English UK Marketing Conference 2023

Friday 29 September 2023
etc.venues St Paul's, London, EC1A 4HD

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UK ELT – where we are now and where we are headed - Ivana Bartosik (Slobodnikova)

The outlook for UK ELT is positive, but the journey to full recovery continues. This session will examine the UK's position in the global ELT context and what to expect in 2024 regarding your marketing and recruitment.

We will look at destination recovery levels and the global ranking of top source markets to help you identify opportunities for the future.

Conversational marketing – how to do it, even if it's obvious - Richard Bradford, Disquiet Dog

We all know how to have a conversation with clients, don't we? Time to take a closer look at Conversational Marketing.  It's not new, but how you do it sustainably, at scale and internationally, just might be.

Digital conversations can be more of a challenge when we're faced with high volumes of multinational, multicultural users, many of whom want to chat, right now, with a real person, and be treated like a unique human being. They're also much more likely to like you and your brand if they've accessed it via a live conversation.

Keeping on brand with many cooks in the language centre kitchen - Ann Hawkings

Maintaining a cohesive brand identity when multiple teams produce materials and content is increasingly challenging.

During this session, we will examine the importance of consistency and explore practical strategies to keep teams on brand. We will look at brand guidelines and cover strategies to centralise, share, and file brand assets. Building a library of well-designed templates and training stakeholders to use them will support and elevate your brand identity, saving the team's time and marketing budget in the long run.

Convert the students of tomorrow with TikTok ads - Herbert Gerzer, Lurn Media

With its short-form videos, catchy music, and engaging content, TikTok is the go-to platform for Gen Z and Millennials. It is still highly underutilised by language schools, mainly due to uncertainties about its value when compared to more familiar social media platforms.

However, fewer competitors on the platform present a unique opportunity for your language school to capture your audience with your ads before others do.

In this session, you will learn a repeatable process to make high-performance video creatives (even with small budgets and inexpensive technology) that drive more clicks, engagement and conversions for your courses and programmes.

Turn parents into ambassadors through digital marketing tactics - Gina Rodriguez, GR School Marketing

Happy parents play a crucial role in the marketing success of language centres. Gina will present ideas to engage and support parents through digital channels, to improve customer experience and generate positive word of mouth.

Gina will share cost-effective digital marketing practices that language centres can easily integrate into their marketing plan. These practices will help to improve reputation and brand awareness among parents and drive bookings. Platforms can include WhatsApp, social media and other digital marketing tools.

Robot overlords or helpful friends: How might Artificial Intelligence tools help (or hurt) your marketing in 2024? - George Chilton, Hubbub Labs

We are looking at a more positive time for the ELT industry in the UK, but the landscape looks different. That means our strategy has to adapt and evolve too.

In this talk we will look at some exciting technological developments, examine the data, and ask the very real question: Are AI tools going to make things better or worse for marketing departments?

Self-service culture: tools and resources to empower your sales teams and agents - Faeza Afzal, The London School of English

Language centres continue to face ongoing capacity challenges with staff shortages. Alongside the emerging possibilities of AI, harnessing resources to their full potential is a must.

Join this session to discover how to build a culture of 'self-service' where admin staff, trainers, and agents can be empowered and engaged. Hear insights on how staff and partners can be better equipped to support students with tools and strategies around information sharing, proactive planning, and clear processes.

Learn about how providing resources and leveraging technology can allow everyone to be a part of a collaborative environment to support students. 

Unleashing the power of digital marketing: tracking touchpoints, SEO and social search - Philippe Taza, Higher Education Marketing

Language schools face unique challenges in the digital landscape, and it's crucial to embrace the latest digital marketing strategies to stay ahead. Join us for an immersive presentation where we will explore the world of digital marketing through the specific lens of language schools. Gain valuable insights on setting and tracking multiple touchpoints to capture and nurture bookings effectively.

This presentation is a must-attend for language school professionals seeking to elevate their marketing game and achieve remarkable - cost-effective - results. We will discuss:

• Tracking multiple touchpoints
• SEO: New options for greater visibility and engagement
• Social Search: Using social media as a search engine

How much will AI disrupt how customers find you (and will you still need a website)? with Jimmy Leach, Disquiet Dog

You'll have doubtless had a dabble with Bing, ChatGPT or Google's Bard by now and you'll have noticed big changes in how search results are being served up.

Everything you're experiencing as a private user or language school marketer is playing out with your target markets worldwide.

Whether you continue to get your bookings from the agent channel, or you rely heavily on direct bookings via the internet, it's time to rethink how you appear online, what search engines are, and what new realities we're hurtling towards.

Buckle up, it's going to be a bumpy ride (and yes, you're still going to need a website).

Creating I.M.P.A.C.T. with Nigel Risner

How often do you communicate with people (at home or at work) and feel frustrated when nothing you asked for or wanted happens? Whether at work or at home you can learn how to get the life you have always dreamed of. The I.M.P.A.C.T. model is so easy to understand that it beggars belief. The tricky bit isn't understanding it, it's committing to change how you think and behave to get the things you wanted...

The I.M.P.A.C.T. model is based on six principals that will allow you to create an experience that is so memorable your students will want to come back for years to come.

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