Are you being served: An investigation into school marketing using social networks.

MagicAre you being served?An investigation into school marketing using social networks.

James SaundersMBA Educational Leadership

Are you being served? An investigation into educational marketing using social networks.

Contents

Section 1 Introduction

Context 2 Structure of research 2

Section 2 Literature review and Critical Overview

Introduction 3 Education as a service market 3 SNSs and the marketing mix 4 Word of Mouth - The original social media 5 Blogging - the art of conversation 6

Section 3 Reflections on Theory & Practice, and

Recommendations 7

Section 4 Conclusion 8

References 10

Appendices Appendix A: Best practice in educational marketing 12

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1. Introduction

Context

Tendring Technology College (TTC) is a comprehensive 11-19 academy of approximately 2000 students (inc Sixth Form) situated on the north east Essex coast. This paper intends to investigate the notion of education as a service and service marketing methods with regard to the school marketing strategy. The specific focus will be on the relevance of social networks as part of an overall marketing strategy; paying particular reference to word of mouth marketing. A series of recommendations will be made for TTC Sixth Form to implement as part of its marketing strategy over the coming year. Structure of the Research

This research is presented in a further four sections as follows: Section 2: Literature review and Critical Overview

This contains a critical review and analysis of the literature concerning educational and social media marketing theory.

Section 3: Recommendations & Reflections

This contains a series of reflections on practice compared to recommendations for TTC based on the synthesised ideas presented in the literature review Section 4: Conclusion

This contains a discussion about the the key themes whilst drawing conclusions in relation to the literature review.

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2. Literature Review

Introduction

A 2014 Forbes article regarding word of mouth marketing and social media explained that,

92% of consumers believe recommendations from friends and family over all

forms of advertising. [ ] 64% of marketing executives indicated that they

believe word of mouth is the most effective form of marketing. However, only

6% say they have mastered it. (2014) Since the introduction of web 2.0 technologies, social network sites (SNSs) such as Facebook, Twitter and Blogger have placed schools in unchartered territory. Students; parents; even staff can all use and be affected by SNSs; a simple comment, message or post can travel round the world in minutes. Barnes and Matson (2010) argue that the ‘world of interactivity and hyper-communication has

fundamentally changed how teenagers and young adults receive, process and act on

information’ (2010: 1). However, schools as organisations are still in their infancy with regard to understanding how to effectively engage with these tools; many are unsure if they should; a pattern that differs dramatically in the HE sector. Are social networks appropriate tools for schools to embrace as part of their strategy, and how can they be used to support educational marketing? Much of the literature surrounding educational marketing and SNSs concerns post compulsory tertiary education, however, this discussion will attempt to apply this theory to schools. It is important to ground the theory surrounding educational marketing to provide a baseline with which to synergise. A logical starting point is to identify the type of market.

Education as a service market

Headington and Howson (1995) argue that ‘schools could learn much from service

and non-profit organisations’ (1995: 93). Their research, though limited to school brochures, does however present arguments one could suggest are valid to the whole remit of educational marketing. They found ‘a lack of understanding about the marketing of a non-profit service organisation[ ]’ (1995: 93); unlike in universities, where there tends to be ‘a more positive attitude towards marketing’ (Stachowski, 2010:192). Stachowski (2010) goes on to argue that universities often ‘have marketing qualified people in their administration teams carrying out this function

whereas non-university institutions very often have not’ (2010: 192). James and Phillips (1995) add further support to Headington and Howe (1995); asserting that education should be viewed as a service. However, they do suggest that educational marketing as a ‘service concept remain[s] relatively limited and

unsophisticated’ (1995: 75); which could be, in part, connected to the lack of understanding within the field, as outlined by Headington and Howe (1995). James and Phillips (1995) provide the simple definition that ‘a service organisation is generally accepted to be one where the activity or benefit that the organisation offers

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to the other, the service, is essentially intangible’ (1995: 75); a measurement, that Banya (2011) would agree, could be used to quantify the process of education. Stachowski (2011), and Shank (1995) in Stachowski (2011) support James and Phillips’ (1995) argument; adding a little more substance. They summarise the literature surrounding the field; grounding education as a service. They state that ‘by now, the argument that education can be viewed as a unique professional service has

been made’ (2011: 188). Kotler and Fox in Stachowski (2011) present a more detailed definition than that of James and Phillips; arguing that education as a service market can be defined as,

