Digital Marketing In USA Universities: Digital marketing has grown tremendously over the past few years, and it isn’t stopping anytime soon. From businesses and nonprofits to schools and charities, every industry is using digital marketing strategies in one way or another to spread awareness and increase sales, donations.
Digital Marketing In USA Universities
Or registrations. However, digital marketing trends differ among organizations of different sizes and types, which means some approaches are more effective than others for each type of business. Here are the top 5 digital marketing trends you should know about if you work in US universities.
Importance of Digital Marketing
Digital marketing is a revolutionary way to advertise your business online. A study published by McKinsey & Company reported that 90% of internet users are now using search engines for research, and it’s easy to see why: Search engines allow us to query information without having to know its exact name or location on the Web. This feature makes search engines an indispensable tool in today’s economy.
It’s no wonder that digital marketing has emerged as one of technology’s most important trends; according to Hubspot, digital marketers have replaced phone book advertising as our number one source of leads. As more businesses embrace digital marketing, universities will need to adapt their programs accordingly. Here are some of today’s top trends in digital marketing—and how they can help you build a better program at your university.
The Rise of Social Media Platforms
According to a report by BIA/Kelsey, nearly 70% of college students say they regularly use social media networks like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The same survey found that 90% of college students said they post their own content on social media.
This statistic is one that’s growing steadily. And while social media is popular among US students, it’s also increasingly becoming a focal point for marketing initiatives—especially when it comes to brands looking to reach young adults. In fact, according to eMarketer , 69% of marketers surveyed say they currently use social media as part of their digital marketing strategy.
It’s not hard to see why: In addition to being a primary source for news and information about culture, entertainment and sports, social media platforms provide an easy way for brands to connect with consumers through more authentic conversations.
Innovative Affiliate Programs
An affiliate program is a type of online marketing, but it is different from PPC and other advertising in a few key ways. The biggest difference is that an affiliate program pays its members when people click on an ad or buy a product. The other two main types of online marketing are lead generation and performance-based online marketing.
An affiliate program can be used alongside lead generation and performance-based online marketing, which will be discussed later. However, they don’t work well together as affiliates can send traffic to your website or landing page for free without you paying them for it. In contrast, if you run a PPC campaign you pay each time someone clicks on your ad.
This means that affiliates have to have a larger number of visitors to their website before they make any money. Affiliate programs also allow you to choose what products you want to promote, meaning that you don’t have to rely on ads from Google AdWords (or whatever platform) just because they are popular at the moment. You get paid for sending people to your own website where they may purchase something else off your site too!
Innovative Email Campaigns
A 2016 study from DMA reveals some interesting facts about digital marketing trends among higher education institutions. Email is still an important form of communication at U.S. universities, but its function has changed a lot over time and continues to change rapidly with current technology.
When asked what email functions they use most often, 98 percent of respondents chose general as their top choice and 96 percent said they responded to these emails regularly or always. These responses indicate that even though students may be receiving more messages than ever before, they are still paying attention to them.
As an example, 54 percent said they read commercial emails weekly and 40 percent said that these messages were relevant or very relevant to them—again showing that students value commercial email for its content on a regular basis.
Innovative Advertisements
Digital marketing has become more innovative than ever, particularly in regards to online advertisements. For example, companies can now use augmented reality to place realistic objects on top of images. Virtual Reality advertisements allow users to see a product as if they were using it by making them see and hear things from its perspective.
Another new form of advertisement is interactive video, which allows viewers to make choices that determine what direction their story goes and what content they see. Online commercials are also increasing in popularity as many of them go viral and create a buzz on social media platforms.
That’s why so many companies choose YouTube or Facebook for their marketing campaigns today; because it’s cost-effective (the ads are cheap) and it reaches a wide audience at once.
Innovative Mobile Advertising
While traditional forms of mobile advertising have been around for years, there are also newer types of advertisement on smartphones that have become more and more popular. Some examples include: in-app advertising, rewards programs and location-based ads. In 2016, app advertisements were on track to take up over a quarter of all digital ad spend—making them an industry force that’s hard to ignore.
It’s estimated that by 2018, over 20% of mobile ads will be video-based; as well as mobile video views having increased by 79% just last year. Mobile advertising is becoming increasingly important for businesses, especially since users tend to click on these ads more often than other kinds of digital ads. However, it’s important to note that not all mobile advertisements work equally well across devices.
For example, text messaging is still one of the most effective ways to advertise on phones with smaller screens like iPhones or Androids. Additionally, younger generations (millennials) tend to respond better to different kinds of marketing than older generations do.
So it’s important when creating your marketing strategy to consider how different age groups might react differently to your message or ad campaign before you launch it—and then measure its effectiveness afterwards!
eCommerce Solutions and Payment Gateways
Do you know about search engine optimization? If not, now is a good time to learn. In today’s digital marketing world, a website is only as good as its placement on search engines like Google and Bing. Nowadays, most people don’t scroll down past page one or two of their results—they simply type something into Google and click on one of their top results.
For that reason, it’s important for any brand to be on that first page. But not just once—there are more searches every single day than there were yesterday (roughly 618 million), so being at the top of a list again and again is crucial to long-term success. That’s where SEO comes in. It’s an acronym for search engine optimization, which refers to optimizing your site for search engines like Google and Bing.
To do that well, you need to understand how those sites work and what they value when ranking pages. That way, you can build your content around those values and make sure your site gets found by potential customers who are looking for what you have to offer.
Traditional Vs. Digital Marketing
Does one really trump over another? The answer to that is no. In fact, both channels are vital for a university’s success in marketing their products and services. Traditional marketing tactics are still relevant, but there are also some trends to be on top of when it comes to digital marketing.
We’ll give you five for you to start with here. While these might not all apply to your university, we hope they help guide you into thinking about how digital marketing can be incorporated into your current strategy. And remember.
If you need any additional information or advice on anything we’ve covered here or if you have questions for us, please feel free to reach out! 4 Ways To Engage Millennials In Your Marketing Strategy: With millennials set to make up 75% of workforce by 2025, now is a great time to get ahead of your competition and build relationships with an audience who will become major brand advocates.
SEO Guide for Universities
Search engine optimization, or SEO, is a digital marketing strategy that helps websites rank higher on search engines like Google and Bing. It’s one of many ways to promote your content online. Check out our infographic below to learn more about how universities can use SEO as a digital marketing strategy.
And if you’re looking for help with your campus’ digital presence, we offer full-service digital marketing solutions for university students and institutions. Get in touch today!
Also Read: Top 10 Marketing Companies in Pakistan
Conclusion
The future of digital marketing lies in content. By creating and distributing excellent, valuable content on a regular basis, you’ll not only bring new customers to your company but also strengthen existing relationships by continuing to be an expert resource for what matters most to them.
And don’t forget about video! It may seem intimidating at first but it really is easier than you think and will help establish you as a trusted source of information within your industry.
