on in Digital marketing
When the school day ends, teachers aren’t rushing to check their inboxes. They’re more likely to be decompressing, scrolling social media for something funny, a classroom hack or a wellbeing tip. And very often they are heading to TikTok for their post-work relaxation fix.
So, if you want to reach teachers, it’s vital you include TikTok in your marketing mix.
But how do you know what works, what flops and what sparks real engagement.
Getting it right in the education sector takes more than offering discounts, it’s about smart planning, the right partnerships and clear briefs.
It also means not falling foul of some common misconceptions. Here are a few we see time and again:
1. “If I’m selling a music resource, I need a music influencer”
That’s not always the case. One of our most successful music campaigns (see below for more details) was fronted by more general teacher influencers. The reason why, is because teachers follow who they relate to, not just subject specialists. For example, Mr H isn’t a music teacher but his day in the life humorous content makes him relatable and a trusted source. When he shared a music lesson from our client, which involved him learning to sing, engagement spiked.
Tip: Trust and relatability are key
2. “Competitions are the best way to drive engagement”
We’ve tested this. Teachers are busy. They don’t want to tag five colleagues or jump through hoops for a giveaway. What they do want is something useful, a free lesson plan, a classroom tip or resource they can use in their classroom tomorrow.
Tip: A post with a useful downloadable resource often outperforms a competition
3. “A big audience means better results”
We’ve worked with influencers who have 10k followers that have outperformed those with 100k. Why? Because their audience is loyal, engaged and full of teachers who save, comment and share.
Tip: A smaller niche influencer who is trusted by their community can drive more sign ups than an influencer with a huge following
Once you set aside these assumptions, the next step is to design your influencer campaign around what you want to achieve.
It’s important to know what success looks like as this will shape everything you do from who you work with, to what content they create.
For example:
If your goal is awareness:
If your goal is sign ups or trials
If your goal is to change behaviour
Here’s a few more tips to make sure your influencer campaign is a success:
When the Ear Academy approached us to help launch their new music platform for primary schools, they had just four weeks to attract the attention of primary schools.
As we had to interest teachers fast, we created Musical Mondays, a three week mini series of free Key Stage 2 music lesson plans. As part of the campaign, we worked with trusted influencers including, Mr P ICT, Mr H and Miss Taylor, who shared the lessons and engaging content on TikTok and Instagram. We also used Meta ads and email marketing to support the activity.
The results
This example shows how teacher-focused content, delivered in the right way, can drive quick results even with limited time and budget. But how do you decide what is a successful campaign?
Influencer campaigns in education aren’t about the latest trends or chasing big numbers. They’re about really understanding teachers, what they need, how they behave online and who they listen to.
If you would like to see which teacher influencers could help your brand connect in the right way then download our guide to Top UK Teacher Influencers on TikTok or email us at hello@theinfluencecrowd.co.uk
Teachers aren’t just in the classroom anymore, they’re on TikTok, sharing their highs and lows of classroom life, swapping tips and entertaining their peers.
If you want to connect with UK educators through effective collaborations with influencers, then our free ‘Top UK Teacher Influencers on TikTok’ guide is perfect for you.
