A study on Impact of Digital Marketing Strategies on Education Sector with reference to Nagpur, India
A study of the Effects of Digital Marketing Strategies on the Education Sector with the reference of Nagpur, India
Abstract-
The use of digital marketing strategies is growing each year and are now an integral to every sales and marketing plan. Digital marketing is essential to the success of any company to connect with the potential customers. In the present era, the digital technologies, there was a significant shift in the marketing and sales sector. Traditional marketing methods have been replaced by digital strategies. Digital marketing endorses the goods and services that are available on the market. According to the world statistics, nearly 4.66 billion users were online in October 2020, comprising 59 percent of the world’s population. In 2022, there will be 820.99 million internet usages in India is predicted. Mobile is now accessible to internet users around the world since the mobile internet users comprise the majority of internet users. Working professionals and young students are the ones who spend the most time on the internet during the current pandemic and the users are growing every day. The research paper will study the effects of digital marketing, and how it’s impacting the education industries as a targeted group. The education industry has been used as a case study for research.
Keywords:
Digital Marketing Effect, Digital Marketing Process, Digital Marketing Scope, Results of digital marketing
INTRODUCTION
The market is volatile, the unexpected pandemics, and changing demands from day to night are having a major impact on the buying and selling of products and services. The traditional marketing model is now being replacing it with digital. In a globalized society, to stay in the final stages and be different from every sector in the world is shifting towards the digital age. It is therefore not incorrect to say that everyone is living in the digital age in which there are no geographical borders and no restrictions on reach. Based on the statistics survey in 2019, the average amount of time spent using smartphones per day is increasing, with the an average increase of 11 percent up to 5.5 minutes in the month of March (pre-COVID) from 4.9 hours in the year 2019. The report also revealed that users spend longer with families and a 26 percent increase in average hours spent (from 4.9 hours pre-COVID , to 5.5 hours after COVID). To attract attention of viewers or to get in social media,, every sector is making efforts to connect with the consumer, which is why marketing teams are working hard and providing innovative advertisements, innovative video, and voice-commands to searches, or search, etc. Most customers aren’t prepared to follow the directions but they prefer pop-up effects, visual adds, sound effects motion, videos, and innovative e-materials. Organizations are trying their best to improve the customers’ attention span and come up with a variety of solutions to keep a client in the loop and adhering to the marketing strategy. The number of digital media is increasing as newspapers ads, magazines, etc. were made available in digital format during the time of the pandemic and discovered a consumer-driven idea that had a direct effect on the public.
In simple terms digital marketing is marketing using an electronic device or via the internet. It’s a different term for internet-based marketing. Nowadays many thousands of companies are engaged in digital marketing because they can find it more convenient and cost-effective to connect with an enormous number of customers by this method.
The goal of this study is to study the effects that digital strategies have on sector of education. With the growing usage of technology and digital platforms, schools have been incorporating strategies for marketing using digital media to reach their targeted public. This study will examine the efficacy of these strategies as well as their effect on student enrollment as well as engagement and overall performance. The study’s methodology includes study of the literature as well as case studies and an assessment of teachers and students within the education field. The results suggest that online marketing strategies are an effective tool for institutions of higher education to attract and retain students, create the brand’s reputation, and improve overall effectiveness.
The sector of education has historically relied on word-of mouth marketing and traditional methods of advertising to draw students. But, with the increased use of digital platforms as well as technology, schools have begun to incorporate digital marketing strategies in order to connect with their targeted public. Digital marketing strategies like social media marketing as well as the search engine optimizer (SEO) and email marketing and content marketing aid educational institutions in building brand recognition, connect with their intended audience, and draw in new students. This study will analyze the effects and impact of these strategies in the education industry and analyze the effectiveness of these strategies in drawing and keeping students, establishing brand awareness and increasing overall success.
Literature Review:
Digital marketing has become an important tool for businesses and other organizations in a variety of sectors. For the educational sector digital marketing strategies could be utilized to attract and keep students in the school, boost the reputation of the institution and create brand awareness. A study by Joost et and. (2019) discovered that strategies for digital marketing like marketing via social media as well as email marketing and SEO could be successful in attracting and keeping students. The study showed that institutions that employed strategies for digital marketing were more enrolment-friendly and had higher retention rates than those who did not.
Another study conducted by Li along with Li (2019) discovered that the use of digital marketing can improve the image of institutions of higher education. The study revealed that schools which utilized the digital strategies to market had better recognition of their brand and had a more favorable reputation among their intended group of customers. The study concluded that the use of digital marketing strategies can assist educational institutions in separating them from other institutions and draw in a greater number of students.
