In the dynamic landscape of K-12 education, district and school leaders grapple with pressing issues. Here are 5 paramount topics captivating their attention, accompanied by examples of campaigns that successfully harness this interest. Align your marketing content with these topics to generate highly qualified leads and elevate your brand’s visibility.
1. Reading and Literacy
K-12 leaders and educators are passionate about reading! In September, ‘I Literally Cried': Teachers Describe Their Transition to Science-Based Reading Instruction went viral, quickly becoming one of the most-read articles among district leaders, principals, and teachers. In addition, a video about how a superintendent overhauled literacy instruction in his district has garnered nearly 3,000 page views since it went live in late September.
What’s Working:
Spotlights are a gated collection of EdWeek articles surrounded by the sponsor’s content that delivers high-quality leads each time it’s downloaded. Reading Horizons’ Spotlight on the Science of Reading produced over 2,200 leads, outshining other Spotlights in 2023.
2. Student Engagement & Motivation
According to an EdWeek Research Center survey, 70% of teachers said that their students misbehave more now than they did in 2019. Reengaging and motivating students who are checking out of school—both mentally and physically—is a top priority for K-12 leaders and educators. An October op-ed summarizing research on school discipline was the 5th most-read article among both district leaders and principals, with over 2,500 page views exclusively from K-12 leaders.
What’s Working:
Istation tapped into this issue by sponsoring a K-12 Essentials Forum on Student Motivation that drew 1,100+ registrants, more than a third of which were district and school leaders. They also offered a Quiz on Strategies for Student Engagement that yielded 1,300 leads. After taking the quiz, over 700 respondents took it again and 400 viewed related articles on edweek.org. Hyper-targeting based on your key buyers and the content they consume is something many companies opt to do. Say you want to reach district staff who read about student engagement—your ads would be featured alongside EdWeek’s content.
3. Special Education
Did you know that the number of students in special education has doubled over the past 4 decades? A September article on Why More Students Are in Special Education resonated with district leaders, who are responsible for providing services to a growing segment of their student bodies. Similarly, “special education” was the 3rd most searched term on EdWeek this fall.
What’s Working:
Renaissance hosted a webinar where many K-12 leaders and educators go for PD and best practices - EdWeek. Their Straight Talk: Effective Practices to Support Students with Dyslexia Webinar generated over 2,400 leads, with ongoing growth as people continue to watch on demand.
4. Student Well-Being
Student well-being, especially mental health, is a crucial concern for K-12 leaders. From August-October, “mental health” was the 5th most searched term on EdWeek. One article that grabbed the attention of district leaders in particular was Why America Has a Youth Mental Health Crisis, and How Schools Can Help.
What’s Working:
A recent Spotlight on Trauma-Informed Instruction from the Crisis Prevention Institute features strategies for supporting students experiencing different types of trauma. It had outstanding audience engagement, amassing over 7,300 highly qualified leads.
Our Latest Guide to Trending Topics in K-12 Education is Here!
5. Math
Pandemic-related challenges led to historically low math scores. K-12 leaders and educators are focused on recovery. This fall, “math” was the 4th most searched keyword on EdWeek and an article from our Miscalculating Math Special Project was the 4th most read post on Flipboard, a social media platform popular with teachers.
What’s Working:
MIND Education harnessed this engagement by hosting a webinar on Understanding and Applying the Science of Learning Math that garnered over 7,400 registrants and 500+ live attendees. They also sponsored a Quiz on The Science of Learning Math that generated an additional 7,400 leads.
We can help you develop a successful campaign tailored to your unique marketing goals. To learn more, contact marketing@educationweek.org.