The analysis, planning, implementation and control of carefully formulated

programs designed to bring about voluntary exchanges of values with target

markets to achieve institutional objectives. Marketing involves designing the

institutions offerings to meet target markets’ needs and desires, and using

effective pricing, communication and distribution to inform, motivate and serve

these markets. (2011: 188)

Stachowski (2011) surmises that the primary concern of educational marketing is the ‘quality [of] educational experiences for both internal (students and staff) and external

(future students) stakeholders’ (2011: 188). Through this supposition an important element of the market is revealed; the internal and the external stakeholders. SNSs and the marketing mix

No marketing discussion would be complete without the ‘marketing mix’. Traditional marketing theory talks of the four Ps - product, place, price and promotion. However, service marketing has introduced an additional three Ps to create what, according to Stachowski (2011) and the Chartered Institute of Marketing (2009), is commonly referred to as the seven Ps: price; place; promotion; product; people; processes, and physical evidence. These elements form the marketing mix. So where do SNSs fit into the ‘marketing mix’? Scott (2010) argues that the traditional rules (price; place; promotion; product) of marketing are not of primary importance when using SNSs. He states that,

in order to succeed on the Web under the new rules of marketing and PR, you

need to consider your organizational goals and then focus on your buyers first.

Only when you understand your buyers should you begin to create compelling

Web content to reach them. (2010: 120)

This definition bodes well for educational marketing as previously defined by Stachowski (2011). If Scott’s ‘organizational goal’ translates to Stachowski’s ‘quality [of] educational experiences’, then one could assume that in the service context, ‘buyers’ are the ‘internal and external stakeholders’. Gunelius’ (2013) argument supports refocusing the priorities of the marketing mix; presenting a different marketing mix to apply to social media marketing theory: perception; predominance; progression; proof; prevalence; prominence, and power. Clemens (2009) in Bolotaeva & Cata (2011) proposes another alternative social media marketing mix - personal, participatory, physical and plausible. Whether it is the traditional ‘mix’ presented by Stachowski (2011) and the CIM (2009), or the alternatives proposed by

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Gunelius (2013) and Clemens (2009) in Bolotaeva & Cata (2011); all of them agree that engaging with the audience in a two-way dialogue with relevant content is essential; and comes before the product. A traditional ‘marketing mix’ consists of ‘product’ and ‘process’ criteria. However, the new definitions for using social media tend to focus on ‘process’. Smedley (1995) argues that ‘parents want their children to go to schools where they will be happy. And so parents choose schools based on ‘process’ criteria, to do with human

relationships, rather than ‘product’ criteria such as exam results’ (1995: 97). Unfortunately, much school marketing addresses ‘product’ criteria as argued by Brennan, et al. (2003) and, Oplatka (2004) and Ross, et al. (2007) in Stachowski (2011): ‘there is evidence that marketing practice is unsystematic, limited in nature

and focused on promotion/selling’ (2011: 196). Word of Mouth - The original social media

Word of Mouth (WoM) is well established as a marketing theory and has been explored by scholars for a number of years. More recently, WoM has been associated with social media. One could class it as the original form of social media; its power should not be overlooked as part of the marketing mix. ‘WoM has been

shown to substantially influence consumer attitudes and behaviours’ (Kaplan & Haenlein, 2011: 254). Smedley’s (1995) ideas concerning the dissemination of negative events through a community present an argument concerning the impact of WoM. Smedley states that a ‘parent would not send their children to a school with a bad reputation [ ]. A school which develops such a reputation, whether deserved or

not, is in trouble’ (1995: 97). WoM through SNSs in an educational context can quickly get out of hand, as has been demonstrated in countless news cases regarding true and false allegations toward teachers and schools. This lends credence to the importance of creating a strategic digital marketing plan. Brooks (1957) and Dichter (1966) in Kozinets, et al. (2010) support Smedley’s (2011) argument; asserting that it has been proven that ‘WOM affects the majority of all

purchase decisions’ (2010: 71). Kozinets, et al. (2010) go on to assert that ‘if marketers want to fully grasp the effects of their WOM strategies, it is necessary to

look beyond measures of communication frequency or valance and consider [ ]

content’ (2010: 73). The arguments of Kozinets, et al. (2010) offer firm support for Scott (2010) and Stachowski’s (2011) ideas on educational marketing; making the traditional marketing mix less of a priority; placing the ‘buyer’ or ’internal/external stakeholders’ at the forefront by considering what they will receive as content. So how can electronic content be used to enhance a marketing strategy?

