Having a strong foundation when marketing trade schools is more important than ever. As students turn away from traditional universities, trade schools finally have the opportunity to fill their seats without fighting an uphill battle.
But in order to take full advantage of this culture shift, you need to have a solid marketing strategy in place. Without it, you won’t be able to get your share of the market.
Students are looking for your trade school. Make it easy for them to find you.
Picture a trade school with a fully-optimized marketing strategy, one that reaches potential students right where they are, and excites them to start the path to a successful future.
They’ve cracked the code, transforming their marketing strategy into a powerful tool for increased enrollments, a strong reputation, and a thriving community of students eager to learn. That could be you.
In this blog post, we’ll show you how marketing for trade schools can be made simple and successful. We’ll guide you through the process of defining your ideal student avatar, crafting engaging content, and leveraging digital platforms to reach your audience.
Table of Contents:
- Marketing Trade Schools: Student Avatar
- Personalizing Messaging for Marketing Trade Schools
- Providing Value Before Enrollment
- Crafting Engaging Content for Trade Schools
- Digital Marketing for Trade Schools
Marketing Trade Schools: Student Avatar
Realizing who your target market is essential for an effective advertising approach. For trade schools, this means defining your student avatar – a detailed representation of your ideal student.
Your student avatar should include demographic information such as age, gender, and location. But it goes beyond that to encompass psychographic details like interests, goals, fears, and challenges. This profile will guide all aspects of your marketing efforts from messaging to content creation.
This step gets left out of marketing strategies way too often. Most people assume they already know their target audience or that they don’t need one because they’re marketing to everyone. Both of those assumptions will turn your best marketing strategies into wasted time and money.
Having a clearly defined student avatar is like having a detailed map for your marketing. Just as a map helps you navigate and reach your destination efficiently, a student avatar provides direction and focus for your marketing efforts.
You know exactly who your ideal students, their demographics, interests, motivations, and challenges. This knowledge allows you to tailor how you frame your marketing and your programs to give them what they need.
Without a well-defined student avatar, your marketing campaigns can be scattered and ineffective. You won’t know who your target audience is, their preferences, needs, or pain points. You’ll end up creating generic content that doesn’t resonate with anyone in particular, wasting your resources and failing to generate meaningful engagement.
By understanding your potential students, you can effectively address their pain points, showcase the benefits of your school, and ultimately drive conversions and customer loyalty.
Demographics
- Age: Are most of your students fresh out of high school? Or are they adults looking for a career change?
- Location: Where are your students located? Are they local or from out of town?
Interests
- Hobbies: What hobbies do your students have? Do these hobbies align with the trades you offer?
- Career Goals: What are your students’ career goals? How can your trade school help them achieve these goals?
Fears and Challenges
- Obstacles: What obstacles might prevent your students from enrolling in trade school? How can you address these concerns in your messaging?
- Challenges: What challenges might your students face while attending trade school? How can you support them through these challenges?
To create an accurate student avatar, use data from current students if available. You can also conduct surveys or interviews with potential students to gather more insights.
Key Takeaway:
Without a well-defined student avatar, your marketing campaigns are dead in the water. Knowing your audience means that your messaging can reach potential students that will be excited to enroll.
Personalizing Messaging for Marketing Trade Schools
Personalizing content is crucial for successful digital marketing campaigns. By tailoring your messaging to individual student avatars, your school can generate higher quality leads and stay ahead of digital trends.
Imagine a vocational school that offers a diverse range of programs in healthcare, technology, and skilled trades. In the past, their marketing messages followed a one-size-fits-all approach, attempting to target a broad audience without considering the specific interests or career goals of individual students. However, this generic approach limited their enrollment rates in a huge way.
Without personalization, the vocational school’s campaigns couldn’t connect with their target audience on a meaningful level. Prospective students, who were seeking something specific, felt overlooked and disconnected from the generic messages. The generic approach failed to address their interests, aspirations, and concerns, leading to disengagement and missed opportunities.
For instance, a student interested in pursuing a healthcare career may have been bombarded with messages emphasizing technology or skilled trades, which didn’t align with their career goals. This lack of personalization created a sense of dissonance and effectively trained the student to ignore any messaging from that school.
