James Dixey, who has published various reports on the ELT sector, says that many schools rely heavily on agents and that they all ask the same questions.
“[Agents are] An excellent source of students for many ELT schools. And there have been many great successes and lasting connections and friendships made,” Dixie said.
“How can we get students to come to us directly? The answer lies in developing direct marketing and digital marketing skills.”
Direct marketing and digital marketing refer to reaching customers directly through various marketing methods.
Mr Dixie urged school leaders to take practical courses in this area. Dixie himself also worked at Pilgrim in Canterbury when he was enrolled at his school, focusing on Direct His Mail and Direct His Advertising.
“The result? Pilgrims' share of direct deals has increased significantly by more than 150% within 12 months, and this has been achieved without impacting our valuable agent relationships and at much lower recruitment costs.” ,” Dixie explained.
Different types of direct and digital marketing include email marketing, social media marketing, and calls to action.
“How can we get students to come directly to us? The answer lies in developing their own skills.”
Social media marketing has emerged as a major player for various language schools. One of the new trends is for language schools to bring in influencers who can strengthen the school's brand through their own followers.
Dixie points out that the Data Marketing Institute's certification courses, which offer a selection of one- or two-day “how-to” sessions on various marketing techniques, may be a good place to start.
“We have courses on direct press advertising, running effective email campaigns, and comprehensive guides to Google Analytics and SEO,” Dixey noted.
