All edtech companies have one thing in common: They offer products and services that support students, educators and institutions.
As school closures due to the spread of the corona virus become more prevalent and extend in length, edtech providers should focus on how their software, tools and applications can help teachers and administrators provide an effective learning process for students despite the circumstances.
It’s also important to keep the long view in mind. While national and global pandemics are thankfully rare, more localized issues can also displace students and education professionals from schools. When your edtech company has a plan in place to promote and share its offerings in the context of remote or distance learning, you can accomplish two key objectives:
- Increasing sales volume and providing the revenue that is so central to continued operations.
- Supporting the educational system and helping students continue to learn even when they can’t physically attend school.
Edtech companies can support students and education professionals as well as their own business with effective outreach during crises.
Highlighting key qualities and functionality for distance and remote learning
Some general best practices for marketing to education professionals, schools and districts include:
- Reaching out via less-intrusive methods, like email, when making initial contact with prospects.
- Emphasizing data and analysis tied to the performance of your offerings as well as the results, to demonstrate feasibility and effectiveness.
Drawing on both of these principles during times when education professionals are dealing with circumstances that close schools and remove the option for in-person learning can help your organization build connections with decision-makers.
While there’s certainly a time-sensitive element involved in providing solutions that support and enhance remote learning, many educators and administrators are especially busy during times like these. They’re trying to adapt curricula and instructional strategy, manage the logistics of implementing a distance learning program or oversee this process across a school or district. Reaching out in a less obtrusive way is still frequently your organization’s best bet.
Carefully crafting a message that highlights the value of your company’s offering in terms of the benefits to students, especially if data exists or can be gathered tied to distance learning outcomes, can create a breakthrough moment for the audience.
Demonstrating positive outcomes in terms of distance learning, or even with related topics such as supporting homework and other tasks normally completed outside of the classroom, may mean capturing the attention of a prospect in ways that other marketing collateral can’t. Presenting usage data, results and, ideally, research prepared by a neutral third party is especially valuable in situations where the normal order of education is disrupted.
Ensuring outreach isn’t in vain
Tailoring a marketing message to the current circumstances caused by the corona virus, and keeping that same framework in mind for future events where distance learning becomes a localized or widespread need, is vital. But it’s not only the action edtech companies need to take to ensure outreach is effective and consistent.
Accurate and current contact information is especially important for connecting with the right education professionals at the right time. It’s simply critical during periods of uncertainty and change, when educators and administrators have even less time than usual to listen to and connect with edtech firms. Access to accurate contact details means no wasted effort for your company and the opportunity to tailor highly specific or very general campaigns to your audience.
Agile is here to enhance outreach and marketing efforts focused on educators, administrators, schools and districts with up-to-date, actionable and effective data and support. To learn more, get in touch with us today.