Case Studies:
To assess the impact of marketing techniques based on digital technology in the educational sector we carried out case studies of two institutions of higher education that have successfully integrated digital marketing strategies in their marketing strategies.
Case Study 1: Harvard University
Harvard University is one of the most sought-after schools of higher learning around the globe. Harvard University has been able to successfully incorporate strategies of digital marketing like SEO, social media marketing as well as email marketing, into their marketing plans. Social media-based marketing strategies have been extremely successful and the Facebook page of Harvard with more than 5 million followers and its Twitter account boasting more than two million users. The University’s SEO initiatives have proven extremely effective and have seen Harvard being ranked highly on Google searches for a variety of key words. The university’s marketing emails are also extremely successful with high open rates and click-through percentages.
Case Study 2: University of Phoenix
The University of Phoenix is an online university which has successfully integrated digital marketing strategies into its marketing strategies. The University’s social media marketing efforts have been extremely successful as evidenced by the Facebook page of the university having more than 1 million followers and its Twitter page having more than 100,000 followers. Its SEO initiatives have proved extremely effective, with the university being highly ranked on Google searches for a variety of key words. The university’s marketing emails have also proven to be extremely effective with high open as well as click-through rate.
Survey:
To assess the impact in the use of strategies for digital marketing within the educational sector We conducted a survey of teachers and students within the field of education. The survey contained questions regarding the efficacy in digital strategies for marketing, the effects on student engagement, enrollment and overall performance as well as their general perception of digital marketing within the field of education.
There are numerous ways to market digitally, among them of them include:
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Paid search
Display ads
Marketing via social media
Marketing content
Email marketing
Marketing via Influencers
Marketing through affiliates
Traditionally, companies were able to reach their audience through channels such as radio, television magazines, events or direct mail. Nowadays, as consumers are spending longer online companies are looking to connect with prospective buyers via digital channels. In the end, marketers have to be where the buyers are.
Digital Marketing offers the many benefits, including:
Improved customer loyalty through Frequent communications – it will cost more to acquire and turn on new customers, than to keep existing customers. It can be difficult for customers to keep loyalty to establish. If a customer is loyal, they will be a repeat customer or refer your company to friends which can to increase sales.To keep customers in the loop it is essential to maintain contact with them. Digital marketing has made it much easier than ever before. Individualized emails and social media are frequently utilized for this.
Cost-effectiveness One of the major advantages of digital marketing is that it’s cost effective. Digital marketing can help businesses reduce costs and gain more leads.With traditional methods of marketing it is difficult for small to mid-sized businesses to compete against larger firms. Big companies have the funds to spend on TV ads radio ads, radio spots and many more. This makes it difficult for small-sized businesses to compete with the larger corporations. Digital marketing puts companies on the same level. It’s a cost-effective method of marketing your business to consumers who are interested. A lot of digital marketing and advertising strategies can be financed.
Digital Marketing can be measured If money is put in a marketing campaign monitoring the outcomes of the campaign is crucial. It is crucial to determine whether the strategy is generating results that will help businesses grow. One of the major advantages of a digital marketing strategy is the capacity to track your progress. Although traditional methods are highly effective, it’s not easy to determine the extent of their effectiveness. There’s no way to trace the source of leads using traditional methods, without asking every person who visits a the business. Through digital marketing, the results of campaigns can be measured with pinpoint accuracy.
Digital marketing can boost your conversion rate. One of the biggest advantages from digital marketing is increase of the conversion rate. If you invest money in strategies for marketing online, such as the optimization of conversion rates (CRO) the conversion rate can be improved.
The reason for this is the capacity to focus on leads that are more specific. If you focus on the people who are most inclined to become interested in the business The chances of gaining the conversion rate increase. This, in turn, aids the growth of the company.
Targets ideal customers For a successful marketing campaign, it is essential to connect with the most relevant people. Businesses must connect with those who are looking to do transactions with them. In addition to the many benefits of online marketing, the biggest benefit of online marketing is its possibility of targeting specific people.
The ability to target people using traditional methods of marketing can be difficult. In general, messages are sent all over the world in hopes to reach people who are who are interested in the business. It’s difficult to generate adequate leads in order to cover marketing expenses. Digital marketing allows businesses to get in touch with people who are who are interested in their company. They target customers with curiosity about their company, service or products. It’s an amount of detail that traditional marketing simply cannot match.
