How To Make Your School Stand Out To Prospective Parents
Marketing your school effectively is imperative. After all, there are a huge number of schools in the United Kingdom, and so you need to make sure that you put your school on the map for all of the right reasons. However, marketing a school is not easy. You need to make sure that you do so in a professional manner and one that will resonate with parents who are trying to choose the best school for their children. With that being said, in this blog post, we are going to take a look at some of the different ways you can make your school stand out from the crowd.
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Remember, you are always marketing
The first thing that you need to keep in mind is that you are marketing and advertising your school at all times. No matter whether you are putting together a brochure, saying ‘hello’ to someone who appears to your receptionist desk, or you are at a networking event. Things like custom signage, smart uniforms, and polite staff members can make all of the difference, and they all come together to create the brand image that your school presents to others.
Figure out what parents are looking for in a school
Before you can put together an effective marketing plan, it is critical that you understand what parents in your area are searching for in a school. You can collect this information in a number of different ways. This includes using parent surveys and focus groups. Ask parents during events such as parents’ evenings as well.
You also need to find out why new parents have selected your school above others. For example, did they attend an open day? Ask them how they found out about your school and, ultimately, what factors played a role in them choosing your school in the end.
If possible, it can also be beneficial to talk to parents who did not choose your school. Ask them what their reasons were for choosing another school. Find out whether there was anything that could have been done differently or that you could change that would have resulted in the parents choosing your school instead.
Gathering all of this information is important because it helps you to understand areas you could possibly improve on, as well as providing insight into the sort of parts of your school that means a lot to parents and that you should be pushing.
What is marketable about your school?
Next, you need to figure out what elements of your school are marketable. There are a number of different factors that need to be considered. This includes your ethos, values, and vision. Do they accurately reflect your school? You need to make sure that they are articulated so that they are clear throughout the school.
You also need to look at what is unique about your school. This includes any extra-curricular activities that your school offers, what is special about your curriculum, and what your school is doing that other schools in the area are not doing. Do you have any school facilities that are extra special or perhaps you have a subject specialism? These are all different factors you need to consider when you are marketing your school.
Aside from this, you can look at what you have done in order to address challenges. For example, where is your school going in the future? How have you addressed any sort of issues that Ofsted have brought up over the years? Looking at your self-evaluation form (SEF) is also crucial here.
Come up with your key marketing messages and consider what channels you are going to use
There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to marketing messages. You need to use the details that have been provided in the research you have conducted to come up with your key marketing messages that are going to set your school apart and attract prospective parents.
There are a number of different marketing channels that you can use in order to market your business. Most schools use Twitter and/or Facebook today. Social media is great because you have the ability to reach a broad audience. Plus, it is easy to use and free as well! You can use social media to advertise school events, post links to your school website, show parents what is happening around your school, and display your values and vision in your header. Social media is also a great place to answer any questions that parents direct to you. Nevertheless, you need to make sure that you do not post anything that will jeopardise your school’s professionalism. Be very careful about who you let handle your social media accounts!
Aside from social media, there are plenty of other ways to market your business. This includes having a school website that is easy to navigate and up-to-date. You should also keep parents up-to-date with a school newsletter. This can help you market because it can easily be shared with other people in the community and it can also be posted on social media or online. School events are also important for marketing. School events are especially beneficial for those in a central location, as well as schools that have a large field, school hall, or a big building. Potential events include quiz nights, sports days, open days, school plays, summer fetes, and Christmas fairs.
So there you have it: some of the different ways that you can effectively market your school to prospective parents. We hope that you have found some ideas that appeal to you. It is all about making sure that you reach parents who are looking for schools and that you make a connection with them. You need to understand what sort of qualities your school has that is going to make it stand out from the crowd. If you do this, you will be able to put together an effective marketing plan that appeals to them.