| Everything in the world today needs to be | | | | It is a cluttered world out there, and to be |
| marketed well; even education, hence | | | | noticed, any educational institution will |
| marketing strategies and distance learning go | | | | need to break through. A lot of colleges |
| hand in hand. In order to create a lasting | | | | today are adopting different marketing |
| impact on the minds of the target audience, | | | | strategies and distance learning has become |
| educational institutions offering distance | | | | an especially volatile market. Many colleges |
| learning programs need to be a cut above the | | | | are using web based ads and promotions |
| rest. Education is a service and any service | | | | aggressively for marketing their courses; the |
| needs to be marketed well to be attractive to | | | | internet being a relatively cheaper |
| the consumer, who in this case is a student. | | | | advertising medium, has taken over the other |
| | | | traditional mediums like print and TV. Pop-up |
| How Technology has Affected Education | | | | ads, email and banners are, however, mainly |
| | | | mass marketing tools and are largely |
| It's a changing world, and technology has | | | | ineffective. What education needs right now |
| become the backbone of any distance education | | | | is relationship marketing. |
| program. Marketing strategies and distance | | | | |
| learning are symbiotic, since education is | | | | Relationship marketing is essentially |
| essentially a service and deals with human | | | | establishing, developing and maintaining |
| beings. Hence student enrollment and | | | | successful long term relationships with |
| retention are very critical aspects for a | | | | students. Education being a service cannot |
| college to consider. The internet is rife | | | | adopt marketing strategies meant for a |
| with dotcoms looking to make quick profits, | | | | manufactured product. Marketing educational |
| which are posing a serious threat to the more | | | | services is more about building trust and |
| serious academic institutions looking at | | | | commitment, more about making students loyal |
| providing quality educational experience to | | | | alumnus. Marketing strategies and distance |
| its students. Many universities have not only | | | | learning are correlated because they deal |
| started offering online versions of their | | | | with the creation of a product that cannot be |
| on-campus programs, but are also working on | | | | copied by anyone else, and with creating an |
| creating a virtual campus for its online | | | | atmosphere of nurture for students right from |
| students. Today the student is out shopping | | | | the enquiry stage. For the student, any |
| for courses and institutions; he or she is | | | | educational institution is attractive if it |
| tech savvy and enrolling in a particular | | | | has the right mix of pricing, academic |
| course is just a click away for him or her. | | | | experience, and credibility. If a college is |
| | | | able to provide services beyond these three |
| Weapon of Choice - Modes of Marketing | | | | parameters, it has earned the loyalties of |
| | | | any student enrolled with it. |