4 Pillars of Content Needed by All Educational Organizations

Content is such a buzzword in the marketing world however we see all educational organizations struggling with creating “content” that converts because there’s a million directions this can go. Well, rest assured we broke it down into 4 pillars so you no longer have to feel like a chicken with your head cut off when creating content. This is backed by research via thousands of search queries in SEO and first-hand experience running ads for multiple years across multiple different industries.

Remember people are coming to your program to seek a drastic change in their life. Depending on the intensity and price of the program it will be a big decision for people. You have to give them the assurance through data that you can help them achieve the desired outcome and ultimately improve their life towards a “happier” life.  

Keep in mind these are 4 buckets of overall content but within each pillar there will be multiple videos. Some of you will have pieces of this content scattered throughout your digital footprint so this outline will help you organize your content and see the gaps to see what additional content is needed to be produced. 

Content Pillar 1 – “What is it?”

First and foremost you need to educate your prospects on what exactly is the material you are teaching and the industry. 

1. What will they learn by taking the course?
2. Who is teaching the course and why should I learn from them?
3. How does your program differ from competing programs?
4. Background of the organization and who is leadership?

For 1 and 2, ideally the instructors can talk about their background and the course itself. For 3 and 4, the president or leadership can talk about this.

Content Pillar 2 – “Is it hard?”

The next question is giving assurance that the prospect from an xyz background or situation can successfully learn the material to successfully transition to the ultimate outcome desired at the end of the course. 

1. Me as a [xxx background/situation ie. retired police officer, veteran, working a day job, mother, undergraduate, no-tech experience, etc] is it possible to successfully learn this material?
2. What’s the schedule and time commitment?

The best way is to have current students and alumni talk about their experience taking your program. Hunting down alumni to speak in front of the camera could be hard so in the worst case the leadership of the organization can talk to these points. 

Content Pillar 3- “Is it worth it?”

Now the prospect understands what they’ll learn and has confidence in successfully learning the material you do have to give assurance that your organization can help successfully help them achieve the outcome after the program. Although you don’t necessarily have to give a guarantee, you do have to show them that your organization has successfully and consistently been helping and changing people’s lives. 

1. If I follow all your instructions fully, can your organization help me make a career change and get a full-time job as a graphic designer, developer, data scientist, high ticket sales closer, acupuncturist, massage therapist, etc.
2. Or alternatively, can your organization help me beef up my skills to help me make more money in my current career? 
3. How do I know you’re not BS’ing me and just taking my money?

For this pillar having distinguished alumni who are successfully living the outcome talk about their experience with your program would be best. Try to film successful alumni from different backgrounds so you can speak to multiple audiences. 

Content Pillar 4 – “How much does it cost?”

This is a very important but straightforward question that can be answered by someone on the admissions, sales, or leadership team. 

1. What’s the total cost?
2. Is there financial aid available, what’s the process, am I eligible.
3. Are there grants I can get access to?
4. What’s the payment schedule? Do I pay all upfront, per semester, annually, etc

Feel free to reach out to zoey@atomicenrollment.com if you’d like to see specific examples and a custom content plan for your organization.