Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) are providers of nationally recognised training and qualifications in Australia. They play a vital role in developing the skills and knowledge of the Australian workforce and contributing to the economic and social development of the country
However, RTOs also face many challenges in the competitive and dynamic education sector.
Key Topics:
- Marketing and advertising standards for RTOs
- Effective growth plans for RTOs
Marketing and advertising standards for RTOs
As an RTO, you have a responsibility to ensure that your marketing and advertising practices are ethical, accurate and consistent with the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015.
The purpose of these standards is to protect the interests of students, employers and the public by ensuring that RTOs provide quality training and assessment services.
Clause 4.1 of the Standards for RTOs 2015 states that: The RTO ensures that its marketing and advertising of AQF certification documentation is ethical, accurate and consistent with its scope of registration.
This means that you must:
- Clearly identify yourself as an RTO and provide your registration code.
- Only advertise courses that are within your scope of registration.
- Only use the Nationally Recognised Training (NRT) logo in accordance with the NRT Logo Specifications.
- Only use the AQF logo in accordance with the AQF Logo Policy.
- Only issue AQF certification documentation to students who have completed the requirements of the course
- Do not make false or misleading claims about your courses, outcomes, fees, facilities or services.
- Not guarantee employment or migration outcomes to students.
- This does not imply that your courses are endorsed by any government or industry body unless you have written permission to do so
- Do not use any testimonials or reviews that are not genuine or verifiable
Examples:
- Providing accurate information about your courses, such as duration, mode of delivery, entry requirements, assessment methods, fees and refunds
- Highlighting the benefits and outcomes of your courses, such as skills development, career opportunities, recognition of prior learning or credit transfer
- Providing contact details and links to your website where students can find more information or enrol
- Use social media platforms to engage with your potential and existing students, share relevant content and showcase your success stories
.
If you fail to comply with the marketing and advertising standards for RTOs,
you may face serious consequences, such as:
- Complaints from students, employers or regulators
- Audits or investigations by the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) or other authorities
- Penalties or sanctions, such as fines, suspension or cancellation of your registration
- Loss of reputation or credibility in the market
To avoid these consequences, you should:
- Review your marketing and advertising materials regularly and ensure that they comply with the standards
- Seek advice from experts or consultants if you are unsure about any aspect of your marketing and advertising practices
- Monitor your online presence and reputation and respond to any feedback or complaints promptly and professionally
Effective growth plans for RTOs
Marketing is not only about promoting your courses and attracting students. It is also about growing your business and achieving your objectives. To do this, you need a growth plan that outlines how you will use marketing techniques to increase your enrolments, retention, revenue and reputation.
A growth plan is a strategic document that defines your vision, mission, goals, strategies, tactics and metrics for your RTO.
It helps you to:
- It is beneficial to evaluate your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) as well as analyse your competitors.
- Create your marketing mix, which consists of the four Ps: product, price, place and promotion.
- Implement your marketing campaigns and activities.
- Measure your performance and evaluate your results.
A growth plan is not a one-off exercise. It is a dynamic and flexible document that should be analysed and updated regularly to reflect the changes in the market and your business.
One of the key elements of a growth plan is growth marketing. Growth marketing is a data-driven approach that focuses on the whole customer journey, from awareness to advocacy. It uses various techniques and tools to optimise each stage of the funnel and maximise the value of each customer.
Growth marketing technique
Lead to revenue management:
This is a process of managing and nurturing your leads from the first contact to the final sale. It involves using tools such as landing pages, forms, email marketing, CRM software, lead scoring, and segmentation to capture, qualify, engage and convert your leads into customers.
Digital advertising:
This is a form of digital advertising that uses platforms such as Google Ads, Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads or LinkedIn Ads to reach your target audience depending on their demographics, interests, behaviours or keywords. It allows you to create customised ads that can drive traffic, leads or sales to your website or landing page.
Marketing automation:
This is software that automates repetitive tasks such as email marketing, social media posting, lead generation or lead nurturing. It helps you to save time, increase efficiency and personalise your communication with your prospects and customers.
LMS development:
This is software that manages and delivers your online courses to your students. It helps you to create engaging & interactive learning experiences that can improve your students’ satisfaction, retention and outcomes.
Videography:
This is a form of visual content that uses video to showcase your courses, facilities, testimonials or success stories. It helps you to capture attention, convey emotion and build trust with your audience.
Strategy:
This is a plan that guides your marketing decisions and actions. It helps you to align your marketing goals with your business goals, define your target market and value proposition, choose your marketing channels and tactics, allocate your budget and resources, and monitor and evaluate your results.
The benefits of growth marketing for RTOs are:
- Increased enrolments: By using growth marketing techniques, you can reach more potential students, generate more leads, convert more prospects into customers, and increase your market share.
- Increased retention: By using growth marketing techniques, you can improve your customer service, provide more value to your students, increase their loyalty and satisfaction, and reduce churn.
- Increased revenue: By using growth marketing techniques, you can increase your sales volume, average order value and lifetime value of each customer and maximise your return on investment.
- Increased reputation: By using growth marketing techniques, you can enhance your brand awareness, credibility and authority in the market, attract more referrals and reviews, and build a loyal community of advocates.
Conclusion
Marketing your RTO in Australia is not an easy task. You need to comply with the standards and regulations, grow your business, achieve your objectives, and be creative and innovative in your marketing practices.
However, by following the tips and examples we have provided in this article, you can market your RTO effectively and successfully.
- Ensure that your marketing and advertising practices are ethical, accurate and consistent with the Standards for RTOs 2015
- Develop a growth plan that outlines how you will use growth marketing techniques to increase your enrolments, retention, revenue and reputation.
If you need more help or guidance on how to market your RTO in Australia, please get in touch with us today.
We are experts in RTO marketing, and we can create a marketing strategy that suits your needs and goals. We can also help you implement your marketing campaigns and activities using our tools and resources.
Don’t wait any longer. Start marketing your RTO today!