Digital Marketing and Education Sector
Digital marketing has enabled direct interactions with a greater level of engagement on a variety of social media channels and platforms. that connect customers to their target audience quickly. Digital marketing can be measured. the conversion of reach to target audience is extremely fast, feedback is received promptly and improvements are implemented quickly that is cheaper and more efficient however traditional marketing can be very slow. Feedbacks are not delivered on time, so it can be costly and less efficient. Digital media offers a promising future for educational institutions so long as technology continues to improve according to the needs of the customers. requirements. Digital marketing will be more creative and creative and responsive to customers. Digital marketing enables institutions and educational establishments to take use of the potential in social media. In sharing information to the world’s target public, various channels of social media are employed. The content shared is a great example of imagination of videos, etc.
The digital advertisements on social media sites can have an effective influence on students’ decision-making process. Today’s young people have over 98 percent access to social networks and this is the primary reason that the majority of schools are using social media and students have more access to social media. India is the most populous countries worldwide, with the highest growth in education hubs in all states. Due to the increasing competition in India numerous business professionals venture capitalists are entering into the education. Experts in digital marketing have taken advantage of this and also created huge opportunities. To ensure their survival in the marketplace, educational institutions and colleges have begun to adopt new channels for marketing, including modern and attractive websites as well as search engine optimization and different digital platforms for social networking.
Digital marketing has now become a extremely important as a marketing tool to be competitive, digital marketing is now a must-have tool.
The benefits of education sectors include Reach of brand awareness The Instant Feedback System
It’s quantifiable
Easy to Access Impactful
Research Objectives
To investigate the effects of digital marketing in the Education industry in Nagpur City
To comprehend the strategies used by educational institutions and its effects on students.
LITERATURE REVIEW
TriptiDhote*, Yatin Jog, NutanGavade and GesuShrivastava(Indian Journal of Science and Technology, Vol 8(S4), 200-205, February 201)advocated that Digital marketing uses the internet and information technology to extend and improve traditional marketing functions”. It has a broad applications across different sectors, but in the present context of the proliferation of social and digital media, they have gained immense popularity and play a significant role in the decision-making process of the young students looking to pursue higher education.
- Sathya(International Journal of Science and Technology (IJSR) ISSN (Online) 2319-7064) asserted the fact that Digital Marketing has turn out to be an essential part of the strategy of numerous companies. Today even the smallest business owners, there is an affordable and efficient approach using digital marketing to advertise their services or products to the market. It is completely free. It is possible for companies to use any device including smartphones, tablets and laptops, TVs as well as social media, technology, email and other devices to help support the business and its product and service. Digital marketing can achieve better if it takes customer needs as a top priority.
AfzalBasha (IJRAR) Vol. 6 Issue 1. (E-ISSN 2348-1269 P ISSN 2349-5138) concluded that the study seeks to emphasize the broadening of the strategy for digital marketing in order to improve the educational sector in the present digital marketing trends. advances in artificial intelligence and technologies offer a wide range of opportunities for education and students to meet the demands but at the same time it presents challenges for marketers digital marketing. Digital marketing is modified, updated according to the current trends, cost less with a huge conversion rate and a high ROI.
METHODOLOGY
To investigate the effect of digital marketing Strategies on the Education Sector, a questionnaire was created and the main data was gathered. Secondary data was collected from various sources such as internet, Journals, Research Papers and books. The method used for sampling was convenience sampling because there was a significant number of respondents who did not respond and are replaced by respondents. The size of the sample was calculated by using Cochran’s formula. The size of the sample was not known, hence it was impossible to determine the normal deviation. undetermined.
The sample size required is calculated by using formulas as provided below.The Necessary Sample Size is (Z-score * StdDev* margin of error)2 (Zs/e)2 = (Zs/e)2
A confidence threshold is defined as 95%, and the the z score which corresponds to 95 percent the confidence levels is 1.96. Standard deviation was not clear and in such a case, it is usually taken to be 0.51. This is the most lenient number, and guarantees that the sample is sufficient in size. Margin of Error can be defined as 6.6%. By putting the values in the formula, we get
N = (1.96 * 0.5/0.06)2
266.77
267
The study is conducted using a conclusive research design. The conclusive research is a combination of descriptive and analytical study.The effects are generally studied by using a causal research method that is referred to as conclusive as can be reached to an end.
The population of interest included MBA Students and the sample was taken to be 267. The study is restricted only to Nagpur City.
Research hypothesis formulated as follows.
+Business Research Methods, William Zikmund, Cengage Learning Pg 426
1https://www.ndsu.edu/gdc/wp-content/pdf/Determining-Sample-Size.pdf
Digital Marketing strategies do not have any impact on the Education Sector.
The research hypothesis above was developed as a an statistical hypothesis as follows:
H0: There isn’t a substantial difference in the number of admissions prior to and after the adoption of online marketing techniques.
