Why Public Relations is important for Educational sectors?

In India, schools, colleges and universities are mushrooming at a rapid pace. It has become imperative for educational institutes to differentiate their brands in the market, keep competition at bay and establish themselves as a thought leader in the sector. Public relation helps educational institutes to intensify their brand visibility, making it easier for the target audience to know more about the institute on the web without having to visit in person. PR also helps in creating and maintaining a good image in the market.

Public Relation not only helps in brand building but also enhances its visibility. One of the vital factor is that it enables to disseminate information about its admission sessions, fests or events, crisis situations, accomplishments and many other activities. Additionally, it enables international collaboration with international educational institutions which seems to be a growing trend in education.

Below are the few ways in which Public Relations enables reaching out to the institute’s key target audiences:

1.          For Students: Public Relations can attract prospective students and teaching faculties by promoting the institute’s unique attributes and building cognizance about its academic benefactions, activities and events. One such example where you will see the PR firms working overtime to attract students is the career fests. Several educational institutes have Educational Public Relation officers who assist students by informing them about various events that are organized on the campuses and also keep in touch with the alumni. Professional institutions like engineering, management and medical colleges aggressive push through innovative marketing activities in which a good PR exercise plays a vital part in attracting aspiring students towards the institute.

2.          For Placement: Public Relations can be influential in improving relations with the industries, recruiters and high-profile placement agencies. The process in which the educational institutes use or handles its Public Relations, can influence decision-makers in its approval when it comes to initiating campus placements and seek rewarding job opportunities for students. PR firms spread the positive image of the institute by stressing about its infrastructure, courses, fees structure, job potential, and so on.

3.          For Alumnus: What happens is that Alumni often lose contact with their alma mater after graduating. Public Relations help the institute to showcase their past out student’s achievements and their whereabouts. This plays a vital part in attracting aspiring students towards the institute.

If Public Relations is conducted systematically and consistently, not only will it reach its target audiences, but enhance perspective and opinion about the educational institute in the most useful manner. Public Relations leverages communication mediums such as Press Releases, public appearances, digital programs, television programs, event, newspapers, webinars etc. to connect to the audience. Over the last few years, digital PR strategy has gained huge momentum. Public Relations targets the audience by telling stories about the brands on online publications and other online platforms. Hence, it is very important that educational institutes find the right Public Relation team or consultancy to assist them in facilitating an effective strategy and promote the right content in the right channels at the right time for targeting the right audience.