Kaplan and Haenlein (2011) define viral marketing (VM) as electronic WoM; differentiating VM from traditional WoM theory by the exponential growth pattern the medium achieves. This makes the use of SNSs and VM an attractive option to the marketer. Kaplan and Haenlein argue that VM allows organisations to ‘promote their

products and services with very low budgets and still reach the same levels of

awareness that are usually only achievable with high-frequency TV advertising’ (2011: 254).

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The traditional marketing mix needs to be re-evaluated when using SNSs and, before any educational establishment attempts to jump into the online sphere, a full understanding of the market and context is critical. SNSs are all about communicating. People transact with them to satisfy a need to be social; to communicate; to pique their interest within a given sphere; it’s all about the conversation. VM is about attempting to positively engage in, and seed, the conversation. Blogging - the art of conversation

Perception; part of Gunelius’ (2013) ‘mix’ builds upon the importance of the conversation and Scott’s (2010) ideas about focusing on the audience: ‘make sure at

least 80 percent of your social media content, conversations, and activities are useful

and meaningful to your target audience while no more than 20 percent is

self-promotional’ (2013). The arguments of Mattson & Barnes (2010) support Gunelius (2013) and the 80/20 rule; also known as the Pareto Principle (Lavinsky, 2014). They state that ‘[b]logs that do not facilitate engagement and conversation

tend to lose their audience. [ ] [S]chools that don’t allow for conversation will quickly

be passed by’ (2010: 7). Kaplan and Haenlein (2011) further elaborate on Mattson & Barnes’ ideas and the Pareto Principle by arguing that ‘20% of messengers can be

expected to carry 80% of the load’ (2011: 256). They go on to assert that for VM to be successful, ‘the right people need to get the right message under the right

circumstances’ (2011: 256). The right people, according to Kaplan & Haenlein, are ‘messengers’. Messengers can be broken down into three subgroups; market mavens (receivers), social hubs (distributors) and salespeople (amplifiers); these people in combination spread the marketing message (see Figure 1). Figure 1. The three basic conditions for creating a viral marketing epidemic

(Kaplan & Haenlein, 2011: 256)

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Kaplan and Haenlein (2011) state that, ‘[o]nly messages that are both memorable and

sufficiently interesting to be passed on to others have the potential to spur a viral

marketing phenomenon’ (2011: 256) There is much alignment between Kaplan & Haenlein’s (2011) model (Figure 1) and ‘The Network Coproduction Model’ of Kozinets, et al. (2010) (Figure 2). Figure 2. The Network Coproduction Model

(Kozinets, et al. 2010: 72)

In summary, SNSs should be an integral part of any schools marketing plan. Whilst this is new territory for many school leaders the effect of doing nothing can be detrimental. It is imperative that leaders view themselves as a professional service and put the organisational goals and learners (future and present) first; then build their strategy around them. Used correctly, SNSs can make a positive contribution. Marketers must ensure they differentiate their approach to the marketing mix when using SNSs. 3. Reflections on Theory & Practice, and Recommendations James and Phillips (1995) argue it is essential that a product should be viewed in terms of benefits and that the common error schools make is to describe the service rather than the benefit to the customer; ’[H]istorically we have been conditioned to describe the courses and programmes [ ] rather than to identify the gains and

benefits’ (1995: 78). This is important for TTC Sixth Form as they begin the production of a new school prospectus. Previous prospectuses have been too reliant on describing what goes on at the school; omitting any information about the benefits the activities/courses provided, e.g: university destinations and careers. As an organisation TTC has, in the past, been more focused on numbers, and, marketing what Smedley (1995) would call ‘the product’, rather than ‘the process’. Stachowski’s (2011) best practice in educational marketing (Appendix A) provides a good foundation for the regeneration of the TTC strategic marketing plan. It is recommended that TTC avoids focusing on the external market by implementing an approach that serves the needs of stakeholders (internal & external);; building content around these needs. In practice, this may involve engaging learners in blogs

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that celebrate their achievements and involving them in shaping the curriculum provision. These blogs should be more than an information portal;; a two-way exchange is essential. Stachowski (2011) reinforces the importance of including existing students in the strategy, as well as future students.

