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Check out our views on various topics related to virtual tours & VR!

ABCD for School Marketing

Published at In Category General
School Marketing

We are living in the age of Internet, Social Media, Smart Devices etc. An age of browsing, reviewing, comparing where Parents seek for as much as information available and make an informed decision. With many options available in the form of International Schools & Corporate Schools promising a bouquet of offerings, it has become difficult for Parents to choose the best School for their children.

Parents today lead a very hectic life. They do not have much time to visit and explore a number of schools and then choose the best among them. In this age of cut throat competition, it has become very important for the Schools to reach out to their potential customers i.e., Parents and make a long lasting impact on their minds.

So how does a School market themselves in such a scenario?

A – Aspire – Introductory video of school
The first step in reaching out to Parents and creating an impact on their mind is to provide a sneak peak to the Top class infrastructure, modern facilities, lush green environment for an all round development. A great video always has an impact on the viewers’ mind and parents are aspired to know more about the school.

B – Believe – Virtual Walkthrough
People believe what they see. A virtual walkthrough of the activities viz. latest technologies for classroom study, knowledge gained in libraries, experiments in labs, entertainment with music and dance, joy with sports, creativity with art, spending time with nature, thrill with horse riding and many such offerings instills a belief in parents. It opens up the School to be experienced by the global audience with the children being the brand ambassadors.

C – Connect – Video Testimonials
Word of mouth marketing always works. A prospective parent connects emotionally with the experience of an existing parent. There are times when some minute but important offerings are not projected by the School but are conveyed effectively by the parents.

D – Decide – Make a decision
At this stage, Schools have successfully created an impact on Parents’ mind and they are in a better position to make an informed decision.

It’s a simple rule. D comes only after A, B & C. One has to be on their Customer’s mind always, whether you are a newbie or an established brand. With more corporates entering into the education sector, there is no concept of one time marketing or marketing during admissions season. Schools have to reach out to their prospective customers all round the year.

With A, B, C & D in place, you get E – Enrollments.

Get in touch with us at [email protected] to know how we can help you achieve E by reaching D with A, B & C.

Panorama of the month – February 2015 – Well of death at Numaish, Hyderabad Virtual Tour

Published at In Category Panoramas, Virtual Tours

The Well of Death or मौत का कुआँ is a 30 feet motordrome where death and gravity defying stunts are performed by bikes & cars. It’s a breathtaking show which lasts for about 15 minutes and is a must watch by every visitor to Numaish. These daredevils undergo rigorous training to pull of these stunts. You can read more here – http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-telangana/spinning-a-web-of-thrills/article6769986.ece

Numaish is an annual exhibition held in Exhibition Grounds, Nampally, Hyderabad. It has a long history since 1938 when it was first held by some students of Osmania University to showcase local products during the rule of Mir Osman Ali Khan, the last Nizam of Hyderabad. It has artisans from across the country putting up hundreds of stalls to sell their wares. Thousands of people visit this exhibition every year over more than a month’s duration.

Why 360° Virtual Campus tours are a must have for Schools & Colleges?

Published at In Category Business, Development, Panoramas, Virtual Tours

It is admissions season again for schools and the competition is cut throat to say the least. An interesting and shocking article we recently came across points that in Hyderabad city, the number of school seats is a staggering 16 lakh but there are only 9 lakh school going children. That’s a whopping 43% excess!  No wonder schools are starting their marketing campaigns right from November-December though the academic year actually starts in April.

Why am I saying all this? One, schools are no longer in a comfort zone. Even leading chain of schools are finding it difficult to fill their full capacity. Two, schools no longer have USPs which they had few years back. USPs like digital classrooms, balanced learning, security, etc. There are thousands of companies who are selling these services in bits and pieces. So most of these fancy services are now outsourced and have become more of necessities. Three, marketing today is no more a 2 or 3 months process but spread all along the year. Schools have to sweat more to reach out to their prospective parents and win their trust.

There are some positives in the way parents are looking out for schools. Distance between the school and residence is no longer a top priority. Parents are willing to send their kids to farther schools if they meet their criteria. Parents are researching thoroughly online, referring to forums, checking out the school websites, taking peer reviews, referring to ratings, etc.

Strengthening online presence and judiciously investing on online assets can go a long way in brand building and will have a lasting benefit for the school. School virtual tours are one such asset which can help schools and campuses build their online reputation.

Here are some of the main reasons why we feel Virtual Campus tours are a must have for every school or college.

  1. Campuses are mostly away from the city and parents may not be able to visit all campuses when they are evaluating schools. Having a Virtual Campus Tour on the website would help convince them to take a closer look by visiting the campus.
  2. There are cases where only one of the parent visits the campus and takes the decision. Having a Virtual Campus Tour allows both parents to explore the campus from home or office.
  3. Even when the parent visits the campus, the admission counselor or marketing incharge has a very small time window where he/she has to educate the parent about many things like teaching methodology of the school, its achievements, fees structure, safety & security, etc.
  4. Also at times there maybe no dedicated marketing resource when the principal/admin/etc has to take up this additional responsibility. The Virtual Campus Tour can be given to the parent on a CD as a takeaway along with other marketing collateral so that a parent can take a better look at their convenience.
  5. Even if your campus already has photographs and videos, a Virtual Campus Tour serves a different purpose and does it very effectively. It allows the parents to experience & visualize the best aspects of your campus in a breeze. It is like a curated showcase which delivers maximum information at a quick glance.
  6. If you are reaching out to parents outside your parent state or overseas, a Virtual Campus Tour is a must have.

Where all can the Virtual Campus Tours be deployed? – On your school website, on Social media pages, offline at your reception desk, can be distributed offline on a CD/DVD, can be used on Tablets/Smartphones, use offline along with presentations at Educational fairs.

Let us know what you think? If you are interested in a virtual tour for your campus, feel free to Contact us here.

Panorama of the month – January 2015 – Hyderabad city virtual tour

Published at In Category Development, Panoramas, Virtual Tours Leave a comment

Walk the streets of hyderabad with one of our all time favourite panoramas in the Hyderabad city virtual tour series. This one has garnered more than 1 lac views on Google Maps and more on 360Cities where it was chosen as an Editor’s pick.

A 360° panorama is best suited in a situation where there is action all around. Unlike traditional photos where the focus is on a smaller subject. This panorama we shot at the towering Charminar is a location which is buzzing with crowds throughout the year as evident in the panorama. Being a must visit tourist location in Hyderabad, this also seems to be a highly searched spot online!

Hope you liked it! We will keep coming up with more beautiful panoramas other than our commercial shoots. Share your views or suggest where you wish to see the next panorama! Cya next month.