Traditionally, many schools relied on printed prospectuses and advertising billboards to draw the attention of parents and get them interested in their educational establishment.
However, in today’s digital world, where parents spend a lot of time working and relaxing online, printed materials just won’t cut it anymore.
As well as the increasing popularity on online platforms, such as social media, there’s also societal changes to consider.
After all, the Coronavirus pandemic has made it impossible for some people to go out to some areas, and mix with certain people. It has also given rise to a fear of going out, meaning that many individuals will be shielding in their homes long after the world fully reopens.
Therefore, if you want to earn and keep, the attention of the parents of prospective new students, then you’ll need to adapt and learn how to market your school online.
For school heads and managers, pivoting your marketing efforts towards digital marketing, rather than physical advertising, might seem daunting.
As a teacher and education expert, you might not have the time to learn everything there is to know about digital marketing and SEO.
That’s why we’ve put together this article to show you some of the basics of digital marketing for schools.
Read Up On SEO And Digital Marketing
It might sound obvious, but the best way to learn anything is to do your research before you start putting your ideas into practice. That means learning about digital marketing practices and how you can improve your website’s online visibility. Many practices that businesses use can be applied to schools, so if you want to find out more about how to improve online visibility for your organisation, then look here. This article offers you practical tips and innovative ideas that can help you to get your school noticed online.
Optimise Your WebsiteFor Users
When you think of optimising your website, you probably think of SEO and using keywords to target specific Google search results pages. While this is important, you also need to make sure that your website works perfectly for users, and that it provides them with the features that they expect. If your website is old and outdated, then now might be the perfect time to spruce it up and improve its functionality, so that you can attract new parents and show them that you offer them a great online experience.
Use Information From Current Students And Parents
While new students and parents are key to the continued success of your school, you also need to consider the individuals who currently use your website. As such, you should consider finding out what they think about your site and how it could be improved. To get an unbiased view of what they really think about your school’s website, you could consider sending out an online survey for them to fill in and send back to you. If you’re concerned that you won’t get a lot of responses, then you might want to consider offering a small prize, either for everyone who answers or for them to be entered into a raffle to win a slightly more substantial treat. When the surveys have been sent in, you can use the information to enhance your website and improve its usability.
Create Social Media Accounts For Your School
Most schools have a page on social media, but many don’t use them effectively to market their educational services and entice new prospective parents and students. If your school’s social media account isn’t updated regularly and doesn’t share exciting new content, then it won’t benefit your school’s online visibility. Use a social media marketing toolkit for schools to make the most out of your school’s social media accounts. As well as traditional platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, you might also want to consider new platforms, such as Instagram, to grow your school’s online reach.
Get Creative
The rise in digital media means that organisations such as your school are battling even more outlets and other organisation for attention than before. That means that you need to be creative and unique in order to stand out from the crowd. Therefore, don’t be afraid to get creative and craft innovative online content, such as blog articles, social media posts and comments. Some humorous content can ‘go viral’, or get noticed by online news outlets. While going viral is challenging, even getting a few extra likes and shares can boost your school’s online reach, so you should try to be as creative as possible, without alienating your followers or going against your school’s brand.
Share Your Digital Prospectus Via Several Channels
When attracting potential parents of new students to your school, an up to date prospectus is vital. While you might consider printing it as well, your main focus needs to be on distributing it online. Sharing your prospectus online means more than just putting it on your website and leaving it there. It would help if you also shared it via many different channels. For existing followers and individuals who have signed up for your school’s newsletter, sending out an email blast and sharing it on social media will be ideal. Additionally, it would also help if you tried to advertise your prospectus to new leads using online advertising platforms such as Google adverts, paid social media posts, online education forums and other relevant digital spaces. Research the online platforms where your potential prospective parents spend a lot of their time and then try to get your prospectus or website link on these spaces to increase your digital reach.
Utilise Alternative Forms Of Media
As well as a digital prospectus and written articles, you might want to consider using alternative forms of media. For example, video content is highly popular with many internet users. As such, you might want to consider creating a video prospectus for your school as well as a written one. Additionally, you could try to make a virtual campus tour to give parents an alternative way to view your school from the comfort of their homes. By providing multiple forms of media, you will attract more prospective parents. You will also set your school apart from others, and show parents that it is innovative and technologically advanced, which is vital in today’s world, where the internet reigns supreme.
Spread The Load
Updating various social media platforms, writing blog posts and managing a newsletter for your school all take up a lot of time. If you’re also managing your school, then you might find that you struggle to find the time for all of this digital marketing. If you don’t have the time to do everything, you should share the work with your team or hire an outsourced digital marketing agency to help you get everything done to the standard that prospective parents expect. When you’re passing over this work to others, you need to make sure that they understand your school’s unique voice and that they know about what topics to embrace, and which to avoid. In today’s age of ‘cancel culture’, where brands and individuals are held accountable for their views online, it’s imperative that your school doesn’t put anything out online that will offend or upset its followers.