A sales orientation is said to come with a functional approach to marketing and

a strong focus on the external market, neglecting the currently enrolled

learners. This was identified more than two decades ago by Robinson and

Long (1988) who found evidence that [ ] organizations were not addressing the

needs of their currently enrolled learners as they worked through their

programmes because they are so focused on getting more new students. (2010: 192)

Communication with students through SNSs should use the Pareto Principle. Lavinsky (2014) argues that ‘20% of your customers represent 80% of your

revenues. [ ] [W]ithin that initial 20%, the 80/20 rule also exists. Meaning that the top

20% of the top 20% of your customers (or the top 4% overall) represent 64% of your

sales (calculated as 80% times 80%)’ (2014). This technique should be applied to identify the students that can be classed as ‘messengers’ (Kaplan & Haenlein, 2011) and then create a strategy to target more of them; creating WoM momentum through VM. In summary, the marketing strategy must be modified to ensure a core objective of providing an excellent educational service. Online activity should be used to engage existing learners, and promotion should be kept to no more than 20% of interactions; positive conversations about the success of existing students is a must.

4. Conclusion The world of educational marketing is not a certain one; there are many parameters that affect the outcome, and the introduction of social media and viral marketing has coloured the waters further. What is clear is that social media is a powerful and very useful medium that cannot be overlooked. It is organic in its nature and is difficult to control. The skilled marketer should plant seeds, cut the interference and step back. It is important to remember that successful marketing via SNSs is about a two-way dialogue; engaging the audience or buyer. In an educational context, the buyer is the stakeholder; of which the most important is the student. The following list synthesises the best practice needed to ensure effective marketing via SNSs:

1. operate as a service not a product 2. refine core purpose/operational goals to be the service 3. focus on the service marketing mix 4. identify existing audience as well as future 5. engage in conversation with and speak to the audience 6. keep promotion/selling to a minimum 7. identify messengers and plant seeds

The marketing approach must begin with the student and be based around a set of organisational goals that place the education experience at the forefront. It is vital

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that marketers do not forget existing students by getting lost in the drive to recruit. ‘Good educational experiences lead to satisfied learners and to stable institutions, it

has been argued, and a quality marketing planning process should lead an institution

to delivering such experiences (Castling, 1984)’ (2010:192). If these conditions are met and SNSs are used to engage in dialogue, the results will be favourable.

Teaching is not simply about responding to customer wants;; it is also about meeting [ ] and [ ] understanding customer wants and needs... ...It has to be added however that there is a balance to be struck between understanding customer wants and needs and responding appropriately, and perpetuating a quality of service provision that is totally provider/producer led.

(James and Phillips, 1995: 86)

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5. References Banya, K. 2014. The intangible benefits of a college education. [Online]. 2014. phillyburbs.com. Available from: http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/burlington_county_times_news/opinion/guest/the-intangible-benefits-of-a-college-education/article_f841105e-3b9d-5267-9aa2-69ac7d2f1c06.html [Accessed: 13 August 2014]. Barnes, NG. and Mattson, E. 2010. Social Media and College Admissions: Higher-Ed

Beats Business in Adoption of New Tools for Third Year. University of Massachusetts,

Dartmouth. Bolotaeva, V. and Cata, T. 2011. Marketing Opportunities with Social Networks. Journal of Internet Social Networking and Virtual Communities, Vol. 2011 (2011), Article ID 409860, 8 pages DOI: 10.5171/2011.409860

Boyd, DM. and Ellison, NB. 2008. Social Network Sites: Definition, History, and Scholarship. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 13, pp. 210--230, DOI:10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00393.x Chartered Institute of Marketing. 2009. Marketing and the 7Ps: A brief summary of

marketing and how it works. Chartered Institute of Marketing.

