How to Market Your Language or Literacy Program – Idea #2 Create an image for your program

March 3, 2010

Creating an image for your program is an important part of marketing and promoting it. Think about what you want your prospective students to imagine when they see your marketing materials.

Is your program based on strict academics, intense cultural immersion, workplace learning or a fun holiday program? Once you have determined what image you want for your program, you can proceed to create that image through the photos, fonts and layouts that you choose for your marketing materials. For example, a fun holiday program does not need a coat of arms on its letterhead, but a program based on serious academic study may benefit from a more
traditional image. What is the image you want to create?

The creation of a program or school image is one that you may want to develop through a committee. The input from various committee members can help you clarify what message you want to send out to the world and what you want to avoid. Your committee can include a variety of perspectives such as administration, teaching staff, even students and alumni. Having someone with some training in branding or marketing may be helpful, too.

Remember that it is easier to create an image from the beginning, than it is to change an image that has already been established. Your aim is to create a strong image for your program so that when prospects and competitors see your marketing material they quickly associate it with your program.

This post is an excerpt from Sarah’s book, 101 Ways to Market Your Language Program

__________

Share this post: How to Market Your Language or Literacy Program – Idea #2 Create an image for your program  http://wp.me/pNAh3-T

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 How to Market Your Language or Literacy Program – Idea #2 Create an image for your program | 101 Ways to Market Your Language Program, education, languages, Literacy, marketing, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

How to brand your language or literacy program

February 25, 2010

Branding is one activity that falls under the larger umbrella of marketing. It’s important to have an overall marketing strategy. Branding is a hot topic though and lots of people ask me about it. So today I wanted to focus briefly just on branding for language schools and literacy programs. Here are a few tips to get you started:

Be clear about what programs you’re offering. If you focus on programs for adults, then be purposeful and decisive about it. Do not try to be all things to all people. Focus all your efforts on programs that fit within your niche. Find trusted colleagues who offer complementary programs so you can refer prospects to them who don’t fit in your niche. So if your specialty is a program for those 18-50 and you get an inquiry from someone looking for a youth program, have somewhere to refer them. That’s just good professional courtesy. Then, send them on their way and stay focussed on your niche. Being clear about who you are and what you do is the first step to marketing yourself successfully. From there, you can focus more on other activities, including branding.

Use your logo widely – If you have a logo, use it on all your marketing materials – not just the website or the brochures. Make sure it is on your business cards, your letterhead and any promotional materials you produce. People associate the logo with your activities , your style and your philosophy. Your logo is a visual, often pictorial image that represents who your organization is and what you do. This idea is very powerful for language and literacy programs where words may be a barrier to your clients! You don’t words on your logo. You can have them, but you don’t need them. Your logo becomes an imprint on the memory of those who see it. Use it widely and people will get to know your program better.

Be clear and consistent -You want to deliver the same message to your prospects with all of your marketing materials. It is important to keep the logo consistent over time and also to use it consistently.  In my experience, programs that have one logo that they use on every piece of paper that leaves their office and every web page are usually very successful. This is because they are sending a message that they are reliable, trustworthy and that they’re here to stay.

Here are a few of my favorite online articles for branding. They’re directed towards business people and entrepreneurs, and what they have to say is also good for educational leaders who are responsible for promoting their programs within their communities or to the world.

Fundamentals of branding
http://www.brandchannel.com/features_effect.asp?pf_id=183

Approaches to branding
http://www.knowthis.com/principles-of-marketing-tutorials/managing-products/approaches-to-branding/

How to position a company, product, service or brand
http://www.adcracker.com/position/

and a good articles on the failure of some marketing campaigns (and the resulting failure of the associated products and services):

Product and brand failures: a marketing perspective
http://articles.mplans.com/product-and-brand-failures-a-marketing-perspective/

_______________

Share this post: How to brand your language or literacy program http://wp.me/pNAh3-J

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 How to brand your language or literacy program | 101 Ways to Market Your Language Program, branding, education, languages, Literacy, marketing | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

Tips for success at educational trade fairs

February 10, 2010

Here are some tips I’ve used myself at educational trade fairs. They could just as easily apply to business trade shows too, I would expect, but since my experience is in the educational sector, I’ll stick to what I know. A few of them were passed on to me by others who were seasoned veterans of the fair circuit, so let me publicly thank them for helping me out when I was a rookie. I’m happy to share all these tips with you:

Think “first aid kit”. First aid kits are full of little things you need in emergencies. Your “trade fair kit” should include tape, push pins, “fun tack” (sticky putty that holds posters to the wall without marking the wall) business cards, markers, pens, elastic bands, a couple of large envelopes, a note pad and a pair of scissors. Bring everything you need to make your booth beautiful. Bonus tip: Using clear packing tape, I always tape a business card to the handle of my scissors so if anyone asks to borrow them, they will remember who to return them to. It’s amazing how many things get lent – and then lost – at a trade fair!