Without tailored messaging, the vocational school couldn’t effectively communicate the benefits, resources, and success stories associated with their healthcare, technology, and skilled trades programs. Potential students were left feeling uncertain and unconvinced about the school’s ability to provide the education and support they were seeking.
However, by implementing personalized messaging, the school can transform their marketing approach. Check out these tangible ways you can start using personalized messaging.
Examples of Personalized Marketing for Trade Schools
Email Marketing
Segment your email lists based on factors like program interest or geographic location. Now you can customize your emails, subject lines, and content to resonate with each recipient.
Subject Line Before Personalization:
“Explore Exciting Programs at Our Vocational School!”
This is terrible! It doesn’t speak to a single benefit or offer any engaging information.
Subject Line After Personalization:
“Discover Your Future in Healthcare: Explore our Nursing and Medical Assisting Programs”
MUCH better. You can tell exactly who this email is for. We know what programs are available and “Discover your future” is a great hook leaning into a prospective student’s desire to build something for themselves.
This targeted approach makes it way more likely that your audience is going to open your emails and engage with it.
Social Media
Use data from social media platforms such as Facebook Insights and Twitter Analytics. They analyze the preferences and engagement patterns of different segments within your audience. Armed with this knowledge, you can create social media posts that align with the interests and needs of each segment.
Social Media Post Before Personalization:
“Join our vocational school for exciting career opportunities! Enroll now!”
In the off-chance that someone clicks this link because they want career opportunities, they’re going to close it immediately if the first couple of careers aren’t what they’re interested in. You might have the perfect program for them, but they’ll never know and never enroll.
Social Media Post After Personalization:
“Calling all future IT professionals! Kickstart your tech career with our comprehensive programs.”
Hello! There we go. Someone who engages with this post is really interested in having a career in the tech industry. You’ve already done the heavy lifting and now your landing page copy can bring them home.
These examples highlight the power of personalized messaging in vocational school marketing. By understanding and tailoring their messages to individual student avatars, schools can attract the right students, increase engagement, and ultimately drive higher quality leads. Personalization allows them to connect on a deeper level with their target audience, creating a sense of relevance and connection that generic messaging cannot achieve.
The Power Of Personalization In Action
An example illustrating the power of personalized messaging can be seen in how a trade school, let’s call it TechPro Institute, leverages retargeted ads to engage potential students in a more personalized way.
Sarah visits the TechPro Institute website to explore their program offerings. During her visit, she shows a particular interest in the Full Stack Web Development course, spending a significant amount of time on the program’s page and watching related videos.
Through the use of cookies and tracking pixels, TechPro Institute’s marketing team can identify Sarah as a potential lead with a strong interest in their Full Stack Web Development program. They then deploy retargeted ads strategically across various digital platforms that Sarah frequents, such as social media platforms and relevant websites.
As Sarah continues browsing the web, she starts to see targeted ads from TechPro Institute, specifically highlighting the Full Stack Web Development course she showed interest in. The ads not only feature compelling visuals and persuasive copy but also provide additional information, such as success stories from former students who have graduated from the program and secured high-paying tech jobs.
These retargeted ads provide Sarah with a personalized and relevant experience. They address her specific interest in web development, reaffirming her initial desire to pursue a career in software development. The personalized messaging helps Sarah envision the benefits, opportunities, and potential career paths that TechPro Institute’s Full Stack Web Development program can offer her.
Sarah is more likely to engage with the retargeted ads, click through to the TechPro Institute website again, and explore further. The personalized messaging resonates with her and builds a sense of confidence in TechPro Institute’s expertise and dedication to helping students like her succeed.
Through personalized retargeted ads, TechPro Institute increases their chances of converting Sarah into an enrolled student. The highly relevant and targeted messaging enhances the effectiveness of their digital marketing efforts, as it directly addresses Sarah’s demonstrated interest, showcases the program’s benefits, and guides her along the enrollment journey.
Key Takeaway:
Marketing to everyone means marketing to no one. Personalize your messaging to match your ideal student to increase your enrollment numbers.
