Educational technology is now central to modern learning, transforming instruction, student engagement, and school operations. As classrooms adopt more digital tools, the EdTech market continues to grow. This creates new opportunities for solution providers, along with challenges in understanding school needs and standing out in a fast-moving landscape.
Learn more about educational technology, why it matters, and how you can effectively reach and support the institutions investing in these tools.
What Is Educational Technology?
Educational technology, or EdTech, refers to the digital tools, platforms, and systems that support teaching, learning, and school operations. It includes everything from learning management systems (LMS) and assessment tools to classroom apps, curriculum software, and collaboration platforms. At its core, EdTech enhances how educators deliver instruction and how students access and engage with learning.
Why Is Educational Technology Important?
Education is constantly evolving, and EdTech helps schools keep pace with changing needs. These tools make learning more accessible, efficient, and personalized while giving educators data and insights to better support students. As teaching models, student expectations, and technology trends shift, EdTech provides the infrastructure schools need to innovate and improve outcomes.
The Benefits of Educational Technology
EdTech enhances both learning and instruction. It allows students to:
- Collaborate more easily
- Learn at their own pace
- Access resources beyond the classroom
For educators, it:
- Streamlines administrative work
- Improves data-driven decision-making
- Supports differentiated instruction
An Overview of the EdTech Market Today
From K–12 to higher education, educational technology has become essential for learning. According to The Learn Platform, EdTech use in schools jumped 99% from 2020-2022. For EdTech businesses, this surge makes it crucial to ensure administrators and leaders can easily find your products—an area where market research becomes invaluable.
At the same time, rising demand has attracted more businesses to the EdTech space. HolonIQ reports that EdTech secured $2.4 billion in venture capital in 2024. Today, investors are focusing on scalable, tech-driven solutions, particularly in workforce training and AI.
Types of Educational Technology Used in Modern Education
The modern classroom has left the chalkboard in the dust in favor of better technology. While every classroom would love to have a smart board, not every school district or junior college has the budget to do so. However, an EdTech solution in one form or another is probably required in most learning environments.Â
Here are some of the most common tech tools that educational institutions are investing in:
- Blended learning tools: Hybrid learning is here to stay, and more students are learning at least partially remotely, which requires support tools.
- Video meeting platforms: Education-specific video meeting platforms are important because the educator should be able to provide a learning experience similar to an in-person one.
- Digital devices: From computers to tablets and other digital tools, mobile devices are becoming an integral part of the education process.
- Lesson planning tools: Teachers and professors also use education technology to create lesson plans and prepare as efficiently as possible.
- Learning management systems: With more students using online platforms to review notes, turn in homework, and connect with other learners, an LMS is a valuable tool.
- Digital textbooks: Using digital textbooks is easier for both students and teachers because they are less cumbersome, simpler to update, and can include embedded tools to facilitate collaborative learning.
- Social learning tools: This form of EdTech is vital for learners who are practicing critical thinking and promoting collaboration among students.
- Remote proctoring: The technology required for remote proctoring is in more demand than ever for both security and communication reasons.
- Online tutoring services: Because tutoring is so important for students to make up learning time, online tutoring is a more accessible way to combat learning loss.
How To Connect With Schools Investing in EdTech
Because the modern world of education is shifting, marketing for educational technology needs to follow suit. Here are four ways to connect with schools adopting these tools.
- Be direct: Decision-makers in schools are busy, so their time is valuable. Being direct with your messaging is important.
- Use all forms of marketing: From online blogs and social media to email campaigns, use every method possible to connect with your target audience.
- Implement automation: In order to scale, using marketing automation can be an effective way to maintain consistency and quality.
- Leverage brand expertise: Companies need to use their company’s specific education technology expertise as a pathway for thought leadership in the industry.
The EdTech industry includes a wide variety of requirements in each market segment, and it’s important to do market research. This includes gathering insight on average budgets, technology gaps, and other education data that help your marketing team make smarter decisions.
How To Manage EdTech Marketing Campaigns
Explore best practices to plan and manage your next educational technology marketing campaign:
Track Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Educational institutions are always looking to improve how they teach, so your marketing should address these specific needs. Collecting data and analytics before, during, and after a campaign helps your team evaluate its success and identify areas for improvement.
Key KPIs and metrics to track in an EdTech marketing campaign include:
- Website traffic: Take note of whether or not more people are visiting your website because of campaign efforts. This can help with brand awareness and engagement in the long run.
- Leads generated: Monitor the increase in administrators, parents, or learners who have connected as potential customers.
