DIGITAL MARKETING AND IT’S EFFECTIVENESS IN HIGHER EDUCATION

 

Dr. C. Naveena Jasmine ¹, D. Kissvar ²

 

¹ Vice Principal, Associate Professor & Head, PG and Research Department of Commerce, TERF'S Academy College of arts and Science, Affiliated to Bharathiyar University, Tirupur, Tamil Nadu, India

² Research scholar, PG and Research Department of Commerce, TERF'S Academy College of Arts and Science, Affiliated to Bharathiyar University, Tirupur, Tamil Nadu, India

 

1. INTRODUCTION

The impact of digital marketing transcends the mere promotion of education, encompassing the entire educational sector. Currently, educational institutions worldwide are employing digital marketing technologies to forge connections and engage with their target audience, as well as to improve their pedagogical approaches. They routinely attain favorable outcomes from their digital marketing techniques. A significant advantage of digital marketing is the equitable access to customized, targeted, and immediately accessible information on an unprecedented scale. Digital marketing enables direct engagement with your target audience. The challenge is to identify the suitable digital marketing tools for your university among the myriads of accessible possibilities. Marketing professionals are often bewildered by this. By partnering with an educational technology firm, one can develop customized digital marketing tactics that precisely address academic needs. The significance of Digital Marketing in Higher Education is paramount in the contemporary age of swift technical progress. The application of technology is essential in multiple fields, including education. Digital marketing offers a flexible method for targeting certain populations, substantially altering the manner in which educational institutions provide teaching. Since the advent of the internet, higher education institutions have utilized digital strategies to engage potential students. Nonetheless, the entire methodology experienced a substantial alteration with the emergence of social media and smartphone technologies. Modern students have diminished responsiveness to traditional marketing tactics. On the contrary, they expect to engage actively through digital media. In addition to connecting with your target audience on social media, they can also be accessed through other digital platforms that facilitate direct engagement. SEO and SEM activities are highly pertinent in this situation.

 

2. Literature Review

Charu Dutta et al. (2024). The principal obstacles confronting digital marketers are the incessant advancement of technology and digital platforms. As new technologies rapidly emerge and current platforms frequently update their algorithms and capabilities, marketers must consistently adjust their strategies to be aligned with these developments. The emergence of artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and voice search offers both opportunities and problems for digital marketers, necessitating their awareness of evolving trends and technology and the appropriate integration of these elements into their marketing strategies. Ahmed and Ali (2022). This study is the inaugural examination of digital marketing aimed at improving digital customer engagement, specifically among students, by a thorough investigation of student attributes within the educational sector. The findings of this analysis indicated that most existing studies concentrated solely on the utilization of social media marketing and websites. Scholars do not regard email marketing, content marketing, affiliate marketing, search engine marketing, and marketing automation. This study will benefit researchers, academicians, and professionals in digital marketing by enhancing their comprehension of social media marketing adoption within educational institutions. This assessment will assist colleges in evaluating the methods of student acquisition and retention across diverse programs. María et al. (2020) assessed Instagram as a digital communication medium between higher education institutions and their users or stakeholders to enhance participation. The outcomes of Instagram post formats, content, and methods regarding 'Comments and Likes' included disseminating information about organizations, competitions, fostering an interactive communication channel, and offering opportunities for feedback. Promotions and marketing, together with the dissemination of information regarding organizations, locations, posters, and events or sports, are correlated with diminished engagement. Basha (2019). The report emphasizes the broadening of comprehensive strategies in digital marketing to improve the education sector in light of current trends. The progression of artificial intelligence and technology offers a broad array of opportunities for students and the education sector to meet demand; concurrently, it presents challenges for marketers. Marketers can leverage digital marketing as a professional tool to promote the education sector. Digital marketing is customizable, adaptable to trends, cost-effective, capable of generating substantial conversions, and yielding favorable ROI. The digital marketing will offer valuable brand insights to the target demographic, potentially resulting in increased enrollment and ultimately contributing to the economy. The study can also be examined at a micro level for each digital marketing plan, yielding further insights. Krishnamoorthy and Srimathi (2019) noted that educational institutions use professional teams for content validation, video marketing, and analytics due to the in-house team's low proficiency with advanced technologies. Kusumawati (2019) examined the influence of digital marketing by higher education institutions on students' decision-making processes and discovered that students utilize social media to gather information about universities prior to making their selection. Spackman, and Larsen (2017) evaluated the influence of social media marketing on enrollments in online continuing higher education courses. They recognized social media marketing, particularly Facebook marketing, as exceptionally fun, highly interactive, and easily shared. The findings indicated that social media marketing enhances students' equity, value equity, connection equity, and brand equity. Social media marketing enhances student enrollment, university reputation, and prestige, leading to increased course enrollment within the same institutions.

