When I was a little Gen Zer, I felt motivated to learn with startup platforms that were changing the face of education in the early 2000s.
I'm not a senior-level edtech marketer yet. But when it comes to using products, I'm your expert.
After over a decade of seeing what games, personalized learning experiences, and repetition have to offer, I can confidently speak to the technical and emotional experiences that come with using a product. I've felt frustrated and exhausted, excited and relieved, and a combination of all of these feelings.
So why work in the edtech industry?
Edtech startups helped me and now I want to give back
How many of the companies in the logo cloud below do you recognize?
Below are some of the many platforms that have made a difference in my education. I'm sure there are others I've left off the list.
My personal success using a variety of edtech products makes me an optimist about what they can do for other students. Lucky for me, data can turn my optimism into reality. Edtech has its benefits and when used correctly, can engage students and help them achieve.
But these products can't help anyone if buyers and users don't know they exist.
When I was a student, I didn't have to look for digital solutions to help me with homework or keep track of my grades. My teachers and admin were always on it. This isn't the case for all students.
Marketing gives me the exciting and serious duty of inspiring and comforting buyers, by sharing the capabilities of the products I represent. Channels like email, social media, and paid ads let teachers, admin, parents, and in some cases, students themselves, know what's available to them. I'll take more of that, please!
Following education venture capital taught me that strong marketers are valuable
So many of us enter the edtech industry because we're driven to improve student experiences. Education venture capital investments offer competitive, rewarding outlets to make this wish a reality.
I'll let NBC's hit show Shark Tank explain more about the power of marketing. When budding entrepreneurs enter the tank, they're ultimately hoping to walk away with an investment. However, pitching on a show that's averaging 3.73 million in ratings this season is a great marketing ploy in and of itself.
I've seen educational investments in the coding platform Hopscotch and early childcare management software Brightwheel.
These founders secured their deals by effectively marketing their vision and making the sharks want to join them on their journey.
A great marketer knows how to pitch to inspire, a skill I want to strengthen along my marketing journey.
I want to join the Pre-K to gray movement
K-12 education is the foundation of our lives. It's safe to say isn't going anywhere.
However, offering learning experiences for older groups of students is trending. It's becoming more and more clear that adults want to continue developing their personal and professional lives after graduating from traditional schooling.
It's even clearer that edtech has the platforms to help.
It's never too late to learn something new. As a marketer, I want to spread the word that quality programs offering personalized, targeted content, exist. Whether someone's:
a new prospect learning about the products for the first time.
a lead who needs to be targeted with just the right marketing message to buy in.
a customer deciding whether or not to renew their purchase.
there are opportunities to connect people's realities with the hope, inspiration, and results edtech products can bring to their lives.
I'm ready to connect the excitement I've felt using edtech for over a decade, to create messages that share the inspiring capabilities of products.
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