Want to grow your school? It’s important to start and end with your current families. Keeping these parents – and students – happy and engaged can help reduce attrition and grow positive word of mouth, creating one of your most valuable marketing opportunities.
You’re likely already doing many things right when it comes to connecting with your current families, from sending regular email updates to posting on your social channels (and more!). You can use this list to ensure you’re covering as many angles as possible – and maybe find a new idea to try this school year.
1. Stay Connected
Send out regular emails or newsletters that highlight important school updates, what’s been happening around campus, upcoming events, student and faculty achievements, and volunteer or family activity opportunities. The more parents feel connected to the school – and part of the community – the more likely they are to recommend you to others.
Want to learn more about creating effective email newsletters? Check out this blog.
2. Balance Your Social Content
Part of a solid social media strategy includes learning which audiences are present on each social platform you utilize, and targeting a relevant percentage of your content to them. Many of your social channels will need to work for both prospective families and current ones. Make sure that you’re providing plenty of content that will resonate with your current families, and look for opportunities to create conversation and encourage participation.
Pro Tip: Try a contest tied to your school’s hashtag. Invite families to share photos that show off their favorite aspects of your school, using your hashtag, and feature this content on your social channels (and beyond). Get creative with your prizes – you could offer school merchandise (like water bottles or hoodies), VIP seating at the holiday concert, an opportunity for their child to be Head of School for a Day, or other fun ways to win.
Learn more about creating effective social media strategies for your school:
Elevate Your School's Instagram Game with These 8 Simple Tips
How to Craft Social Media Guidelines for School Marketing Teams
3. Advertise to Current Families
Reserve a portion of your digital ad spend for ads that will be shown to your current families. Create content that will help them feel great about their decision to have their kids at your school and will build pride among this audience. This could include student accomplishments, testimonials, alumni stories, and any other opportunities to highlight your school’s culture and values. Consider running these ads ahead of decision points (like re-registration deadlines).
Learn more about advertising to current families – and other often-overlooked audiences – here.
4. Create a Referral Program
One of the best ways to generate more word-of-mouth advertising is to simply ask for it! Create a referral program that offers families an incentive to invite their friends, family members, neighbors, and connections and get these prospective families on campus. You can encourage invitations to admissions events like open houses or info sessions – or other reasons to come on campus, like a fall festival, a career fair, or a community event that could provide families with a good experience and a ‘soft sell’ for your school.
Pro Tip: Create and distribute school assets that are easy for families to share – like referral links, brochures, or social media posts/graphics. Adding a contest can increase interest and engagement. Consider offering incentives like a draw to win school swag, a discount off next year’s tuition, or VIP parking and seating at your school’s holiday concert.
Learn more about the value and impact of word of mouth marketing here.
5. Give Parents a Voice
Parents who feel heard are more likely to feel connected to your school and your message. Create opportunities to volunteer, organize family-friendly activities, or offer educational or parenting workshops. Make sure there are easy ways for them to share their feedback and insights (for example, you might include a poll or an invitation to respond in your school email newsletters). You can also consider short regular surveys – another great way to gather actionable feedback from your families and involve them in decision-making. These could be sent through a tool like Google Forms or Survey Monkey, or you could ask single questions using Instagram Story polls.
Learn more about planning and running effective surveys here.
Maintaining strong relationships with current families is essential in building a connected, involved community who will advocate for your school. Looking for more ways to retain and build your audience? We’d love to help you build an effective campaign strategy to showcase your school’s key differentiators.
At Metric Marketing, we develop measurable and practical strategies to help private and independent schools like yours maximize their marketing efforts. We'd love to discuss your private school's marketing requirements with you. Contact us today to speak with our marketing professionals, or use the form below to sign up and receive more marketing tips in your inbox.
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