 

3. Digital Marketing

Digital marketing is the amalgamation of several marketing strategies employed to promote products and services. These promotional strategies are not confined to the internet; they also encompass mobile phones and other digital devices. One can question the necessity of digital marketing in the presence of traditional marketing. Digital marketing provides increased control over marketing channels, greater convenience, and improved efficacy. It is expected that every company would ultimately adopt new tools and emerging concepts to maintain high demand. The success of modern enterprises depends on their ability to effectively and swiftly engage a broad audience while maintaining their comfort and well-being. Digital approaches provide considerable efficiency and convenience. Digital tools enable the modification of promotional strategies instantaneously, based on real-time analysis and data. The growing utilization of the internet and digital platforms profoundly influences the realm of education today. The educational sector has undergone significant transformation, with most students regarded as the principal consumers of the internet. This directly necessitates that academic and higher education institutions enhance their utilization of the internet and mobile devices to engage a broader student demographic. Leveraging the online platform for promotion is an effective method that educational institutions can adopt to attract prospective students.

 

3.1. Higher Education and Technology

Technology is augmenting the educational and communicative functions of higher education institutions. Technology has transformed education, increasing its involvement and engagement. The epoch of static texts and homogeneous lectures has become obsolete.

Educators currently possess access to:

·        An abundance of multimedia resources

·        Interactive presentations

·        E-learning platforms that cater to diverse learning styles

 

          The integration of technology in higher education institutions has improved the fun and efficacy of learning. The use of digital technologies for education increases student participation in the learning process. This facilitates their retention of gained knowledge. Moreover, those seeking online essay assistance might benefit from the implementation of rapid evaluation and feedback systems due to these technical advancements. They assist educators in recognizing areas for improvement and modifying their teaching methods. The continual progression of technology presents boundless opportunities for enhancing education. Higher education institutions ought to leverage these advancements and educate students in digital competencies. They must thrive in a technology-dominated environment.

 

4. Digital Marketing in Higher Education

Universities and higher education institutions are facing challenges due to escalating competitiveness. It is necessary to recruit new students and foster enduring relationships with existing and alumni students. As a result, the education sector has adopted digital marketing. Digital marketing allows educational institutions to create brand awareness within their target demographic. Research has demonstrated the increasing potential of the Chinese education system. A considerable number of Chinese individuals are presently pursuing educational possibilities in various countries. Consequently, foreign universities are identifying China as a lucrative market for promoting their institutions. The UWS research on digital marketing strategies in China emphasized the advantages of employing digital marketing techniques by foreign universities to attract potential students. Universities must formulate a meticulously designed and explicitly articulated digital marketing plan, along with establishing their digital marketing platform, to effectively engage with their target audience. The survey recommends that international universities match their digital marketing strategy with market expectations to enhance their brand image.

   Upon assessing the application of digital marketing within the Indian education sector, it was found that higher education institutions in India significantly profit from this advanced technology. It demonstrates efficacy in reaching and engaging students, whilst minimizing marketing expenditures. Furthermore, digital marketing enables Indian educational institutions to broaden their reach and enhance their market presence. Digital media marketing is quantitative, allowing institutions to track every expenditure. Moreover, digital marketing is driven by the pursuit of profitability and assists Indian educational institutions in addressing student needs. Indian students have noted that the web platform enables them to obtain extensive information regarding educational institutions. Moreover, digital marketing channels enable students to evaluate various educational institutions based on multiple criteria. Consequently, it may be inferred that the integration of digital marketing channels or the utilization of social media by institutions confers an advantage over conventional marketing techniques.

Digital marketing enhances institutional branding. An efficient marketing and advertising plan will enhance the institution's visibility among its target audience. A compelling brand name increases the institution's value and offers a competitive edge against its competitors. Executing an effective brand plan can aid schools in enhancing their enrollment, financial assets, market value, and standing. Consequently, it is apparent that institutions are prioritizing digital marketing and branding more than in the past. To cultivate a robust brand identity, educational institutions must enlist advertising and marketing experts equipped with the requisite strategies and tools. This amplifies the expenses incurred by the institution.

