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Education marketing in Singapore is evolving faster than parents’ expectations—and 2025 is the year digital strategy became make-or-break.
Managing education campaigns today is nothing like it was five years ago. Parents scroll, click, and inquire online before stepping foot in a school. In this 2025 report, we reveal which digital strategies are driving real enrolments—and which ones are quietly draining marketing budgets.
From Google Ads benchmarks for tuition centres to the rise of Xiaohongshu in preschool marketing, this report combines local insights, case studies, and global research to help education marketers in Singapore stay ahead.
Parents in Singapore no longer decide based on banners outside schools. They search, compare, and engage online—often across three to four platforms before enquiring.
• 78% of parents research schools online before visiting.
• 63% of preschool enquiries in Singapore now come from digital ads or search, not referrals. (Source: CNA Singapore)
• CPC (cost per click) for education-related keywords has risen 23% YoY, making it one of the most expensive verticals after insurance and legal services.
This is why strategies that worked in 2020—like simply boosting CTR or chasing cheap leads—don’t cut it anymore. (If you haven’t read it, here’s why cheap leads cost you the most in the long run).
Across tuition centres in Singapore, the average CPC sits between $2.80–$4.20, while the cost per enrolment (CPE) ranges $150–$250.
Yet many centres still optimise only for CPL (cost per lead). This is misleading. The real metric that matters? Cost per enrolment. We expand on this in our article: How to track cost per enrolment, not just CPL.
Facebook and Instagram remain strong for preschools, but the average lead cost rose 19% in 2024. Inquiries are cheaper than Google Ads, but they convert at lower rates. Many schools end up wasting budget because they optimise for CTR rather than quality. (Read why boosting CTR doesn’t always mean boosting revenue).
TikTok is no longer just for Gen Z. Millennial parents (aged 28–40) are scrolling there. Short-form video storytelling is outperforming static images. But TikTok leads are often higher-funnel—they need remarketing before conversion. (See: TikTok vs Meta Ads for millennial parents).
Connect with our expert team to transform your enrolment process with proven digital marketing strategies that deliver real results.
Connect with us! →Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) has exploded in 2024–2025 among Chinese-speaking parents in Singapore. Preschools targeting expat families or bilingual households are using it to share authentic content—like parent testimonials, daily class snippets, and bilingual program highlights.
Unlike Meta ads, Xiaohongshu’s community-first tone builds trust, making it a unique platform for nurturing parent interest. More in: The rise of Xiaohongshu in preschool marketing.
Unlike in the US or EU, CPC costs in Singapore are disproportionately high relative to SME budgets. Combine this with parents’ cultural tendency to seek reviews, referrals, and reassurance before committing—and you see why many schools chase the wrong metrics.
SMEs often accept agency reporting at face value, but as covered in why your agency might not want you to understand attribution, this keeps them in the dark.
Your business deserves more. Let ThriveMediaSG help your business Increase Sales through digital marketing.
Globally, education marketing is also evolving. According to HubSpot, short-form video remains the highest ROI content type. Platforms like MarketingProfs highlight the role of AI in lead scoring and personalisation—something Singapore schools are slowly adopting.
Closer to home, Marketing-Interactive reports that APAC education advertisers are reallocating 20–25% of their 2025 budget to TikTok and Xiaohongshu, showing how parents’ platform habits are reshaping ad spend.
The next frontier will not just be which channel converts but how schools track and personalise journeys. AI-powered remarketing, PDPA-compliant first-party data collection, and bilingual marketing on emerging platforms like Xiaohongshu will separate leaders from laggards.
Understand hidden risks in ad reporting, attribution, and cost management so you can focus on real results.
Yes. By using last-click or first-click attribution models, agencies can over-credit certain campaigns while hiding underperformers.
No. Use GA4, CRM integrations, and independent audits to validate results and ensure transparency.
Not always. Simpler, transparent models (like linear or data-driven) often reveal clearer truths than convoluted setups designed to obscure results.
Not sustainably. Bid adjustments may lower CPC short-term, but unless you fix Quality Score, ad relevance, and targeting, CPCs will creep back up.
No. The real goal is CPE (Cost per Enquiry) or CPL (Cost per Lead), not just cheaper clicks. Cheap clicks without conversions waste budget.
Our team consists of seasoned digital marketers, bringing years of hands-on expertise driving results for SMEs and enterprises throughout the APAC region.
from first click to final sale—across Meta, Google, TikTok, YouTube, and your CRM so you can see what’s working and what’s not.
Your videos, landing pages, ads, and data are aligned under one strategy no more juggling vendors.
Budgets shift based on real-time performance, not monthly meetings.
Leads and traffic you already have get optimized for higher ROI and less waste.
Clear reports, honest feedback, and no jargon—even when results aren’t perfect.
Digital Marketing isn’t just about running ads—it’s about turning data into visible growth.
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