Providing Value Before Enrollment
Providing valuable information to potential students before they enroll offers significant benefits for trade schools. Here are some of the things you do when you provide value to your prospective students before you’ve ever asked for their money:
- Establish Trust and Credibility
- Showcase Value and Differentiation
- Address Potential Students’ Pain Points
- Build Relationships and Nurturing Leads
- Showcase Expertise and Teaching Style
- Generate Qualified Leads
- Demonstrate Investment in Student Success
This approach builds a strong foundation for a mutually beneficial relationship between potential students and the trade school, ultimately leading to higher enrollment and student satisfaction.
Giving Free Resources
Providing free resources such as career guides, webinars about industry trends, or sample lessons from your courses is a great way to demonstrate the value of enrolling in your institution. These could be career guides, webinars about industry trends, or sample lessons from your courses.
You could also host educational webinars and workshops related to the trades you teach at your school. For example, if you run a culinary arts program, consider hosting cooking demonstrations online or providing recipes for aspiring chefs to try at home.
Email Marketing Campaigns
Email marketing campaigns are another great way to deliver value before enrollment. By sending out regular newsletters filled with useful information about the trades industry and updates on what’s happening at your school, you keep potential students engaged while subtly promoting what makes your institution unique.
Social Media Engagement
Last but certainly not least: social media engagement. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter allow you to interact directly with prospective students while sharing interesting content related to both the trades industry and life at your school specifically. Remember: The key here isn’t necessarily direct promotion; rather, it’s building relationships through engaging conversations that will eventually lead them towards considering enrollment.
So start thinking creatively about how best to engage future learners today.
Key Takeaway:
Pinpoint information that helps your prospective students solve a problem or achieve a goal related to your offer and give it away for free.
Crafting Engaging Content for Trade Schools
Attracting prospective students to your trade school is no longer just about showcasing your programs and facilities. It’s about creating a connection, building trust, and demonstrating the tangible value your institution offers. This is where compelling content comes into play.
Content is the bridge that connects your trade school to potential students. It’s the tool that allows you to tell your story, share your successes, and illustrate the transformative potential of your programs. But not just any content will do. To truly resonate with your audience and boost enrollment rates, your content needs to be engaging, valuable, and tailored to the needs and interests of your prospective students.
Tips for Creating Compelling Content
In the following section, we’ll explore various types of content that can be used in a full-scale content marketing strategy for trade schools, and provide tips on how to make each type compelling and engaging for your audience. From success stories and educational resources to showcasing your school culture and diversifying your content types, we’ll guide you on how to create content that not only attracts but also connects with your prospective students, ultimately leading them to choose your institution for their educational journey.
Success Stories and Testimonials: Real-life success stories from alumni or current students are incredibly powerful. They not only humanize your institution but also provide tangible proof of the value you offer. To make these stories more compelling:
- Focus on the transformation: Highlight the journey from where students started to where they are after attending your school.
- Include specific details: The more specific the story, the more relatable it will be. Include details about the challenges faced, the skills learned, and the impact on their career or life.
- Use different formats: Success stories can be shared as written testimonials, video interviews, or even as case studies.
Educational Resources: Providing useful resources related to the courses you offer not only showcases your expertise but also provides value to prospective students. Here’s how to make your educational resources more engaging:
- Make it actionable: Whether it’s a guide, a tutorial, or a checklist, ensure that your resource has clear, actionable steps.
- Keep it up-to-date: Stay updated with the latest industry trends and practices.
School Culture Showcasing: Giving prospects an inside look at life on campus can help them see themselves fitting into the community. To effectively showcase your school culture:
- Highlight unique aspects: What makes your trade school unique? It could be your hands-on training approach, your dedicated faculty, or your vibrant student community.
- Show, don’t tell: Use videos, virtual tours, or photo galleries to visually showcase life at your school.
- Include student voices: Let your students speak about their experiences. This could be through student-run blogs, social media takeovers, or student testimonials.
Diversified Content Types: Diversifying your content types can help cater to different learning preferences and keep your content fresh and engaging. Here’s how to leverage different content types:
- Infographics: Use infographics to simplify complex topics or data. They are highly shareable and can help increase your reach.
- Podcasts: Host deeper discussions about the trades industry, interview successful alumni, or answer FAQs.
