The Duolingo marketing team seem to have the MOST fun! So when it comes to observing marketing lessons from brands, we have to take a look at Duolingo.

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Duolingo Marketing: The Best Proven Lessons for Online Language Teachers

Different Across Platforms

Duolingo really has an incredible marketing team. Even when we’re working solo, we can take inspiration for how well they adapt their content across different platforms.

For example, on TikTok, Duolingo is notorious for hopping on trends with unhinged short clips destined for virality.

On the other hand, their LinkedIn feed is much more focused on the business side of things.

The Duolingo owl suit is worn a lot more for the TikToks than for the LinkedIn stuff.

How can online language teachers use this marketing lesson from Duolingo?

Although we may not have a team or even an assistant to handle our presence across different platforms, we can consider how what we post works best in different formats.

Remember, especially when we’re one-person businesses, it’s not about being on every platform all of the time. It’s about having a presence and securing handles on most platforms, and then focusing on delivering regularly on social media platforms that suit you best.

And you don’t need to wait until you’re perfect before sharing. Start experimenting and get better by doing.

It’s far too easy to get stuck in the weeds of waiting disguised as “learning” with this stuff.

On Brand Duolingo Merch

If you just check in every day to keep your streak, you might not notice Duolingo merch. It’s not overly advertised, but it exists.

Duolingo sells a range of on brand plushies, stickers, t-shirts and pins.

It’s not an overwhelming range, it’s not just a design shoved on a shirt. Instead, everything feels very intentional.

How can online language teachers use this marketing lesson from Duolingo?

Merch can be a great way to increase support and raise your profile. It gives people who want to support you an additional way of doing so, whilst also acting as subtle promotion too.

Think about all the advertising you don’t even notice when you walk down the street and see a Nike tick on a shoe, a North Face logo on a jacket, or a hoodie with the word ‘Superdry’ plastered across the front. Those people are essentially advertising the brands!

And of course, I’m not quite suggesting making a t-shirt with your brand name slapped on the front.

Think more about subtle products that would be genuinely useful and/or beautiful for your audience to enjoy.

Simple & effective copy

The Duolingo homepage is a combination of easy to read copy and cute graphics.

Unlike lots of language resources of times gone by, they don’t state any outlandish claims such as ‘quick and easy’.

In fact, a search for the words ‘fast’, ‘quick’, and ‘easy’ on that homepage each bring back just one hit.

‘Fast’ in “Our convenient, fast, and affordable English test…”.

‘Quick’ in “…quick, bite-sized lessons”.

‘Easy’ in “We make it easy to form a habit”.

Instead, Duolingo leads with “The free, fun, and effective way to learn a language!”.

Further down the page, they point out that it’s research-backed, and they even touch upon two of the common complaints about language learning under the headings “stay motivated” and “personalized learning”.

How can online language teachers use this marketing lesson from Duolingo?

Copy can often be a sticking point when it comes to writing sales pages and talking about our products and services.

We know it’s great, of course! Because we made the thing and wouldn’t offer it out to the world if it sucked!

But getting that point across isn’t always easy.

Take a leaf out of Duolingo’s book and try drafting your next sales page with short and sweet copy chunks.

It might not get you a full sales page draft, but it’ll definitely get you at least some of the way there.

Consider these points loosely following the Duolingo homepage:

1) Easy to remember headline – “The free, fun and effective way to learn a language”.

2) Proof – They use ‘research-backed’, which is easier when you’re a massive company and research happens directly involving your company!

For online language teachers, this is best shown with testimonials and case studies from existing and former clients.

3) Address doubts – the headings “stay motivated” and “personalized learning” ease two of the biggest language learning doubts before people even have to ask.

Diversify Smartly

As well as languages, Duolingo now has options to teach phonics, maths, and very soon at the time of writing, music theory.

These expansions may seem random at first glance (with the exception of phonics, but actually make a lot of sense.

Duolingo teaching languages makes one of the stereotypically difficult school subjects accessible and enjoyable for more people.

Maths is another subject that gets a reputation of ‘you’ve either got a maths brain or you don’t understand it’. ‘Not a maths person’!

As for music, it’s essentially a universal language.

And, as Cady explains her reason for taking 12th grade calculus in Mean Girls, it’s the same in every country.

How can online language teachers use this marketing lesson from Duolingo?

Part of what’s great about Duolingo’s diversification is that it’s not been rushed.

There’s definitely something to be noted about not speeding out of the gate and attempting too many things all at once.

Start with a solid product or service, let’s say group lessons packages, and then expand smartly when you’re ready in ways that suit you.

People who already learn languages with Duolingo will likely be curious to try the new offerings, and equally there’ll be a lot of new clients who weren’t that interested in languages but do want the same product for maths and music.

Avoid caging yourself in.

Backtracking

There is something that unites the hardcore Duolingo fans. A frustration at discontinued features.

Every once in a while, Duolingo will discontinue a feature that most users won’t notice…except the heavy users. And sometimes this doesn’t go down well.

A big example is the withdrawing of the forums. Although forum posts are still accessible when you know where to click after guessing an answer, it’s no longer possible to add new comments and posts in them.

How can online language teachers use this marketing lesson from Duolingo?

This one is twofold. We’ll consider it in the context of retiring products and services.

There are times when it’s right to retire a product or service. A bit of following your gut will come into play, as well as deciding what does and doesn’t sell well, and what fits and makes sense with your current offerings.

Alternatively, there are times when perhaps things can still exist, maybe with a promotion boost or a live launch or an update. Or, just simply available for those who need it when they need it but without too much effort on your part.

That said, when you don’t sell it, it doesn’t sell. So don’t expect massive sales unless you’ve actively talking about and selling your products and services.

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