Educational Marketing Strategy Through Online Platform

Abstract

Online platform is becoming important tool for today's marketing mix. This mechanism helps marketers reach more target market while enhancing profit. For higher education, online marketing has been recently applied with office marketing tools in order to attract young students who like to search on online platform. The objective of this paper are to analyze marketing environment of higher education in Thailand as well as to exploit strategy that best appropriated with improving marketing strategy via online platform in International College, Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University context. This research uses a qualitative research method with semi-structure interview question as an instrument. The sample in this study consists of 10 academic and supporting staffs currently working in International College and 5 students. They were obtained by using probability sampling method - samples were selected using population list then using simple random sampling. Data was analyzed using content analysis method. The results illustrated that administrative environment could help the college to operate marketing via online platform more efficient. Meanwhile external environment could facilitate the institute to effectively reach target market. To improve strategic environment, TOWS matrix model had been introduced. The college could maximize strengths in terms of creating reliable and attractive online marketing channels. They could also offset weaknesses by using opportunities to provide faster information with high level of accuracy. Moreover, threats could be avoid by providing up-to-date content in order to accomplish customer preferences. Finally, the interviews showed that students were likely to use social media to obtain information. Nevertheless, the usage of other online marketing channels, such as the college's website was quite low. Therefore, International College should promote the website through social media and provide clearer and deeper information in all channels.