Gunelius, S. 2013. 7 P's Of Social Media Marketing That Drive Results. [Online]. 2013. Forbes. Available from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2013/09/03/7-ps-of-social-media-marketing-that-drive-results/ [Accessed: 13 August 2014].

Headington, R. and Howe, J. 1995. The School Brochure: A Marketing Tool? Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 23 (2), pp. 89--95, DOI: 10.1177/174114329502300203

James, C. and Phillips, P. 1995. The Practice of Educational Marketing in Schools. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 23 (2), pp. 75--88, DOI: 10.1177/174114329502300202 Kaplan, AM. and Haenlein, M. 2010. The early bird catches the news: Nine things you should know about micro-blogging. Kelley School of Business, Indiana University, DOI:10.1016/j.bushor.2010.09.004 Kaplan, AM. and Haenlein, M. 2011. Two hearts in three-quarter time: How to waltz

the social media/viral marketing dance. Kelley School of Business, Indiana University, DOI:10.1016/j.bushor.2011.01.006

Kaplan, AM. and Haenlein, M. 2012. Social media: back to the roots and back to the

future. Journal of Systems and Information Technology, 14 (2), pp. 101--104, DOI 10.1108/13287261211232126 Kozinets, RV. de Valck, K. Wojnicki, AC. and Wilner, SJS. 2010. Networked Narratives: Understanding Word-of-Mouth Marketing in Online Communities. Journal of Marketing, 74, pp. 71--89.

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Lavinsky, D. 2014. Pareto Principle: How To Use It To Dramatically Grow Your

Business. [Online]. 2014. Forbes. Available from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/davelavinsky/2014/01/20/pareto-principle-how-to-use-it-to-dramatically-grow-your-business/ [Accessed: 14 August 2014]. Nyangau, JZ. and Bado, N. 2012. Social Media and Marketing of Higher Education: A

Review of the Literature. Journal of the Research Center for Educational Technology (RCET), 8 (1), pp. 38--51. Reuben, R. The Use of Social Media in Higher Education for Marketing and

Communications: A Guide for Professional in Higher Education. Scott, D. 2010. The new rules of marketing and PR. 2nd edition. Hoboken, N.J., John Wiley & Sons. Smedley, D. 1995. Marketing Secondary Schools to Parents -- Some Lessons from

the Research on Parental Choice. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 23 (2), pp. 96--103, DOI: 10.1177/174114329502300204 Stachowski, CA. 2011. Educational Marketing: A Review and Implications for

Supporting Practice in Tertiary Education. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 39 (2), pp. 186--204, DOI: 10.1177/1741143210390056

Trusov, M. Bucklin, RE. and Pauwels, K. 2009. Effects of Word-of-Mouth Versus

Traditional Marketing: Findings from as Internet Social Networking Site. Journal of Marketing, 73, pp. 90--102.

Whitler, K. (2014) Why Word Of Mouth Marketing Is The Most Important Social Media. [Online]. 2014. Forbes. Available from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/kimberlywhitler/2014/07/17/why-word-of-mouth-marketing-is-the-most-important-social-media/ [Accessed: 13 August 2014].

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6. Appendices Appendix A: Best practice in educational marketing

A marketing orientation—an approach in which all marketing efforts of the

institutions are driven to satisfy the needs of current and potential learners instead of simply being focused on increasing numbers (Yee-Man Siu, 1999).

Alliances being well used between FE colleges, community groups and local

businesses as a way to keep in touch with learners and carry them from the community through FE and into work (Foskett, 2002b).

Promotion materials being developed for various target learner markets

(Maguire et al., 1999), which are increasingly becoming narrower and more specialized in nature (Danko, 1986).

Institutions involving their current learners in designing future courses

(Oplatka, 2004).

Internal marketing, a practice whereby staff and current learners are treated as customers to achieve high retention rates, with positive outcomes (Stachowski, 2008).

(Stachowski, 2011)

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Are you being served: An investigation into school marketing using social networks.

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