http://www.ednetinsight.com en-us http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Central by Imulus (http://imulus.com) info@ednetinsight.com http://www.ednetinsight.com/news-alerts/market-insights/making-the-digital-transition--trends-in-the-education-market.html Of all the forces impacting the education market, none is as fast moving or far-reaching as the transition to digital, both in marketing technology and education product development. For five years, MDR has conducted annual research reports focused on Email Trends in the Education Market. For 2012, the digital revolution demands a broader view of the impact on educators and education marketers, and MDR quantifies this impact in its first report on Digital Marketing Trends in the Education Market. ]]> Friday, April 20, 2012 http://www.ednetinsight.com/news-alerts/market-insights/making-the-digital-transition--trends-in-the-education-market.html http://www.ednetinsight.com/news-alerts/market-insights/web-advertising--targeting-gets-personal.html As web advertising graduates from the “next big thing” in educator marketing to a valuable and indispensable asset in the marketing mix, there are important lessons to be learned from its predecessor in digital marketing: email. ]]> Friday, March 23, 2012 http://www.ednetinsight.com/news-alerts/market-insights/web-advertising--targeting-gets-personal.html http://www.ednetinsight.com/news-alerts/market-insights/fresh-perspectives-on-funding-a-look-inside-state-and-federal-funds-in-2012-and-beyond.html In a recent MDR Webinar, Fresh Perspectives on Funding…A Look Inside State and Federal Funds in 2012 and Beyond, Anne Wujcik, MDR’s Senior Education Research Analyst, and Michael Griffith, a state funding expert with the Education Commission of the States (ECS), provided an update of the 2012 federal budget and the changes in store for 2013 as well as an overview of the state funding situation. Read on for highlights from the webinar and for tips on how to focus on areas that are your best opportunities. ]]> Friday, February 24, 2012 http://www.ednetinsight.com/news-alerts/market-insights/fresh-perspectives-on-funding-a-look-inside-state-and-federal-funds-in-2012-and-beyond.html http://www.ednetinsight.com/news-alerts/market-insights/top-10-marketing---sales-tips-to-help-you-succeed-in-2012-2012-01-27.html A new year, a new set of goals and aspirations! Whether your business works on a calendar or school year planning cycle, starting off 2012 with a pause to reflect on marketing and sales strategy always makes sense. With a marketplace that continues to be tight on spending—both at schools and in our own businesses—you need to make every part of your plan count. We asked industry colleagues and MDR experts for their tips on how to make the most of the New Year. Read on for more… ]]> Friday, January 27, 2012 http://www.ednetinsight.com/news-alerts/market-insights/top-10-marketing---sales-tips-to-help-you-succeed-in-2012-2012-01-27.html http://www.ednetinsight.com/news-alerts/market-insights/six-market-drivers-to-watch-in-2012.html As 2011 winds down, it’s time to look ahead to 2012. Read on for some advice about the education environment from industry expert Anne Wujcik. ]]> Friday, December 16, 2011 http://www.ednetinsight.com/news-alerts/market-insights/six-market-drivers-to-watch-in-2012.html http://www.ednetinsight.com/news-alerts/market-insights/how-marketing-automation-can-help-you-improve-efficiency--lower-costs--and-maximize-revenue.html Marketing automation tools are helping companies — large and small — improve response rates, identify well-qualified leads, and make informed decisions about when and how to act on opportunities. They are also reducing the time and cost of creating campaigns and improving overall returns on marketing investments. Read on to find out how your organization can start leveraging marketing automation and how other companies that sell to schools are using these tools to reach the right educator with the right message at the right time… ]]> Friday, November 11, 2011 http://www.ednetinsight.com/news-alerts/market-insights/how-marketing-automation-can-help-you-improve-efficiency--lower-costs--and-maximize-revenue.html http://www.ednetinsight.com/news-alerts/market-insights/social-media-marketing-trends--upwards--especially-for-lead-generation.html If you are on the fence about whether to take the social media marketing plunge, you should definitely check out this research provided by Sandy Fivecoat, Founder of the WeAreTeachers online community for educators, in a recent MDR Webinar. The bottom line of her findings: more marketers are investing in social media and using it for lead generation. Check out these recent studies for more insight... ]]> Friday, October 14, 2011 http://www.ednetinsight.com/news-alerts/market-insights/social-media-marketing-trends--upwards--especially-for-lead-generation.html http://www.ednetinsight.com/news-alerts/market-insights/be-a-customer-champion--manage-customer-integration-projects-with-the-champion-model.html Few business executives would argue that one of the most important assets of any company is its customer