H1: There is a noticeable distinction in the amount of admissions prior to and following using Digital Marketing Strategies.
The hypothesis above was evaluated by paired t tests at 5% significance.
Another hypothesis of research was suggested as
A majority of students have been admitted to colleges by using websites that is a strategy for digital marketing employed by colleges.
The hypothesis above was developed as a statistical hypothesis under:
A majority of students accepted to colleges are with the digital strategies of marketing.
H0: p = 0.7
H1: p 0.7
= 0.05
Test of Proportions employed for testing the hypothesis. Both hypothesis were evaluated using the program BlueSky Statistics.
Statistical Analysis
Hypothesis 1:
Summary Statistics
| Var | N | mea | Sd | me | trim | mad | mi | max | Ran | Skew | kurtos | Se | ||||||
| S | N | dia | Med | N | ge | is | ||||||||||||
| N | ||||||||||||||||||
| Before | 1 | 1 | 93.33 | 53.72 | 75.5 | 86 | 38.54 | 48 | 212 | 164 | 0.8612 | – | 15.5102 | |||||
| 2 | 33 | 88 | 76 | 0.5839 | ||||||||||||||
| After | 2 | 1 | 111.9 | 62.58 | 89.5 | 104. | 43.73 | 59 | 240 | 181 | 0.6476 | – | 18.0666 | |||||
| 2 | 167 | 44 | 4 | 67 | 1.0689 | |||||||||||||
| Paired t-test | ||||||||||||||||||
| Null Value Considered: 0 | ||||||||||||||||||
| sample estimate | confidence: 0.95 | confidence: 0.95 | ||||||||||||||||
| T | Df | p-value | what does it mean? | of | The | lower | upper | |||||||||||
| Differentialities | ||||||||||||||||||
| -5.1378 | 11 | 0.0003 | -18.5833 | -26.5443 | -10.6224 |
Hypothesis 2:
1 sample proportions test with no continuity correction
Null Value Considered: 0.5
| Sample | confidence: | confidence: | |||
| estimate | 0.95 | 0.95 | |||
| X-squared | Df | p-value | P | lower | upper |
| 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.0945 | 0.9055 |
RESULT
Data is gathered from diverse colleges of Nagpur city. The study analyzes research by analyzing institutes and students’ comments on how the digital marketing strategies have had an impact on their decisions and also whether they are efficient enough for educational institutes and colleges. Additionally, research has revealed the ways that the digital marketing strategies are altering the perceptions of MBA applicants and the impact they have on admissions.
A majority of the students were from the 20-23 age range years old. The sample consisted of a greater proportion than female students when opposed to male students. It was discovered in the course of study women are better knowledgeable than male students about the digital platforms.
The first hypothesis was examined by using the paired t test. The p value was found at 0.0003. This is lower than the statistical significance of 0.05. Therefore, the null hypothesis is not accepted. It was found that there was a significant variation in the number of admissions prior to and after the implementation of the Digital Marketing Strategies. The following chart illustrates the admissions scenario prior to and after the adoption of Digital Marketing Strategies.
.The vertical axis x shows colleges. The college names are concealed, and the numbers assigned to them are kept secret in order to protect the anonymity. The data comes from colleges that offer an MBA course. It was observed that at the time of graduation, parents play a major role in deciding on the college and which course their child should be admitted to. However, after graduation, the most students choose their own the college they want to attend and what course. Students use the internet for finding information on various colleges.
The number of admissions prior to and after
adopting digital marketing strategies
400
200
| 0 | Before | ||||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
Before After
The second hypothesis was tested using one sample test for proportions. Both np and nq are > 5 hence the population is normally distributed. The p value came out to be 1 which is greater than the significance level of 0.05. Hence null hypothesis was failed to be rejected. Around 70% of the admission are made using digital marketing strategies. Hence it is concluded that majority of the students have taken admission to college by referring to information available on the internet which is digital marketing strategy adopted by the colleges. Following chart shows the proportion of students using digital marketing and those who did not use digital marketing
ADMISSIONS USING DIGITAL
MARKETING STRATEGIES
No, 119
Yes, 148
DISCUSSION
Digital Marketing is relatively newer concept in the current era. While it has already taken over various industries, the education sector is still in the early phase to implement Digital Marketing Strategies. Although it has made its entrance into the education sector, the impact is not yet complete. It is necessary to conduct more research to evaluate the effect the digital strategies for marketing on different aspects of the education industry. This paper is an attempt to analyze the effect of strategies for digital marketing on the admission situation and the attitude of students towards the digital strategies for marketing.
