Keep calm and carry on!

Right now, I need to be a helpful voice of reason and composure when so many education business owners are facing the toughest test of their working lives.

Therefore, since schools closed my team and I have been reviewing the situation carefully, speaking with our teacher network, and studying the data. From this, I’ve been able to pinpoint four key reasons why now is the time to carry on, not just with your daily operations, but the communications you send to your education audience. These points are covered in this article.

74% of schools are open and teachers/staff are working.

Our research shows that 74% of schools have remained open and 25% of schools aim to keep staffing levels close to the same during the closure period. Teachers/staff are still working! Whether on site or remotely, they are planning lessons, liaising with colleagues, and planning schemes of work. Therefore your services may still be required on some level.

How should you react?

Invest in your marketing. Teachers/staff, now more than ever, have time to invest in giving your marketing more attention, and reading your emails and website more carefully. If teachers/staff are investing time in your content, make sure you are investing in your communications. Job one? Keep connecting with them regularly. If you don’t, they’ll only be ensnared by your competitors and read what they have to say and offer.

Email open and click rates are at their highest levels since 2016.

Although we knew that 60% of teachers/staff opened their emails on mobile devices, we weren’t expecting for the engagement of our client’s emails when working remotely to increase so dramatically. Astonishingly, open rates are now averaging 26.5%, up from 24.8% before closures. While click-to-open rates have sky-rocketed from 25.4% to 34.1%. Additionally, our research shows that teachers are checking their inboxes twice as often as usual.

How should you react?

Be prepared. Now more than ever a teacher is more likely to click your email and visit your landing page. Therefore, make sure that your landing pages are, up-to-date with relevant content that is sensitive to the current situation, and that they capture leads effectively.

Many of your competitors have lost their heads.

When schools closed many of your competitors will have panicked and gone into hibernation mode, waiting it out for schools to reopen. This has created two huge positives for those of you that aim to proactively navigate this situation.

1. Hibernating competitors have paused their marketing, resulting in a 68% decrease of emails in teachers’ inboxes.
2. This leads to brands being overlooked as teachers become affiliated with the brands that continue to connect with them.

How should you react?

• Steal a march on your competitors that are in hibernation mode.
• Acclimatise your marketing content to build connections, brand recognition, and affinity amongst the teaching public.
• Help them, offer advice, provide free support, or adapt your product/service to suit the current climate.
• Ultimately ensure that when your competitors awake from their hibernation, that they are too late, teachers have already made up their mind and know who they want to work with/purchase from in the future when things return to normal. You!

Schools have received their new budgets.

Traditionally, now is when state school leaders start to plan and action their spending. This year, it is expected to be similar, despite school closures. Our network of school leaders, have overwhelmingly confirmed that they do intend to plan and purchase resources/services, but they will be more cautious, and focus some budget towards solutions that supports their school/staff during the current situation.

How should you react?

Be flexible. The key point raised by school leaders was that they’re looking for flexibility from suppliers. Building contingency plans into a purchase where possible is a key consideration for budget holders, so try to adapt what you offer to still be essential even if the crisis takes an unexpected turn.

Finally, please remember...

Sprint Education was created by my brother and I back in 2007, to serve education businesses and to ensure that schools could access the world’s best products and services.

Our education experts strive to help your education business thrive. Now more than ever our support, knowledge, and services might be what you need to help you to navigate this difficult period. So, even if you have the smallest concern or question about how your education business is trying to manage the COVID-19 crisis, please do get in touch. We are here to help.

Call 01684 297374 or email info@sprint-education.co.uk.

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How to Sell to Schools How to Sell to Teachers Selling to Schools Selling to Teachers

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