By: Mandi Andrejka
We’ve said it before, but it’s worth restating: Teachers are powerful influencers in their schools and districts. They’re also notoriously busy, so even if your edtech product seems like the perfect fit for their school, you’ve still got some work to do in order to catch a teacher’s attention.
The best way to do that? Give them something they want.
I’m talking about something beyond your product—because, if we’re being honest, with the rise of digital marketing and social media, there’s a lot of products, opportunities, and event invitations coming to teachers every day. So, the question becomes: In addition to your product, what else do you have to offer them that the others don’t?
Here are several ways to offer something above and beyond to capture teachers’ attention.
- Fold training for your product into their broader professional development.
In addition to the time they spend with students, parents, and administrators, teachers also pursue their own professional development throughout the year. Offering up a training that integrates your product with their broader curriculum training or PD will add enormous value to your services. If you’re able to offer it up for at no additional cost, all the better, as many teachers are already paying out-of-pocket for their own school supplies and resources.
- Use social media to foster community.
Keeping up a strong social media presence is not only good inbound marketing, it’s an opportunity for you to create genuine relationships with your targeted audience. Take the extra step beyond just product posts. Who doesn’t love a good meme? If you include the occasional joke, commentary, or other industry-relevant post into your broader social media strategy, you’ll come across as more authentic to your followers. Show them that you really know what they’re talking about and worrying about during the work day.
- Host an event that teachers want to come to.
Whether it’s a teacher training night like I mentioned above or simply a networking event where locals can get together, consider hosting an event that’s more than just promoting your product or announcement. Invite an industry speaker or host a discussion group where teachers can talk through something important to them. Not only will this be a chance for your team to learn new information straight from your target market, it demonstrates that they are more than just a contact in your company’s CMS.
- Provide easily accessible content offerings.
Providing a free resource to download shows your customers and leads that, once they’ve made a purchase, your team isn’t going to immediately forget about them and move on to the next name on the list. It shows that there’s more to this exchange than just their money. Content offers don’t have to be just a PDF, either. Check out this post from our director of marketing to learn about what other content offers you can supply to your audience!
- Ask a customer to run a webinar.
Rather than having your own team host a webinar about your product, ask a customer of yours to run a webinar detailing their experiences. Sharing real-world experiences will foster an authentic sense of community around your product or organization, and it also gives a customer the added bonus of feeling like a mini influencer.
Bonus tip for conferences: Be the booth that gives away treats!
Okay, maybe I’ve included this tip because I like getting the treats at conferences too, but I swear, it works! Putting out a bowl of candies or a toy they can take home to their kids is a great way to catch teachers’ attention as they’re wandering the show floor. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve approached a booth I ordinarily wouldn’t have because I wanted to grab something from their treat dish—and I almost always ended up chatting with a team member once I was there. Never underestimate the power of a mini candy bar!
Thanks for sharing!