Digital marketing refers to the online promotion of companies and their brands via digital media channels, which includes websites, social mediachannels, television, radio mobile and other traditional forms of non-digital media like billboards and transit signs. In simplerterms, any form of marketing that is made available electronically is regarded as digital marketing.
The increasing use of the online and electronic media have had an important influence on the realm of education. The educational sector is an area that has seen a transformation since the vast majority of students are people who use the web.
This directly impacts on the manner in which colleges and educational institutions require the use of the internet and mobile phones to make connections and communicate with increasing numbers of students.And online marketing can be the most effective strategy to be adopted by educational institutions to connect with prospective students.
Marketing via digital channels is by far the ideal method to reach the vast majority of students in the present due to a variety of reasons. The reasons are:
The population of students who are interested in studying is looking online for classes in education and training.
Students spend more time online than in the other media, like television.
Internet-based advertisements are extremely effective when compared with offline advertisements
Display ads outperform traditional advertisements.
Parents and guardians of today evaluate a college or school by the website of the institution and its presence on the internet including reviews, ratings and reviews.
The majority of students have begun to judge the quality of a college or school by their online profile.
The web is the most popular and easy method of asking admission questions and applying for admission.
Students who are expatriates or outstations rely more on the internet to apply for college.
Students and parents see the internet as a useful method to complete admissions procedures and other procedures.
There are several motives to think about the use of digital marketing in institutions of higher education:
Enhance brand awareness Social media platforms and online visibility are the most efficient way to build brand awareness efficiently and connect with the appropriate target audience since they are an enormous audience.They will help you increase the number of followers you have, followed by a higher conversion rates. Numerous educational organizations have used strategies for marketing using social media successfully to boost leads, audiences and brand recognition.
Virtuous Response Online is the ideal method to communicate and engage with your target audience in a short period of time. Online marketing channels offer the response to feedback from the audience and users can read questions instantly via Social Media channels.
Cost-effective: Digital marketing channels are reasonably priced compared to traditional strategies for promoting. Marketing strategies that are online, like email marketing or social media marketing, require only a small investment in execution or. With Digital Marketing Educational companies can reach an increased audience with the cost of a small investment and gain significant advantages.
Very high conversion rates: Email and SMS are a crucial component of Digital Marketing that can help educational institutions achieve high response rates due to the fact that they are near to the people. Through Digital Marketing solutions for schools and colleges educational establishments can effortlessly reach their target audience efficiently.
Measurable conclusions Tools for tracking digital marketing allow in evaluating and tracking the efficacy of your digital marketing strategy for colleges and schools. Find important data or insight to help you improve the improvement of your Digital Marketing technique and improve your goals for marketing in the education sector.
The field of education is increasing its position as a leading player in the current technological trends in marketing. Digital marketing for the education industry aids schools and universities, colleges and institutions to build their image and increase the number of students who are recruited.
SCOPE FOR FURTHER RESEARCH
As we have discussed in earlier section, Digital Marketing in the education sector is a relatively new concept when compared to other industries. There aren’t many studies carried out to determine the advantages and disadvantages for Digital Marketing in the education sector. Researchers have chosen one aspect to study, which is
restricted to Nagpur only to Nagpur. There are many other areas which are open for study to determine the effects of digital marketing on the education sector.
The sector of education is awash with types of models. From higher education through schooling, to classroom teaching, ICT educational technology and so on. These theories must be evaluated on the basis for digital advertising. This is why the study of the field is vast and requires a thorough understanding of each aspect.
REFERENCES
Punit Singh Bhatia – Fundamentals of Digital Marketing, Pearson, 1st Edition 2017
RajendraNargundkar, RomiSainy – Digital Marketing Examples taken from India, Notion Press; 1st Edition, 2018,
Philip Kotler – Marketing 4.0: Transitioning from the traditional to the digital, Wiley; 1st edition (21 April 2017)
William Zikmund – Business Research Methods, Cengage Learning Pg 426, 7th Edition
Levin, Rubin – Statistics for Management, Prentice Hall of India 7th edition
AfzalBasha – A Study on Effective Digital Marketing Strategy In Education Sector AtBangaloreCity, IJRAR February 2019, Volume 6, Issue 1, https://www.ijrar.org/papers/IJRAR19YP019.pdf
AndrianiKusumawati – Impact of Digital Marketing on Student Decision-Making Process of
HigherEducation Institution: A Case of Indonesia, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334622482
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Digital Marketing in Higher Education: Importance, Benefits and Impact
https://dothedigital.com/importance-digital-marketing-educational-sector
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Submitted By: Mani Bhardwaj (2108477)
Manisha Rani (21084
