There’s been a lot of talk lately about the importance of differentiation in the education industry.
And rightfully so.
In a crowded and complex market standing out matters.
And being different can be a great way to escape the sea of sameness we so often find ourselves swimming in.
But when there are 4,000 colleges and universities in the country, how different can you actually be?
The reality is that differentiation isn’t always the fastest path to growth in a crowded market.
There’s lots of ways to be different and worse:
Offering a program that employers want, but the market hasn’t warmed up to yet? That’s different.
Serving a specialized niche market segment with true demand, but too small of an addressable market to scale? That’s different too.
Or offering short-form course content that the market wants, but doesn’t want to pay for? That’s different as well.
Just because it’s different doesn’t mean it’s going to work
So if we’re not going to focus on being different, what should we be?
The truth is, different isn’t always better. But better always is.
And that’s exactly what we should be focused on being.
Because even in a crowded, complex, and consolidating market, there’s always room for someone that’s doing things better.
Whether it’s student experience or outcomes, our price point or service and support, better is always better.
Better always wins.
And yes, sometimes different is better. But not always.
So before you go asking your team “How are we different?” you may just want to start by asking “How are we better?”
Because while different isn’t always better, better always is.
About the Author
Seth is the founder and CEO of Kanahoma, a San Diego-based education marketing agency. We offer full-service marketing support for higher education, K-12, education technology, and more.
You can learn more about who we are and what we do at www.Kanahoma.com.