database. This is especially true in the highly competitive educational marketplace where many education marketers are either planning to migrate to a new customer information platform or are in the process of implementation. These new systems include sales force automation systems, email platforms, or complete customer relationship management systems. ]]> Friday, September 09, 2011 http://www.ednetinsight.com/news-alerts/market-insights/be-a-customer-champion--manage-customer-integration-projects-with-the-champion-model.html http://www.ednetinsight.com/news-alerts/market-insights/using-social-media-to-drive-results--lessons-learned-from-one-education-marketer.html When it comes to social media marketing, taking the first step can be overwhelming with so many platforms and tools to choose from. You know you need to “test and learn,” but where do you start? Read on to hear how one successful education company is incorporating social media into its marketing and how it is measuring results and lessons learned in the process. ]]> Friday, August 12, 2011 http://www.ednetinsight.com/news-alerts/market-insights/using-social-media-to-drive-results--lessons-learned-from-one-education-marketer.html http://www.ednetinsight.com/news-alerts/market-insights/social-media-expert-answers-education-marketers--questions.html In a recent MDR Webinar, Using Social Media Marketing to Drive Results, Sandy Fivecoat, founder of WeAreTeachers, provided an update on social media trends and what the future holds for marketers in education with the growth of mobile and other new platforms and tools. The audience had a lot of questions about integrating social media to their marketing mix. Read on to see what’s on the minds of marketers and what advice Sandy has for using social media to build brand and increase revenue in the education industry. ]]> Friday, July 22, 2011 http://www.ednetinsight.com/news-alerts/market-insights/social-media-expert-answers-education-marketers--questions.html http://www.ednetinsight.com/news-alerts/market-insights/creating-the-future--facilities---learning.html Did you know…85.3 million people, more than a quarter of our population, are enrolled in or employed by a school or college? Or that enrollment in K-12 schools is projected to set new records every year through 2019? Unless you are in the industry, few people realize the size and scope of the education market. One look at the numbers and the anticipated growth in enrollment and you will begin to understand the dollars being spent each year on school construction. But the continued growth in enrollment is only one of the forces fueling a constant need for new and renovated K-12 facilities. Others range from the condition of our current facilities to increasing federal mandates on school performance, educational reform, societal change, environmental concerns, student safety issues, and the implementation of new and emerging technologies—just to name a few. ]]> Friday, July 15, 2011 http://www.ednetinsight.com/news-alerts/market-insights/creating-the-future--facilities---learning.html http://www.ednetinsight.com/news-alerts/market-insights/what-s-in-a-name--part-two--prospect-names.html As I mentioned in my last article, What’s in a Name? Part One: The Customer, all customer names are important—although not necessarily equal. What about prospect names? Are there really major differences in prospect names? The short answer is “yes.” Targeting the right prospects can make the difference between a successful, profitable marketing campaign and a disastrous outcome. ]]> Friday, June 17, 2011 http://www.ednetinsight.com/news-alerts/market-insights/what-s-in-a-name--part-two--prospect-names.html http://www.ednetinsight.com/news-alerts/market-insights/take-your-email-performance-rates-up-a-notch.html Whether email is your primary marketing channel or just a small part of your strategy, knowing what’s working today with educators is essential to maximizing the return on your e-marketing campaigns. Now in its fifth release, MDR’s annual report, Email Trends in the Education Market 2011, provides a wide-ranging view of email in education, based on the results of thousands of campaigns to schools and colleges. Read on for highlights from this comprehensive new report, including the trends in mobile marketing, and get an update on email churn and deliverability and how these factors can affect your campaign performance. ]]> Friday, May 20, 2011 http://www.ednetinsight.com/news-alerts/market-insights/take-your-email-performance-rates-up-a-notch.html http://www.ednetinsight.com/news-alerts/market-insights/what-s-in-a-name--part-one--the-customer.html What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet - Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1- 2). I’m no playwright, but when it comes to marketing, I have to disagree with Juliet in William Shakespeare’s famous play. Whether it is a direct mail or email marketing campaign or a direct sales initiative, the name is more important than any other data element. Read on to learn more about why having the “right” educator name can be the sweetest rose in your marketing