Marketing: January 2017
January is all about positioning for the Spring SAT & ACT test cycle. Although there is an SAT test date on January 21 and an ACT test date on February 11, neither represents a significant number of test takers.
A little about the business cycle: test prep programs vary in length and a typical timeline requires between 6 – 12 weeks (before a test). Therefore, we are at the front end of the March-April-and the May-June SAT & ACT season. So, January becomes less about prepping students for January or February SAT/ACT tests and more about grabbing a piece of the early spring market share.
With that in mind, be sure to key in on folks in your lead funnel. These would be past event attendees, practice test takers, random web or phone inquiries that did not convert. Leads that are over 90 days old may be more relevant than you imagine.
If you don’t have a great system to capture costumer inquiry information, this may require a little organizing But, you’ve already paid the majority what is known as the client acquisition cost for these inquiries, so re-engaging them is practical. A well sequenced email campaign with your lead incentive message should help.
Speaking of reengagement, if you have high school accounts be sure to solicit guidance counselor feedback relating to school hosted prep class days/times/locations and popular test dates. In our own market research, TPP found that parents & students favor convenience, and program efficacy (in that order) when selecting SAT or ACT prep.
Outside of the tactics of approaching schools and lead re-engagement, new student interest can be generated with events/webinars etc. Consider the following themes: ACT vs. SAT, What do my PSAT Scores Mean, Take a Free Practice Test.
Marketing Suggestions:
- Events: Understanding PSAT Scores, Writing Workshops, Practice Tests, ACT vs. SAT, Which Test is Best?
- Incentives: “$$ Off a minimum length tutoring package” or “Try us for free”
- Sales Management: update a sales short sheet with incentives & class start dates; include event dates as well. Stick to the rules of each incentive and review with your team.
- Networking: in general terms, communicate your main messages to community groups, administrators, or other local gatekeepers. Don’t forget to inquire about Spring College Fairs through your high school contacts.
- More broadly When aligning promotional tools such as website, blog, email, and social outlets stick to one clear message. For January, it may be “Try Us for Free.” Whatever the decision resist the urge to communicate more than one incentive offer.
- Bootcamps: if you have the inclination and the staffing you could try a weekend bootcamp or a compact class for February – March tests. Because the window is short, it is sometimes helpful to cap these classes at a smaller number than would be typical for April, May, June.
- Keywords: available through community membership at testprepprofessionals.com
The following Pulse articles may be helpful: Niche Strategy, Applying the Hedgehog Concept,Determining Client Acquisition Cost.