- Webinars: Provide a deeper understanding of your courses, host live Q&A sessions, or even conduct virtual workshops.
Digital Marketing for Trade Schools
Social Media Marketing
Social media platforms are powerful tools for reaching your target audience and promoting your trade school. Each platform caters to a different demographic and has its unique strengths.
For instance, Instagram is great for visual storytelling and can be used to showcase your school’s culture, facilities, and student achievements. LinkedIn, on the other hand, is a professional network where you can share more in-depth content about your programs and industry trends.
Remember the student avatar you created? Use it to guide your social media strategy.
If your ideal student is a young adult interested in hands-on work, platforms like Instagram and YouTube could be effective for sharing visual content about your programs.
If your target audience is career changers or adults seeking further education, LinkedIn and Facebook might be more appropriate for sharing testimonials, success stories, and industry-related content.
Personalization plays a key role in social media marketing. Use the insights you have about your student avatar to create personalized content that resonates with them.
Email Marketing
Email marketing remains one of the most effective ways to reach your target audience directly and nurture leads. It allows you to provide value upfront, build relationships, and guide potential students through the enrollment process.
Start by segmenting your email list based on the interests and needs of your student avatar. This allows you to send personalized emails that resonate with each segment.
For instance, you could send emails about your advanced programs to those interested in career advancement, or emails about financial aid and flexible schedules to those concerned about cost and time commitment.
The content you’ve created can be repurposed into valuable resources for your email subscribers. For example, you could turn a blog post into a downloadable guide, or share a recording of a webinar. Remember, the goal is to provide value and build trust, so keep promotional content to a minimum.
Key Takeaway:
All of these strategies work really well together! Segment your SEO-friendly blogs into social media posts and emails. Use video across the board to increase visibility and engagement.
SEO and PPC Campaigns
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaigns are crucial for increasing your online visibility and attracting potential students who are actively searching for trade schools.
SEO involves optimizing your website and content to rank higher in organic search results. This includes using keywords related to your programs and trade school education, optimizing your website’s technical aspects, and creating high-quality, valuable content that earns backlinks.
PPC, on the other hand, involves bidding on keywords to have your ads appear in the sponsored results of search engines.
This can be particularly effective for reaching potential students who are actively searching for specific programs or trade schools in their area. By creating personalized ad copy based on your student avatar and offering upfront value (like a free career guide or webinar), you can attract high-quality leads and guide them towards enrollment.
Video Marketing
Video marketing is a powerful tool for engaging your target audience and showcasing your trade school’s unique offerings. It allows you to visually demonstrate the value of your programs, provide a glimpse into your school’s culture, and share compelling success stories.
The type of video content you create should be guided by your student avatar. For instance, if your ideal student is a young adult interested in hands-on work, you could create videos showcasing the practical aspects of your programs, such as workshops, labs, or student projects.
If your target audience is career changers, you could create testimonial videos featuring students who successfully transitioned to a new career after attending your school.
Personalization is key in video marketing. Use the insights you have about your student avatar to create video content that speaks directly to their interests, goals, and challenges.
This could be a video addressing common fears about returning to school, or a video highlighting how your school supports students in achieving their career goals.
Repurpose your written content into video format. For example, a blog post about the benefits of trade school education could be turned into an informative video, or a success story could be shared through a video interview with the student.
Video content can be shared on your website, social media platforms, and email newsletters, and can also be optimized for SEO to increase your online visibility. By creating engaging, personalized video content, you can connect with your target audience on a deeper level and guide them towards enrollment.
The right marketing strategy can be the bridge that leads potential students from uncertainty to a future filled with promise and opportunity.
By understanding your student avatar, personalizing your messaging, offering value upfront, creating compelling content, and leveraging digital platforms, you can transform your marketing efforts and boost enrollment rates.
But you don’t have to do it alone.
At Six Degrees Digital Media, we specialize in helping trade schools like yours navigate the complexities of digital marketing.
We’re here to help you turn these strategies into a comprehensive, effective marketing plan that resonates with your target audience and drives results.
Ready to elevate your marketing and transform the future of potential students?
Book a strategy session with us today. Let’s work together to unlock the full potential of your trade school.
