Marketing
Websites/Advertising
One of the main ways to get participants is the Google searches to individual site webpages. A key part of this approach is to include local key words/tags in the webpage. For example, the Berkeley site uses words like: TEFL, ESL, Certificate, Teaching English, Berkeley, San Francisco, Bay Area, etc. Basically, try to figure out what your potential participants will search for (client-centered thinking!). Then one has to think about how to drive traffic to the course website. One way is through advertising on Facebook and posting on sites like Learn4good. What are other places that list or advertise courses?
Informational Sessions
At the Berkeley center, we do a lot of in-person informational sessions in the months leading up to our course. We have taken a very 'soft sell' approach and just focus the session on teaching English. We do a quick intro and then a 10-minute foreign language lesson and debrief. This gives participants a feel for what a training course might be like. We then do a Q&A about jobs and FAQs about certificates and what to look for in them. (If you email me, I'm happy to share docs!) We like this approach for many reasons. 1. It's a kind of public service and people appreciate it. 2. People get a sense of what our course is like (showing rather than telling!) 3. We get a sense of what Ps might be like in session (I have rejected people because I can see they won't be a good fit!). Lastly, we have been able to advertise with the UC Berkeley career center because we do not actively promote the SIT Course. We have gotten many participants through this connection with the university. Highly recommended!
Flyers
The good folks at World Learning in D.C. put together some flyers that we can use for advertising. You can download them below. Contact the D.C. office if you'd like any of these posters customized to your site.
One of the main ways to get participants is the Google searches to individual site webpages. A key part of this approach is to include local key words/tags in the webpage. For example, the Berkeley site uses words like: TEFL, ESL, Certificate, Teaching English, Berkeley, San Francisco, Bay Area, etc. Basically, try to figure out what your potential participants will search for (client-centered thinking!). Then one has to think about how to drive traffic to the course website. One way is through advertising on Facebook and posting on sites like Learn4good. What are other places that list or advertise courses?
Informational Sessions
At the Berkeley center, we do a lot of in-person informational sessions in the months leading up to our course. We have taken a very 'soft sell' approach and just focus the session on teaching English. We do a quick intro and then a 10-minute foreign language lesson and debrief. This gives participants a feel for what a training course might be like. We then do a Q&A about jobs and FAQs about certificates and what to look for in them. (If you email me, I'm happy to share docs!) We like this approach for many reasons. 1. It's a kind of public service and people appreciate it. 2. People get a sense of what our course is like (showing rather than telling!) 3. We get a sense of what Ps might be like in session (I have rejected people because I can see they won't be a good fit!). Lastly, we have been able to advertise with the UC Berkeley career center because we do not actively promote the SIT Course. We have gotten many participants through this connection with the university. Highly recommended!
Flyers
The good folks at World Learning in D.C. put together some flyers that we can use for advertising. You can download them below. Contact the D.C. office if you'd like any of these posters customized to your site.
wl_tesol_flyer_blank_space_no_tabs.pdf |
wl_tesol_flyer_v2.pdf |
wl_tesol_flyer_with_schedule.pdf |
wl_tesol_flyer_with_tabs.pdf |