How can the online learning industry benefit from digital marketing? Elie Sarkis, Digital Marketing Trainer and Consultant at GBSB Global Business School, tells Stephanie Mullins more. Here’s what he had to say: 

Digital marketing has the potential to revolutionise the online learning industry. With the increasing popularity of e-learning platforms, digital marketing has become a crucial tool for reaching new students, engaging existing ones, and promoting online courses. In this article, we’ll explore how digital marketing can impact online learning and how it can be used to drive growth and engagement.

1. Reaching new students: Digital marketing allows online learning platforms to reach a large audience in a cost-effective way. It provides an opportunity to reach new students who may not have heard of the platform before. Digital marketing can be used to target specific audiences through various channels, including social media, email marketing, and search engine optimisation. By reaching new students, online learning platforms can increase their student base, which in turn drives revenue growth.
2. Increasing brand awareness: Digital marketing can help online learning platforms to increase their brand awareness, making them more recognisable to potential students. Through digital channels, platforms can build a strong brand identity that resonates with their target audience. This can include the use of logo design, brand colours, messaging, and visuals that reflect the platform’s brand values. By creating a strong brand identity, online learning platforms can increase their credibility and attract new students.
3. Driving engagement: Digital marketing can help online learning platforms to drive engagement among their students. By using various digital channels, platforms can reach their students where they are spending most of their time online, such as social media or email. This can help platforms to promote new courses, share student success stories, and create a sense of community among students. Additionally, digital marketing can be used to create targeted campaigns that help students to learn more about specific courses, or to receive personalised recommendations based on their learning style and preferences.
4. Improving student retention: Digital marketing can help online learning platforms to improve student retention. By using targeted campaigns and engaging students through various digital channels, platforms can encourage students to continue learning and stay engaged with the platform. This can be done by using tactics such as personalised emails, social media posts, and regular updates about the platform’s courses and initiatives. By improving student retention, online learning platforms can increase their revenue, as well as the satisfaction of their students.
5. Generating leads: Digital marketing can help online learning platforms to generate leads. By using tactics such as search engine optimisation, social media advertising, and email marketing, platforms can attract potential students who are interested in learning a specific skill or taking a course. This can help platforms to grow their student base and increase revenue, as well as build a database of leads that can be nurtured into paying customers in the future.
6. Enhancing the student experience: Digital marketing can help online learning platforms to enhance the student experience. By using digital channels to engage students, platforms can create a sense of community and provide students with access to personalised learning experiences. For example, online learning platforms can use digital marketing to provide students with customised recommendations based on their learning style and preferences or to offer them interactive learning tools that help them to learn at their own pace. By enhancing the student experience, online learning platforms can increase student satisfaction and drive growth.

In conclusion, digital marketing is an essential tool for online learning platforms looking to drive growth and engagement. By reaching new students, increasing brand awareness, driving engagement, improving student retention, generating leads, and enhancing the student experience, digital marketing can help online learning platforms to succeed in a competitive market. By leveraging the power of digital marketing, online learning platforms can reach their full potential and provide students with a high-quality, personalised learning experience.