may not be effective because it’s not current. If it’s not current, it won’t have an impact in today’s world.

Next time I’ll share some simple, easy ways to make sure your marketing and promotions are optimized for the 21st century.

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Like this post? Share or Tweet it: 7 Signs Your Marketing is Outdated http://wp.me/pNAh3-e8

Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

Comments Off on 7 signs your marketing is outdated | language program administration, marketing | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

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