Extend Your Test-Prep Company's Reach With Online Tutoring

There has never been a time like this in the history of the test-prep industry. With so many unknowns heading into the fall, test-prep businesses like yours have to be prepared to evolve their offerings to best serve students.

With the rise in “Test Optional” admissions policies, savvy students are out there looking to take the ACT®, SAT®, or both to set themselves apart from those who choose to skip testing entirely. They know that colleges will certainly be looking at those scores. The question for you is, are you prepared to help them earn the highest scores they possibly can? These students are out there, and given the fact that “distance learning” is now a household term, you have newfound power to reach them.

Schools Shifting to Online Learning Opened the Door for Tutors

Tutoring online is nothing new (we were talking about it back in 2017). However, this past March, everything changed. With little warning, schools asked students to trade their classrooms for devices as COVID-19 forced educators to turn the entire educational landscape on a dime. Instructors had to find ways to both reach and serve students who were no longer physically in front of them. What’s more, students had to learn how to take ownership of the learning process - with no bells over the intercom and no instructors looming over them, kids were left to work at their own pace and on their own schedules.

With minimal opportunity to prepare, the majority of the American educational system was able to shift to an all-digital model; learning continued. Now, as fall approaches, it is looking more and more likely that many districts will be returning to virtual classrooms rather than physical ones.

While there have certainly been examples of how the distance learning model was more challenging than the tried-and-true routines of in-person instruction, it fundamentally shifted many of the assumptions about online learning and forever altered educational paradigms. Many students found the process liberating and beneficial.

Here’s where you come in. Schools weren’t the only ones who had to shift their instructional models last spring. Tutors and test-prep businesses across the world have had to fundamentally alter their instructional processes to keep themselves and their clients safe. Since March, our partners have been using our digital materials and tutoring software to do exactly that. In doing so, many have uncovered a viable and lucrative pathway to growth.

Virtual Tutoring Can Transform Your Business from Local to Global

One of the greatest benefits to offering online-only test prep is the fact that it frees your business from the constraints of its zip code. Any student with web access becomes a prospective client for your services. Not only that, but recruiting students from different time zones can eliminate the traditionally unsellable dark hours when your local schools are in session.

While digital test-prep tutoring can certainly broaden your prospective client base, it can also provide new recruitment options. By opening up to online-only students, you can also enlist online-only tutors to deliver that instruction. Given the tenuous state of the education profession these days, there are plenty of qualified instructors looking for work-from-home opportunities in either part-time or full-time capacities. The benefits don’t stop there; casting a wider net in your staffing may also lead to new outreach opportunities to land clients that otherwise may have been outside your sphere of influence.

One of the best ways to start this digital expansion is by leveraging your social media presence. While there are numerous ways to use social media to boost your business’s credibility, start by focusing on what your company does well in its promotional efforts in your local market. Think about the steps you have taken to make yourself a trusted educational authority in your community. Many of these strategies will translate to digital communities beyond your physical one.

Your most lucrative in-person marketing strategies can be broadened to a global audience, as well. There’s something to be said for being in the room with a potential client - reading expressions and tone to adapt your pitch. While you likely don’t have that opportunity with online clients (particularly now), your competitors don’t either. Therefore, find ways to virtualize your in-person marketing efforts. For instance, opt for video calls rather than audio-only. Be open to shipping hard-copy samples of your custom-branded materials to interested potential customers.

Don’t stop there. Rather than hosting an in-person ACT® or SAT® practice test experience, consider hosting virtual events or offering asynchronous testing opportunities. Publicizing these sessions as free virtual opportunities removes many of the geographic- and time-related barriers that would typically alienate out-of-town participants. Despite being a “Virtual Test Day,” you still have the opportunity to generate custom-branded score reports and offer high-quality, personalized score analysis follow-up meetings to market your online instructional opportunities.

In the short term, taking your tutoring business online may be an act of survival, but in the long term, the potential to offer both in-person and online tutoring options will be a recipe for ongoing growth. Remember: your test prep should always be a product, not a commodity.

Now that most families and students have experienced both in-person and distance learning, they have had the ability to establish opinions and preferences. Having the ability to create and adapt your offerings to meet these wants and needs will be vital.

Effective Online Test Prep Is More Than Just a Video Chat

Of course, you are not the only tutoring operation going digital. You need to be prepared to bring your A-game when trying to land new clients - especially when venturing outside your local orbit.

Luckily, we have done a lot of the heavy lifting for you. Clear Choice Prep’s custom-branded test-prep software package allows you to establish your reputation as a viable online test-prep provider rather than relying on third-party resources emblazoned with your competitors’ logos. Our multimedia-driven toolset makes it easy to create and tailor a personalized test-prep journey for each student - differentiated to meet an individual’s needs and skills.

That said, there are several other layers to making sure your students and tutors can deliver top notch online test prep that is both effective and competitive. Be sure to check out our ultimate online test-prep survival kit for more on the hardware, software, and relevant skillsets that create standout online instructional experiences.

For more on how Clear Choice can propel your test-prep business into the online era, click the link below to schedule a free software demo.