 

 

5. Benefits of Digital Marketing in Higher Education

Academic institutions recognize the advantages linked to social media. Social networking has positively influenced the education sector. Educational institutions have acknowledged the importance of social media in students' lives. This knowledge has led many colleges to employ social media platforms to promote their institutions, display the courses they offer, and attract prospective students. The internet and social media platforms have enabled worldwide connectivity. This provides a further benefit for the college to entice international students. Furthermore, it aids pupils in choosing universities globally. Although internet and social media platforms provide extensive information about educational institutions, the authenticity of the material available online cannot be reliably assessed. The numerous advantages of digital platforms for the development of higher education are as follows:

1)    Reduced Price

Numerous online marketing solutions possess diminished value relative to conventional advertising methods. Web-based advertising, including social media, email, SMS, e-posters, digital presentations, and mobile phone advertisements, necessitate minimal setup expenses or provide cost efficiencies. This offers a substantial opportunity for educational institutions to concentrate their efforts on cost-effective advertising strategies to attain significant objectives. Unlike traditional marketing, which is primarily dependent on personnel, digital marketing methods are automated and do not necessitate a substantial human workforce.

2)    Immediate Feedback

Online marketing provides real-time feedback, enabling fast responses to communications. Web-based marketing techniques, including blogs, social networks, websites, and SMS, provide an efficient communication channel, enabling the prompt delivery of messages. Considering the plethora of educational institutions available to students, it is imperative for these organizations to obtain timely feedback.

3)    Quantifiable

Exceptional technology exists to evaluate the effectiveness of online advertising. Educational institutions can readily assess or illustrate the effectiveness of a specific marketing initiative.

4)    Easily Excisable Instruments

Accessible digital marketing strategies are offered that yield accurate outcomes. Utilizing digital marketing channels, including social media platforms, SMS, and other promotional tools, ensures a significantly targeted audience.

5)    Increased Conversion Rates

SMS and email are efficacious digital marketing strategies that frequently produce elevated response rates owing to their tailored characteristics. Educational institutions possess the capacity to distribute their content to a wide audience. Marketing is developing the organization's products or services to satisfy the distinct needs and preferences of the target market. It entails employing efficient pricing, communication, and distribution techniques to educate and incentivize the target market. Students are the central emphasis of higher education institutions. Students, as a collective, desire to be categorized and directed based on their individual differences, as there are diverse types of learners, each with distinct needs and preferences. Kotler and Fox assert that promotion transpires when individuals opt to fulfill their needs and goals via the mechanism of exchange.

6)    Web-based presence for ranking

The online presence of prominent educational institutions is essential for establishing their status as leading entities within their region, nation, or globally. The objective of the internet webpage is to furnish an approximated reputation ranking of global higher education institutions based on website traffic, feedback, and comments received. The grade is mostly dictated by an algorithm that integrates independent and impartial web measurements obtained from search engines.

 

6. Conclusion

For marketers, the digital landscape has developed into a platform that is vital for advertising and marketing their products and services. In order to efficiently reach their target market and promote their services, the education business is increasingly making use of these tactics. When it comes to picking which faculty to enroll in, prospective students will begin by looking for information on the Internet. The probability that people who use the Internet would routinely revisit the website of an institution of higher learning and verify the information is higher if the website is consistently updated, optimized, and enriched with multimedia content, as well as comments from specialists in the field and current and former students of the school. Social networking websites, which are the top choice for young people when they have free time, have a great deal of potential as a marketing tool. Their primary function is to collect information on users, which can then be evaluated in order to modify communications with customers and customize products or services in order to satisfy the specific demands of those customers. One of the most successful marketing strategies available is influencer marketing, which involves enlisting the help of a person who is well recognized as an influencer of public opinion in a particular industry. These people promote items or, in this instance, the services offered by institutions of higher education to their followers on the internet, so influencing their choices when it comes to pursuing higher education. They receive appropriate compensation in exchange for their efforts. This technique of communication allows influencers to encourage other users of the internet to spread information throughout the digital world and to establish constructive electronic word-of-mouth contact. In the end, this technique has the ability to increase the reputation of a certain institution within the general public, strengthen its position in the market, and attract new clients, particularly those who are students.

 

CONFLICT OF INTERESTS

None. 

 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

None.

 

REFERENCES

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