Study: To increase sales, target teachers

As kids head back to school and parents heave a sigh of relief, teachers are in a different state. The shopping state. According to a recent report from MDR, teachers are likely to be well-traveled, to purchase the latest high-tech gadgets and are brand loyal. All of these make teachers a good target for most marketers.

by Kristina Knight

The report found that half of the teachers surveyed traveled abroad, 25% buy new high-tech gadgets often and nearly three-quarters shop with stores which carry their favorite brands.

Another reason online marketers should target teachers? Because teachers are online. According to the report, nearly 80% of teachers said the Internet was an influencer in their purchasing decisions; about half of teachers say they use the 'Net to research possible purchases.

Teachers are likely to invest (62%), have mean household incomes of $117,000 and are willing to pay more for higher quality goods.

"…[E]ducators are an extremely attractive consumer segment," said Moira McArdle, vice president of marketing for MDR. "[Teachers] buy more in most every consumer vertical, from apparel to travel to financial services."

To reach the teaching segment, be sure to include product information - and plenty of it! Also, if your ecommerce site doesn't already offer peer-to-peer reviews, consider investing in a review platform. 75% of the teachers surveyed said they want bargains and they research prior to a purchase. These additions to an ecommerce hub will also appeal to other consumer bases, making the investment very reasonable.