If you are reading this, I assume that you are either searching for information about marketing your online masters degree or are in the process of doing so. If not, then maybe this article is directed at someone who is pursuing an online masters degree but isn’t quite sure how to go about marketing their degree.
Before we begin, let’s establish some key terms:
- Marketing is the process of attracting customers to your product/service and keeping them interested in what you have to offer
- Digital Marketing is focused on marketing products/services through digital channels
- Channels include but are not limited to: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube
- Instagram is a photo-sharing website that allows users to post and engage with photos.
- Facebook is a social media website that allows users to connect with friends, family, and other people they know
- Twitter is a micro-blogging platform that allows users to share short messages called tweets
- YouTube is a video-sharing website that allows users to upload and share videos
Now that we’ve gone over the basics, it’s time to get to the meat of marketing your online masters degree. Let’s dive in.
Step one: Define your target audience
Before you begin your digital marketing campaign, it’s important to identify who your target audience is and what they want. Without a clear idea of who you are appealing to, you won’t be able to craft a strategy that is effective. Luckily for you, we’re about to give you a crystal clear idea of who your target audience is and what they want. On the next page, we’ll walk you through a process of defining your target audience.
Step two: Create buyer personas
Like many other businesses, you’ll want to establish the persona of your target audience. A buyer persona is a fictitious character used to represent a group of people with specific characteristics. For example, let’s say you’re selling fertilizer. Your target audience is composed of small farmers that own a few acres of land. Based on this information, you can create a buyer persona named “Joe Smiler.” Joe is a 38 year old white male owner of a farm business who lives in Indiana. He has 2 children and is seeking to increase his revenue.
If you can relate to Joe, then you’ll be able to engage with him more effectively. If you’re unable to create a character that perfectly represents your target audience, then consider using an avatar instead. Avatars are cartoonish representations of users. For example, if you’re using YouTube to market your degree, then you could use an avatar that represents your channel’s aesthetic.
Step three: Create key compelling messages
With a clear idea of your target audience, you can craft compelling messages that will attract your audience to your product/service.
For example, let’s say that you want to market your online masters degree in digital marketing to people who are seeking an inbound marketing strategy. You could create the following compelling message to draw them in:
“An inbound marketing strategy focuses on attracting, engaging, and delighting people, instead of marketing to them or selling to them.”
Having a clear message is the first step to communicating effectively through digital marketing. If a potential customer comes across your marketing message in an article, a tweet, or even a Facebook post, then you’ll be able to engage with them more effectively. At the end of the day, people will be more likely to respond to messages that are relevant to them.
Step four: Identify the platforms
Once you have a clear message and an understanding of your target audience, it’s time to move on to the fun part: identifying the platforms.
This is where you’ll decide which digital marketing channels to use to reach your audience. For example, maybe you’re pursuing a course in SEO and you recognize that YouTube is a powerful platform for video content. You could create a separate channel for YouTube videos and begin to build a community there.
The best part of this step is that you get to test different platforms and learn what works best for reaching your audience. If you want to know how to market your online masters degree, then this is the step for you.
Step five: Measure the success of your strategy
Now that you know what steps you’ll take to market your online masters degree, it’s time to measure the success of your strategy.
The first step to measuring the success of your strategy is to set a benchmark. A benchmark is a specific measurement or goal that you’ll use to determine the success of your strategy. For example, maybe your benchmark is to generate $100,000 in website traffic this year. After you set your benchmark, it’s time to analyze your progress.
You can use a tool like Google Analytics to track all of the website traffic that comes to your site. Doing this will help you determine how much traffic your strategy is generating and if you’re on the right track to achieving your goal.
Step six: Develop key performance indicators (KPIs)
Once you’ve measured the success of your strategy, you can start to develop key performance indicators (KPIs). A key performance indicator (KPI) is a metric that you’ll use to determine the effectiveness of your strategy.
This is a very important step because it gives you a way to track your progress and determine if you’re meeting your goals. If you can’t measure it, then it doesn’t exist. Developing KPIs for your marketing strategy is very similar to setting a benchmark. You’ll want to choose measures that are easily accessible and that will give you a clear idea of how well you’re performing.
For example, if you’re pursuing a course in SEO and you want to see how many pageviews you’re getting on your websites, then this is the metric you should be focusing on.
Step seven: Identify potential growth markets
Once you’ve established a strong foundation with the above steps, you can begin to look for potential growth markets. A growth market is a group of people who share a trait or exhibit an interest that could lead to new business opportunities. For example, if you are pursuing a career in digital marketing and you notice that a lot of your potential clients are in the middle 50s, then this is a market that you’ll want to tap into. They are your growth niche.
Your growth niche is a small subset of your target audience. It’s a group of people with similar interests and challenges who share a trait (e.g., age, gender, and location) that could lead to new business opportunities. As a digital marketer, you’ll want to make sure that you focus on building a brand name for yourself within your niche.
Step eight: Identify competitor analysis tools
The last step of the above process is to identify analysis tools that can help you determine your competitors’ weaknesses and strengths. Tools like Google Trends can help you understand what topics your competitors are focusing on and how successful they are at marketing their products/services. You can use this information to determine their competitive analysis and set your own course for the future.
In summary, this process of marketing your online masters degree will put you on the right track to succeeding. With a little effort, you can dramatically increase your odds of prevailing in the digital marketing arena. If you can complete the above steps effectively, then you’ll be able to develop a sustainable business that provides value to customers while also generating enough income to support your lifestyle. Good luck out there.