Generative AI: The Ultimate School Supply for Education Marketing

With the new academic year in full swing, school marketing teams are ramping up efforts to engage and attract new students. During this busy period, efficiency and creativity are crucial. For education marketers, an AI toolkit can act as a virtual assistant, streamlining routine tasks, providing valuable insights, and freeing up time for more strategic thinking. A recent survey by Salesforce found that over 76% of marketers are already using generative AI for tasks such as content creation and copywriting, with many others planning to adopt and integrate this technology into their daily workflows soon.

Accelerating Content Creation

In my experience, AI writing tools are invaluable time-savers. I often refer to ChatGPT to refine content, seeking suggestions for improvement. Additionally, AI content platforms can be customized to add personalization and reflect a school’s unique tone of voice. Tools like Grammarly and Jasper enhance efficiency by reducing the need to sift through countless Google search results. They help in crafting compelling newsletters, blogs, social media posts, and more, streamlining the content creation process and saving precious time.

High Impact Video Content & Imagery

I recently came across Biteable, a standout in video marketing that truly delivers. This tool allows you to create impactful and trackable video content even on a tight schedule. With built-in analytics, it offers the flexibility to update content on the fly. For art and image creation, Canva is equally impressive. With Canva Pro, integrating a school’s brand guidelines into the design tools is an absolute breeze. School-specific colors, fonts, brand voice, photos, graphics, logos, and templates are easily accessible, ensuring consistent branding across all creative projects. Magic Studio which brings together all of Canva’s AI capabilities in one place, makes it simpler than ever to create more polished content.

Personalization and Predictive Analysis

Generative AI is not just about automation—it's about personalization. AI tools can analyze vast amounts of data to tailor messages that speak directly to the interests and needs of different audiences. For example, AI can help segment prospective students and their families by demographics or interests, allowing schools to send personalized emails or social media messages that are more likely to resonate. Predictive analytics, another powerful AI application, can forecast enrollment trends and help schools refine their marketing efforts with unprecedented precision. Schools can reach out to high-potential families with tailored messages and improve their conversion rates. By analyzing which messages are most effective with different segments, schools can optimize their outreach strategies to attract and retain the right students.

Enhanced Customer Experience

One of AI's most significant contributions to education marketing is improving the overall customer experience. AI-driven solutions, such as chatbots and virtual assistants, provide instant support and guide prospective students and families through the application process. These tools offer 24/7 assistance, streamline communication channels, and resolve issues swiftly, which enhances customer loyalty and satisfaction.

By leveraging AI, school marketers can efficiently use their resources, enhance their reach, personalize their messaging, and stay ahead in an increasingly competitive landscape. There is a need to converse with AI and train it well to mirror your school brand’s voice. The future will likely bring even more sophisticated AI tools, and voice search will continue to transform the landscape and present new opportunities to strengthen visibility and trust.

While generative AI offers numerous advantages, the human element still remains integral to education marketing. The decision-making process for prospective students and their families is deeply personal and influenced by human interactions and perceptions of a school's culture and values. Therefore, AI should be viewed as a tool to enhance and support these interactions, not replace them.

Written by: Natasha Rekhi, Marketing & Communications Manager- Dunecrest American School. nrekhi@dunecrest.ae & LinkedIn