Marketing Strategies for an Online BBA Program

Introduction to the Online BBA Program

The Online BBA Program examined in this paper seeks to equip students with the knowledge and skill set they need to succeed in business-related careers — particularly those at the entry level. Courses offered to prepare students for leadership positions in the business arena include, but are not limited to, organizational development, strategic management, and management of organizational change. The university makes use of various approaches to market this program. This paper highlights the pros and cons of the existing marketing program and proposes a set of alternative strategies.

Current Marketing Approaches and Their Limitations

One of the ways the university markets its online BBA program is through the use of testimonials. These testimonials are solicited and posted on the university's website. At the time of writing, the individual featured on the university's website for testimonial purposes was a former student named Jeff Philips. In his own words, he noted: "I found that everyone was willing to go the extra mile in helping me … I was really looking for that in an institution" (University, 2016). Such a testimonial is highly relevant, as most individuals visiting the site in search of information about the program would want to hear about the experiences of someone who has already completed it. This approach to marketing, therefore, builds the confidence of prospective students and helps accelerate their decision-making process regarding enrollment.

However, it is important to note that, as Taylor (2013) points out, "reviews can make or break your business." Unsolicited and uncontrolled reviews may pose risks as a marketing approach. The university does not currently face a significant challenge on this front, as all posted content is filtered before publication.

The university also markets the online BBA program, along with its other courses, via social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. On its Facebook page, the university provides general details about all programs on offer and gives social media users a quick link to its website for more information. Unlike many other forms of marketing, Facebook marketing allows institutions to hone in on engaged audiences with considerable precision. The university could, for instance, use CRM data to reach individuals who are similar in profile to existing students — a so-called "look-alike audience" that might include friends, associates, and siblings of currently enrolled students. The importance of audience targeting in this context cannot be overstated, as this is precisely the audience most likely to enroll in a program at the university.

This approach to marketing the online BBA program does carry a potential downside, however. The same target audience may also be exposed to negative comments posted on the university's social media pages — whether legitimate or not. This could project an inaccurate image of the institution, potentially discouraging prospective students from enrolling.

Alternative Marketing Strategies for the BBA Program

It is clear from the discussion above that there is a need for a more robust marketing strategy — particularly as the university seeks to grow its online BBA program. It is worth noting that the number of people using the internet has increased exponentially over the last two decades. Two years prior to the writing of this paper, it was estimated that "over two billion people have access to the internet" (Taylor, 2013). This represents a massive global audience that cannot be ignored, and the relevance of internet marketing cannot therefore be overstated.

Conclusion

In seeking to market its BBA program, the key goal of the university should be to reach as many people as possible. Were we in the 1970s, the most effective way to do this would have been via TV commercials and newspaper advertisements. In the present day, reaching a target audience has become far easier and considerably cheaper. It should be noted that while web-based or online programs expand the pool of potential applicants significantly, the number of institutions offering such programs grows in parallel — creating intense competition for the same prospective students. This makes the importance of a smart, multifaceted marketing strategy all the more critical. The approaches to marketing outlined in this paper are likely to help the university outpace the competition as it continues to grow its online BBA program.

References

Bailey, M. (2011). Internet Marketing: An Hour a Day. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Erbe, J. (2000). Online Marketing: Persuasive Strategies in Commercial Emails. Hamburg: Hermannstal.

Howie, I. (2014). PPC Basics. New York, NY: Wordtracker.

University. (2016). Business Administration Bachelor of Business Administration BBA. Retrieved from https://www.southuniversity.edu/online/areas-of-study/business-administration-and-accounting/business-administration-bachelor-of-business-administration-bba

Taylor, G. (2013). Budget Marketing: How to Start and Market an Online Business with Little or Zero Marketing Budget. New York, NY: Global and Amp.