CONTENT MARKETING IN ONLINE LEARNING PROGRAMS: A RESEARCH ON EU-FUNDED ‘E-PROFMAN’ PROJECT

Year 2022, Volume: 7 Issue: 1, 56 - 74, 27.05.2022

Oğuz Kuş Ayşegül Özbebek Tunç

https://doi.org/10.47107/inifedergi.977275

Abstract

Online learning composes an important potential for today's knowledge-based economy because it is independent from time & location, has a learner centered and cost effective approach and it connects different profiles of learners. Promotion of online learning programs via e-marketing strategies in order to attract participants is vital. At this point, content marketing offers new opportunities for improving the promotion process of online learning programs in an atmosphere where individuals spend important amounts of time on the internet as consumers of digital content. Content marketing aims to answer the questions of target audience clearly and establish empathy by providing individuals with useful, relevant and reachable content. Within this framework, the study aims to develop an understanding of usage of content marketing in promotion activities of online learning programs that have participants from multiple countries. In order to realize this purpose, visitor behaviors on e-Profman’s (an EU-funded international online learning program) website was analyzed by using Google Analytics data. Based on the results, it is possible to state that promoting an online education program by sharing content about it on other websites is the most efficient way to pull visitors to the program's application website. However, findings point out that the most engaging visitors are attracted through content shared on social networks. Data analysis revealed that content about lecturers of the program is the most consumed one by potential applicants. Within the scope of research, it is also observed that differences of country of origins play an important role when it comes to navigating the program's website and finalizing the application process.

Keywords

online learning, content marketing, digital communication

CONTENT MARKETING IN ONLINE LEARNING PROGRAMS: A RESEARCH ON EU-FUNDED ‘E-PROFMAN’ PROJECT

Abstract

Çevrimiçi öğrenme günümüz bilgi temelli ekonomisi için önemli bir potansiyel oluşturmaktadır. Çünkü zaman ve mekandan bağımsız, öğrenci temelli ve uygun maliyetli bir yaklaşıma sahiptir ve farklı profildeki öğrencileri bir araya getirebilmektedir. Katılımcıların ilgisini çekmek üzere çevrimiçi öğrenme programlarının elektronik pazarlama stratejileriyle tanıtılması hayati önem taşımaktadır. Bu noktada içerik pazarlama, bireylerin dijital içerik tüketicileri olarak internette önemli miktarda vakit geçirdiği bir atmosferde, çevrimiçi öğrenme programlarının promosyonunu geliştirmek üzere yeni fırsatlar sunmaktadır. İçerik pazarlama hedef kitlenin sorularını açık bir şekilde yanıtlamayı ve bireylere faydalı, ilgili ve erişilebilir. içerik sunarak empati yaratmayı hedeflemektedir. Bu çerçevede, çalışma farklı ülkelerden katılımcılar sahip olan çevrimiçi öğrenme programlarının tanıtım faaliyetlerinde içerik pazarlamanın kullanımı noktasında bir anlayış geliştirmeyi hedeflemektedir. Bu amacı gerçekleştirmek üzere AB tarafından fonlanmış uluslararası bir çevrimiçi öğrenme programı olan e-PROFMAN’ın web sitesindeki ziyaretçi davranışları Google Analytics verisi kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir. Sonuçlar, başka web sitelerinde çevrimiçi eğitim programı hakkında içerik paylaşmanın çevrimiçi öğrenme programının başvuru sayfasına ziyaretçi çekmenin en etkili yolu olduğuna işaret etmektedir. Fakat, etkileşimin en yüksek olduğu ziyaretçilerin sosyal ağlarda paylaşılan ziyaretçilerden geldiği gözlemlenmektedir. Veri analizi programda ders veren kişiler hakkındaki içeriklerin en fazla tüketilen içerik olduğuna işaret etmektedir. Araştırma kapsamında, websitesinde gezinmek ve başvuru sürecini tamamlamak noktasında ziyaretçilerin geldiği ülkelerdeki farklılığın önemli bir rol oynadığı gözlemlenmektedir.

Keywords

çevrimiçi öğrenme, içerik pazarlama, dijital iletişim

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