Santa Maria Online Academy: Social Media
💪 Challenge: Establish and develop from scratch the online presence of an academy with no previous online footprint, using 100% organic methods without Paid Media.
⏰ Duration: Continuous phases over 4 months.
🤼 Team: A multidisciplinary team coordinated by me, with contributions from the sales team, IT, psychologists, coaches, educational resources, and support.
💼 Methodology: Integrated digital marketing strategies and Agile methodologies with tailored content development.
💻 Tools: Social media platforms (especially Instagram), graphic design software (Figma, Illustrator, Photoshop, AfterEffects), Hubspot, data analysis tools.
💭 Techniques: Field research, interviews with Civil Guard members, collaborations with influencers, merchandising development.
Understanding the Problem
The Santa Maria Academy, with a rich history of 50 years in preparing for competitive exams, faced the challenge of modernizing its image and communication methods to attract a new generation of students without disconnecting from the more veteran members.
📚 How to Start
The starting point of our analysis was a series of interviews conducted with various departments of the academy, as well as with active and retired members of the Civil Guard, National Police, and Army. These discussions were crucial to understand the values and expectations of the veterans, as well as the ambitions of the new aspirants. Furthermore, we delved into the journey a student takes from the first contact with the academy: why they decide to hire our services, their experience throughout the training process, the moments of payment, the classes, the simulations, the tutorials, the materials provided, the advice received, and finally, the preparation for the exam.
🧩 Discovery of Insights
The insights revealed the need for an approach that combined respect for tradition with a modern and accessible presentation. It highlighted the importance of incorporating playful and modern elements without losing the seriousness and rigor demanded by the training.
Strategy and Development
The social media strategy focused on defining and capturing our target audience, individuals born between 1993 and 2005, highly committed to their training, interested in careers related to state protection and security, and resilient in the face of challenges.
Instagram & YouTube: Chosen for their effectiveness in reaching and connecting with the target audience. These platforms were used to share relevant content and enhance visibility and engagement, with Instagram and YouTube as our primary platforms due to their high penetration in this demographic segment. Additionally, a page was created on Google My Business, and SEO was optimized to improve visibility in searches related to competitive exams for the Civil Guard, promoting the keyword ASMONLINE.T
Identity and Branding
I developed a consistent brand identity, which included proposing and approving the visual image across all digital channels and printed materials. This ensured a consistent and professional presence at all user touchpoints, achieving:
- Redesign of Emblems: Adaptation to a “gamer-style” shield while maintaining the essence and identity of the Civil Guard to attract new students.
- Color Palettes: Creation of new palettes to standardize and modernize the visual appearance of the product.
- Typography: Creation and modification of typefaces to establish recognizable and unique styles for ASMONLINE.
- Vectorization of Logos: Improvement and vectorization of logos and frequently used graphic elements in the academy.
- Background Patterns and Motifs: Development of background patterns and motifs used in syllabi, websites, and other academy elements, branding the publications not only with the ASMONLINE logo but also with a recognizable element in space and time.
Results:
- Brand Image Unification: Coherent and professional presence across all digital channels and printed materials.
- Tone of Voice and Copywriting: Development of a language and jargon that directly connects with the target audience.
Editorial Calendar and Content Management
I implemented an editorial calendar that integrated monetizable and non-monetizable posts, including FAQ series designed to interact and resolve common doubts of future candidates. Key dates were established to maximize the impact of our posts, coinciding with relevant events and exam dates.
Types of Posts: Intangibles (daily lives of candidates, motivational), tangibles (promotions, syllabus updates), and FAQs.
Featured Posts: Testimonials from students, Challenges of Captain Aibar, curiosities about the Civil Guard, key dates, important announcements…
Significant Milestones of the Project
- Revitalization of Captain Aibar: We transformed the image of Captain Aibar, one of the academy’s founders, from a local acquaintance to an emblem and reference in the sector of preparation for the Civil Guard examinations. His figure was repositioned as a voice of authority and experience in the field, significantly increasing the brand recognition of ASMONLINE.
- Collaboration with Noelia Valenzuela: We established a collaboration with Noelia Valenzuela, an elite athlete and influencer who is also a competitive exam candidate. In exchange for her support on Instagram, the academy sponsored her and we designed personalized sports equipment that aligned with the new visual image.
- Eduardo Cuenca: A renowned physical trainer and instructor in Baeza, he joined the project to offer specialized advice and training through our platforms. His involvement added considerable value to our content and attracted more followers interested in physically preparing for the examinations.
Results and Evaluation
The strategy implemented resulted in a significant increase in online visibility and engagement for the academy, achieving the milestone of attracting 1,500 new followers in a 100% organic manner, many of whom became recurring course subscribers. Additionally, the campaign strengthened the perception of the academy as a modern, accessible, and fully integrated entity in the digital realm.
Next steps
This project not only established a solid foundation for the academy’s online presence but also redefined its image in a highly competitive market, demonstrating the power of a creative and well-executed approach in digital marketing.
Conclusions
The brand renewal of the academy not only attracted new students but also reaffirmed its commitment to excellence and tradition. The next steps include expanding the strategy to other platforms and exploring new collaborations to continue the growth and innovation in training future members of the Civil Guard.
This integrated and respectful approach proved to be key in connecting with a diverse audience, respecting the rich history of the academy while moving towards the future.