- Retention: To measure this, you can look at active user retention or return customers.
- Click-through rate: This is often an important metric for email marketing efforts and other online strategies.
- Return on investment: Ensure investments in marketing efforts support your long-term revenue goals. Plan ahead, so your sales team can better correlate market spending with booked revenue.
Plan Ahead and Consider Tight Budgets
In education, sales are often influenced by politics and legislation, making it essential to monitor shifting budgets and requirements from federal and state boards. For instance, K–12 education budgets were tight in 2024. Campaigns promoting expensive products or services would likely underperform in that climate.
Taking these external factors into account ensures your marketing targets the right audience at the right time.
Align Efforts With Purchasing Cycles
The state of education is another example of why timing is everything when it comes to marketing for EdTech. Limited budgets and a ticking clock on discretionary funds will influence what districts spend money on and why.
Keep Teams on the Same Page
Managing any marketing campaign is no easy task, but even more considerations must be taken when marketing for EdTech. All team members must be on the same page and collectively communicate with other departments, including marketing, sales, and more.
How Do EdTech Companies Stay Relevant in the Industry?
Discover four ways to stay relevant in a fast-changing EdTech industry:
1. Stay Connected With Industry Experts
Find industry contacts you can rely on for up-to-date information on what educational technology is trending or required. Staying apprised of federal and state education standards at the federal and state levels can help EdTech marketers remain in the know.
2. Understand Accreditation and Buyer Standards
Some tech products aren’t always available to educational institutions in the accreditation that they may be expecting, so expect buyers to have certain standards in mind when searching for the right EdTech product. According to LearnPlatform, about one-fourth of all tech tools in the classroom meet the standards set by the Every Student Succeeds Act.
3. Align With Government Expectations
Before creating a marketing campaign, it’s important to understand the current expectations set by government organizations. Use up-to-date research standards and be aware of what the landscape looks like.
4. Keep Up With Emerging Challenges
Staying relevant means being aware of the newest challenges that are pervasive in the country, including:
- Personalized curriculum teaching and attention for students
- Digital privacy and safety concerns
- Digital literacy
- Regulations and research standards
Educational Technology FAQs
What is marketing in education?
Education marketing refers to the strategies schools, universities, and EdTech companies use to attract, engage, and retain students or users. To build visibility and trust within the education space, this often involves:
- Digital marketing
- Content creation
- Social media
- Brand positioning
Ultimately, education marketing is about promoting your school, e-learning platform, or app in a way that earns positive brand recognition.
What’s the main role of educational technology?
Its main role is to enhance teaching and learning by improving access to resources, boosting student engagement, and streamlining workflows for educators and administrators.
What are the four major components of educational technology?
Major components include:
- The digital tools and platforms used in schools
- The instructional methods that guide their use
- The digital content delivered through them
- The systems that support and manage those experiences
How should EdTech companies tailor their content marketing strategy?
When planning a content marketing strategy for an EdTech product, it’s essential to tailor your approach to your audience’s demographics and location. The education market is fluid—each school operates differently—but the industry itself is booming. GlobalData projects EdTech growth from $270.5 billion in 2023 to $410.2 billion by 2026.
What role does inbound marketing play in EdTech success?
Success in this space isn’t just about launching quickly. Long-term growth depends on understanding what drives buyer decisions. That’s where inbound marketing comes in. Key strategies include:
- Blogs and articles: Share insights, data, and services to join broader industry conversations.
- Social media: Connect with your audience and boost your digital presence.
- Video content: Engage your audience and increase product discovery.
- SEO: Make it easy for potential clients to find your offerings.
How can EdTech brands build credibility with decision-makers?
Position your brand as a trustworthy source of information on education trends and solutions. Demonstrating a deep knowledge of current trends and market drivers builds credibility and helps you reach decision-makers—supporting long-term success.
Stand Out in a Crowded EdTech Market
Whether it’s a social media post or any other kind of online digital content, EdTech marketing requires specificity and attention to detail to execute correctly. In fact, EdWeek reports that the average number of technology products that school districts access in a given month has almost tripled over the last several years. Yet, oftentimes, the true impact of those products isn’t clearly shown.
Agile Education Marketing offers the external support EdTech companies need to stay competitive. As the leading data insight provider focused exclusively on the education market, Agile delivers superior data, flexible solutions, and cost-effective programs that help organizations drive meaningful growth.
Are you ready to meet with Agile and find solutions to help drive your next strategic marketing campaign? Reach out to get started!
