BETTER KNOW AN EDUCATOR: Two surveys from MDR attempt to shed light on the purchasing patterns of teachers. The first survey, "Teachers as Consumer 2013," may be a bit TMI (too much info) for most edtech companies as it looks as their buying behaviors and attitudes for everything from sporting equipment to their favorite family restaurants. (Although, that could be useful for those thinking about wining and dining potential customers.) Shoot an email to MDR to request a copy of the report.
The second, "Digital Marketing Trends in the Education Market 2013," looks at the online habits of teachers and college faculty in their purchasing process. "Seventy percent of district administrators and more than half of both K-12 and college faculty," it finds, "purchased an educational product or service as a result of an email solicitation." And it also finds that:
More than half of teachers purchased an educational product or service as a result of an email solicitation, spending about the same as in the prior year. Of those influenced by social media to purchase or recommend products, two-thirds said that Facebook, Pinterest “Pins,” and a recommendation from an online community of practice were important. K-12 teachers cited Pinterest far more than college faculty.
This infographic sums up the main findings from the report.