Stay hydrated. Exhibition halls can get hot and usually don’t have a lot of fresh air. You may get dehydrated more quickly than usual. Keep a bottle of water handy and drink from it often. Coffee, tea and colas will dehydrate you (and they’ll look terrible if they spill on your clothes.) If you’re travelling in a foreign country remember to buy bottled water. Make sure the bottle is sealed when you get it. Otherwise, it may have been refilled with local tap water which may contain bacteria that is not agreeable to your system.

Dress for comfort. You’re on the go for 10, 12, maybe 14 hours (or more). You need to look professional, but you also need to be comfortable. If your shoes hurt your feet, leave them at home. If your favorite suit is a bit snug these days, forget it. The bottom line is that if you’re not thinking about what you’re wearing, you’re more likely to concentrate on your work. Bonus tip: Bring some stain remover. In Canada, for example, you can buy a box of individually wrapped stain-wipes and I expect you can get them in many other countries, too. They are great for travelling. If you spill something on yourself, you may not have time to run back to your room to change.

Be a know-it-all. People are more likely to remember you if you are helpful to them. Before the doors crash open and people flood the hall, make a point to find out where the closest bathrooms, exits, water fountain, information booth and cafeteria are. No, it’s not your job to direct traffic, but if you can be helpful to others, they will appreciate it and you’ll leave them with a positive impression.

Smile, smile, smile! Once students, agents and parents fill the hall, this is your time to shine. Make a point to smile to as many of them as possible. Sometimes, people start concentrating on answering questions or focus on how tired or jet lagged they feel. The tough reality is that students and parents have no idea how you feel and most of them won’t care. They will care, however, if you make them feel good. A smile always makes people feel good.

Be a farmer. Trade fairs are a place to plant seeds that will grow later. Collect as much contact information as you can, so you can stay in touch with people later. This is called “harvesting information”. One way to do this is to offer a draw for something that people are really keen on. Free tuition is always a hit. Then, use your entry forms to follow up with people when you get home. Plant the seeds. Nurture the relationships that germinate at trade fairs and some of them will blossom into registrations for you.

Warning – Don’t eat alone. Trade fairs mean networking. Valuable meetings can happen over meals or coffee. Use this time to build relationships with other professionals, agents or a new contact. Remember that the best way to network is to make yourself an excellent resource for others. Be ready to offer your own tips, ideas and information. Doing so will help others remember you – warmly.

(This post is a reprint of an article originally written by the blog author in the October 6, 2003 edition of the “weekly e-newsletter for subscribers of marketinglanguageprograms@yahoogroups.ca”.)

Related posts:

How to find a good ESL agent: Tips from the trenches

Tips for finding ESL educational agents

_______________

Share this post: Tips for success at educational trade fairs http://wp.me/pNAh3-r

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 Tips for success at educational trade fairs | Blogs on Leadership, Communication, education, marketing, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

How to market your language program: Idea #1 – Define your program

February 4, 2010

Idea # 1: Define your program before you market it.

Before you begin to market your program, print brochures, create a web page, etc. you need to be clear about exactly what it is you are marketing. How many different types of programs does your school offer? Are they evening programs, intensive academic programs, tutorials? I have been surprised how many times I have asked program coordinators and managers about their programs and they can only answer in vague terms. Listen to the difference between these two possible responses:

“Oh we do a bit of everything…”

or

“We offer part-time programs for teens and adults from the beginner through advanced levels. In addition, we run a successful workplace learning program, specializing in the manufacturing industry with workers mainly from Asia.”

The person who can give a 10-second definition of his program is more likely to have a clear, directed marketing approach that will fill seats and increase enrollment.

Some people would call this a mission statement. That’s another way of thinking about it, but the idea of developing a mission statement can be overwhelming to some people, so I like to keep things simple and clear.

The bottom line is, if you can’t define what it is that you do best, nobody will know.  Take a few minutes to write down the most important points about your program and courses. Then check with others at the school to see if they would agree.  Your objective is to come up with a short, concise definition of your overall program.

This post is an excerpt from 101 Ways to Market Your Language Program

_ _________________________

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 How to market your language program: Idea #1 – Define your program | 101 Ways to Market Your Language Program | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

Next Entries »