By: Mandi Andrejka
It’s no secret that the edtech buying cycle can be confusing. When it comes to purchasing, whether it’s for a district or a school, an administrator or an educator, there are a multitude of factors that affect a decision. The way a purchase gets made can differ based on an educator’s title, the size of the purchase, or the type of school. Most public school and district purchases follow the typical buying cycle of searching in fall, evaluating in winter, making decisions in spring, and placing purchase orders in May through June.
Outside of that, there are the “use it or lose it” dollars that schools have leftover in their budget that they use during the summer or in early fall, as well as purchases teachers may make out of pocket or through small discretionary school funds they have access to. And of course, private and charter schools have much more flexibility with their purchasing.
While most sales close in spring or early summer, companies should be marketing and selling throughout the year. Here’s your season-by-season guide to the edtech buying cycle.
Spring
While some consider spring to be a primary buying season, there are a lot of additional factors that can make it difficult to get on an educator’s radar. Spring break season around the country lasts from about February through March, so it can be tough to nail down a time when everyone is available for a webinar or product demo. Springtime is also testing season, which takes a lot of focus and extra effort from educators.
That being said, now is still a good time for an end-of-school-year push. Educators may have some of their year’s budget remaining that they’re looking to spend. Even if you can’t close with someone in the spring, you might still be able to plant the seed for them to bring you back into consideration in the fall.
Summer
School may be out, but there’s still plenty to do! Educators will be using this time to assess their needs and set goals for the next year, and edtech marketers can do the same. Use this period to dive into research, development, and strategy for the next school year. With less pressure from prep time, grading, and other school year work, teachers may be more available for conversations and networking at industry events. Summer is also a good time to focus on strengthening your brand awareness through social media and blog posts, as educators may have more time to engage in industry conversations online.
Fall
If you waited until September to launch your back-to-school campaign, you’re probably too late. Use the end of summer to begin a back-to-school launch, as that’s when educators are shifting into the mindset of a new school year as well. By the time the first day of class rolls around, teachers and administrators will be inundated with things to do. This can be a good time of year, however, to publish edtech stories that will remind educators of your place in the industry and how you can help them.
If a school purchased a product from you in the spring or over the summer, this is a great time to strengthen your relationship with them by taking the time to check in. Make sure your product was rolled out smoothly and that users—whether teachers, administrators, or students—are able to engage with it successfully. This extra effort goes a long way towards securing a long-term relationship with your customers.
Winter
Don’t let the cold weather freeze you out! There may not be as big of a push for purchasing during the winter, but this is still a great time of year to reach educators who are gathering information about products. Consider hosting a webinar or sharing a free downloadable resource to actively engage with educators.
No matter what the season, the important thing to keep in mind is that each school’s purchasing decisions are unique—and your marketing campaigns should be, too. If you’d like to learn more about what your company can do throughout the year in the edtech market, we’d love to set up a time to chat!
Thanks for sharing!