Marketing a product with constant churn

If you are marketing directly to the students themselves, it may be how you are reaching them. You mentioned Adwords. Between sophisticated competition and lower available inventory (like the loss of the right column ads), costs are going to keep going up while the students are finding other sources for searching for products (like Facebook).

In your shoes, I'd look at Facebook ads aimed at three different demographics:

> The students themselves.

> Parents of the students, emphasizing helping their kids gain an advantage by buying your product.

> If appropriate, other professionals that deal with this market. People like test coaches, maybe financial aid advisers, and so forth. Look to develop them as referral sources. Even better as a list builder if you have something awesome you can offer for free, which they can recommend.

The only thing constant in this business is change. Change with it, or get left behind.

I appreciate the thought into the responses so far.

To the first responder - it still makes a healthy return for I'm not ready to "throw in the towel" yet - but it has definitely plateaued. Ironically, it does seem like the last few years, I've put more time and effort into it than ever before - but we've been able to keep excellent margins so I can't really complain about that.

To John, you had a lot of excellent points. I agree that the marketing will become more and more expensive. I know that our previous organic positions (2007-2008) where we were at the top gave us a huge advantage, but now it seems like we're chasing the #1 just like everyone else and that hasn't really paid off.

I think you are right that Facebook is becoming the way to go - I'm not sure why I've resisted it for so long. You have some excellent ideas about splitting the target market, and I completely agree. Now it's time to find some good Facebook resources and strategies so we can get that up and running.

You are right - change or get left behind.

And to our last poster, we do have an Evergreen, recession proof product which is constantly getting new people in it - after all when one class graduates, another starts. We don't really have a product that would follow them into the next phase, so that's a brainstorm session for another day.

I really appreciate all the time and effort you've all taken to help out. I'd never found this forum before yesterday - implemented something from another thread and it was very successful.

It's hard to find like minded people to bounce things off of.

Thank you all again!

I'd say, if they knew it existed, they'd want it - even if they had to borrow the money to get it.

Consider following your customers through their life stages. For example, in my early days one of my niches was selling study aids to college students. As they graduated, started careers, families, etc, product promotions continued relevant to such events in their lives.

Today, many of them are now in positions of decision-making or influence within large corporations and government to buy products, services, capital equipment, etc. In my experience, college students are among the top demographics to cultivate, as they are in some of their prime formative years.