The Ultimate Guide to Student and Education Marketing: Timing is Everything

Understanding the Education Sector Calendar

Education operates on a well-defined annual cycle, making timing one of the most critical aspects of marketing. Here’s a breakdown of key periods:

Enrolment Drives (January - March & October - December)

Why it's important:

• This is when the majority of prospective students explore their education options, making it a prime time for recruitment. That is true for people moving schools as well as those looking to go into further education.
• The best graduates, including teachers are also finalising their studies and many of the top candidates are starting to look for jobs.
• Key marketing tactics include creating targeted job ads and using industry-specific platforms, and professional networks like LinkedIn to attract talent.

What to market:

• Enrolment Campaigns: These include a range of events and options, from open days and campus tours, to driving online applications. Run integrated campaigns that combine digital ads, email outreach, and campus events to engage prospective students.
• Brand Identity: Make sure you stand out from the crowd. Highlight unique aspects of your institution, such as facilities, faculty, and extracurricular offerings. Increasingly, students (and their parents) are looking to understand what kind of careers their courses will help them to access.
• Recruitment: If you're looking to hire graduates, you will need to align with hiring cycles, often in early spring and late summer. The best staff are highly motivated with getting a job. Especially the highest achieving and most sought-after students coming straight out of university. Get your employment marketing done early so you don’t miss out on the best prospects.

For more insight into how to reach student audiences, check out how we supported enrolment in the pandemic at University College Birmingham.

Exam Preparation Period (March - June)

Why it's important:

• Students are focused on academic success, creating opportunities for utilities and support services.

What to market:

• Training Programs: Tutoring, online courses, and exam preparation workshops.
• Student Utilities: Affordable tech gadgets, software subscriptions, and study aids.
• Brand Identity: Position your institution as a source of academic excellence through thought leadership content.

Back-to-School Season (July - September)

Why it's important:

• Students, parents, and institutions are focused on preparing for the new academic year, creating high demand for supplies, services, and enrolment opportunities. Leverage student discounts, bundle deals, and influencer partnerships to capture attention.

What to market:

• Student Utilities: Laptops, stationery, living essentials, heating, electricity and TV licenses.
• Public Transport: Discounted student passes and travel services.
• Enrolment Campaigns: Late admissions, scholarships, and course promotions.

Key Tip: Use digital channels like social media and email to target students and parents with timely, value-driven offers.

Check out our work persuading students to use public transport or see how we helped students find the best way to manage their bills.

New term new me (September – December)

Why it's important:

• Teachers are back and ready to do some learning themselves. A new term is also a great time for a new identity or a fresh look and feel.

What to market:

• Training Programs: The start of the school year specifically but also each new term are ideal times to market to teachers wanting to develop through training. Offer flexible scheduling, online options, and testimonials to appeal to diverse learners.
• Brand Identity: Utilise storytelling, consistent branding, and engaging content to create a lasting impression.

Check out our marketing strategy for Green Heart Learning.