How can you reach more parents and students? Below are some practical solutions to consider for school marketing.
1. Create A User-Friendly Website
Having a solid internet presence is essential to boosting awareness about your school and the service you offer. If you’re going to make a good first impression, it starts with a website. Your school should have an engaging website that’s informational and user-friendly. When someone visits your institution’s webpage, they should be able to navigate the site without complication and get to the desired result quickly.
The school’s site should have contact information for key personnel and other features like downloadable forms, appointment scheduling, access to student or parent portals, and links to resources for families.
2. Highlight Your Staff
A school is only as good as the staff. From the secretaries and janitors to the teachers and principals, each person has a hand in creating a positive educational experience for students. They are the face of your establishment and work firsthand with students and parents every day. The more qualified your team is, the better it is for your school’s reputation. A positive reputation increases the chances for improved enrollment and retention statistics.
Highlighting your staff can be an effective marketing strategy for your school. You can create an “about us” page and develop personnel profiles on your website. Have your instructors talk about their teaching style, or have them share their love of teaching. You might also highlight your staff by presenting awards and acknowledging them online. This gives parents and students more insight into what your school has to offer.
Additionally, be sure to accentuate the accomplishments and recognitions your staff has received. Focus on the fact that your educators are fully certified and committed to giving students the ultimate learning experience. Provide details about their professional training, and how they’ve devoted their professional life to educating students. For instance, elaborate on instructors pursuing a multiple subject teaching credential, which better equips them to provide every student a superior, well-rounded education.
3. Get Students Involved
Who knows best what it’s like to get an education at a particular school than the students? You could get the students involved in your marketing efforts with the parent’s permission. They can write essays about their experiences for you to upload to your website. If you have a larger budget, you can create a promotional video where the students discuss their experiences on camera.
Another way to get the students involved is to highlight their achievements. More than just creating statistics, make a big deal when students accomplish an educational goal. Announce awards winners, take photographs of the graduating classes, and spotlight students who get accepted into universities. The more interested parties can see students’ success, the more inclined they are to enroll, fund, or support.
4. Harness The Power Of Social Media
Social media is an excellent platform for schools to improve brand awareness and connect with students, parents, alumni, donors, and potential enrollees. You can upload information about staff and students, post videos of special events, ask questions, send updates, create email lists, share stories about the community, and more.
When you invest time developing a school social media page, you can cultivate a lasting relationship with prospective students and their families. It gives them instant access and insight into the experience you offer.
5. Community Involvement
Last but not least, schools should be doing more to help the community. Students and their families face hardships that go beyond the classroom. If you can find a way to support them, it can make a significant difference in their home lives and educational experiences. It also sets you apart from other institutions by showing that you care about students and parents.
You can offer free tutoring services, become mentors, volunteer at a shelter, host clothing and food drives, schedule home visits (for non-disciplinary reasons), and more to connect with members of the community.
Conclusion
While marketing may not seem relevant for schools, it’s quite the opposite. With so many schools available today, students and parents have more options than ever. If you want to keep enrollment rates high and your school doors open, you’ll need to develop marketing strategies to attract your target audience. Hopefully, the above suggestions have given you a good place to start.