plan. ]]> Friday, April 22, 2011 http://www.ednetinsight.com/news-alerts/market-insights/what-s-in-a-name--part-one--the-customer.html http://www.ednetinsight.com/news-alerts/market-insights/do-you-know-where-your-teachers-are-.html Keeping your customer and prospect information accurate has never been an easy task. After all, educators change schools, change teaching assignments, change professions, retire—the list goes on. And in today’s budget-challenged environment, school consolidations and changes to the teacher landscape are expected to churn at an even faster pace. This is a dynamic that MDR monitors closely, and we’re seeing a trend emerge in the rate of teacher change. ]]> Friday, April 15, 2011 http://www.ednetinsight.com/news-alerts/market-insights/do-you-know-where-your-teachers-are-.html http://www.ednetinsight.com/news-alerts/market-insights/update-on-k-12-funding-and-reform-expert-advice-for-thriving-in-2011-and-beyond.html Because the funding landscape is in constant flux, we all need to stay on top of the political and funding changes that shape education. Read on to learn more from two experts in our market and get five action steps to find opportunities that can position your business for changes in the future… ]]> Friday, March 25, 2011 http://www.ednetinsight.com/news-alerts/market-insights/update-on-k-12-funding-and-reform-expert-advice-for-thriving-in-2011-and-beyond.html http://www.ednetinsight.com/news-alerts/market-insights/Expert-advice-for-maximizing-your-string-marketing-results.html For anyone who sells products to schools, the spring is a busy season. Over 95% of schools operate on a July to June fiscal cycle, making the spring both a decision-making and planning time for most purchases as one budget closes and a new one starts. Most educators report that they place their orders during the spring, with 40% reporting they usually have funds left to spend at the end of the school year, so spring presents immediate and longer term sales opportunities. With so much at stake during the spring months, it is crucial for education businesses to maximize their marketing efforts during this time period. Read on for advice from six school marketing experts on how to get the best results from your direct mail, email, publicity, social media, and lead generation campaigns this spring... ]]> Friday, February 25, 2011 http://www.ednetinsight.com/news-alerts/market-insights/Expert-advice-for-maximizing-your-string-marketing-results.html http://www.ednetinsight.com/news-alerts/market-insights/is-image-blocking-sabotaging-your-email-performance-.html Are you frustrated with the performance of your prospecting emails? Maybe you have altered or moved some creative elements or tested multiple offers to try to improve results. Or perhaps you have deployed on a different day of the week or time of day, yet your emails still are not performing well. If you are like the majority of marketers whose messages still are graphics-centric, do not despair! There is an effective way to bump up click and conversion rates from educators and boost the results of your prospecting emails. You just need to step back from analyzing the creative details of your messages and instead take a hard look at the big picture—that is, how you build your emails. Read on for details... ]]> Friday, January 28, 2011 http://www.ednetinsight.com/news-alerts/market-insights/is-image-blocking-sabotaging-your-email-performance-.html http://www.ednetinsight.com/news-alerts/market-insights/optimize-your-email-results-with-simple-testing.html Email marketers today are testing everything from lists and segmentation strategies to offers and creative elements. In fact, according to research done by both Lyris and MarketingSherpa this year, about 50% of marketers are regularly doing some kind of analysis of their email programs. The education vertical appears to be slightly behind the curve: MDR polled education marketers during a recent webinar on email testing and found that only 40% are conducting tests on their email campaigns. So if you haven't integrated any testing into your email marketing, now is the time to get going so you can increase your click-through rates and overall conversions! No matter where you're in the email testing continuum, if you're ready to take it up a notch, read on... ]]> Friday, December 17, 2010 http://www.ednetinsight.com/news-alerts/market-insights/optimize-your-email-results-with-simple-testing.html http://www.ednetinsight.com/news-alerts/market-insights/improving-your-bottom-line-with-market-research.html Testing is an underlying best practice for everything you do as a marketer. Much of your day-to-day in-house testing provides incremental business benefit. Third-party market research, on the other hand, will inform your business about more far-reaching and long-term strategies tied to larger financial benefits. If you are curious about what is new in market research within the education field and how you can use it to improve your bottom line, read on… ]]> Friday, November 12, 2010 http://www.ednetinsight.com/news-alerts/market-insights/improving-your-bottom-line-with-market-research.html