We can’t move forward to the future without looking back at the past. And in 2021, there were innovations and mishaps that have shaped the industry and will continue well into 2022.
Check out our article here for a review of our insights on where the industry was headed in 2021. We talked about the increased role of technology, assessments, student wellness practices, and collaboration.
Besides those things, here are the other forces that rocked the EDU industry last year:
1. Uncertainty regarding a fixed learning setup for students throughout the year and beyond
2. Clamor of the market and consequent move of tech giants towards greater data privacy
3. More investments of EdTech on both the technology and educator training side
What to focus on this 2022:
ROI and Career Outcomes
In light of the pandemic, the biggest shift in EDU has got to do with the changing financial capabilities and priorities of learners worldwide. Even before this year, there was already a strong trend towards choosing more cost-effective options for learning.
However, this doesn’t mean that students are merely choosing the cheapest alternative available. Instead, they compare prices of programs and see which ones yield the best returns on their investment.
In fact, 72% of students see education as one of their greatest investments. That means they may be opting for shorter courses that:
1. Have minimal or zero extraneous costs due to the short time span
2. Provide a more immediate ROI that they can use to look and leverage for jobs or apply to their work, if they already have one
These outcome-based priorities should be reflected in your marketing strategy as well to encourage more enrollments—whether that’s in your search ad copies, videos, testimonials, etc.
Student choice and course structure
It’s empowering to be a student now more than ever. With so many choices available, learners can pick and choose aspects of their learning experience that are indispensable. Having a one-size-fits-all approach for your marketing will not work well for conversions.
Get acquainted with the various programs that your competitors offer and see whether you’d benefit from having a more niche approach. For example, stackable credentials are attractive to busy professionals who want to have quick but actionable lessons in fast-moving industries like analytics. On the other hand, bootcamps with employment guarantees before payment are still popular among younger employees and career-switchers.
Unlike before where there were only limited fields to pursue, students can now go for specific courses that target their exact needs on what to get out of the program.
Education Flexibility
If there’s one thing we can thank from the previous years, it’s the proof that students can attain greater flexibility when it comes to learning. It’s not just about the ‘when’ (synchronous vs. asynchronous classes, bite-sized courses, etc. ) and the ‘where’ (virtual setups, platforms used, mobile-friendly and mobile-first structures ) of studying but also the ‘what’.
That is, many are becoming more open to different ways of learning from professionals choosing to upskill / reskill to boost their career opportunities, to more tutoring services available for students to catch up with lessons, to parents opting towards homeschooling for greater ease. EdTech has also made it possible to address various academic needs for more efficient learning.
The market will keep moving, changing, and adapting towards outside forces that will transform the face of education in the coming months and years to come. We’re here to make it easy for you and break down strategies to exact winning ad campaigns.
