How to Market A Private School

As a K-12 private school decision-maker or marketer, you know that increasing enrollment is crucial to the success and sustainability of your institution. But with so many options available to parents and students, how can you make your school stand out from the crowd? The answer lies in effective marketing, particularly content marketing.

In this post, we'll explore the key strategies and tactics you can use to create a compelling content marketing plan that showcases your school's unique value proposition, engages prospective families, and drives enrollment growth. Whether you're working with a limited budget, a small marketing team, or facing resistance to change, we've got you covered with practical tips and real-world examples.

The key to increasing your private school enrollment is through marketing, primarily content marketing. With content marketing for K=12 private schools, you are telling your school's story in such a way that it attracts families and entices them to join your school family.

Now, there are numerous options for private schools to promote themselves, but content marketing is how you differentiate yourself and your school from the competition.

As parents begin their school search, they have a number of questions, such as:

1. What distinguishes your school from the one down the street?
2. What are the criteria for hiring faculty?
3. What is the school's mission/philosophy?
4. How much can parents be involved in, and what role can they play?
5. What are the expectations for communication with parents?
6. What results can we expect if we send our child to this school?
7. What are the school's difficulties? What are the areas that need to be improved?

Your marketing materials, website, social media presence, and personal interactions should all follow a consistent theme and work to answer these questions.  

Make certain that you deliver on your promises in terms of what you say and do. This will not only reassure parents, but they will also be able to see their child on your campus.

You can and should create buyer personas to help you focus your marketing efforts. Defining an ideal parent and student will help you develop marketing content and collateral that speaks directly to them.

Defining Your Target Audience

Before examining the specifics of your content marketing strategy, it's essential to define your target audience clearly. While "parents" and "families" are good starting points, you'll want to dig deeper to create a more detailed picture of your ideal prospective family.

Consider factors such as:

• Demographics: What is the typical age range, income level, educational background, and geographic location of your target parents?
• Psychographics: What are their values, interests, and lifestyle preferences? What motivates them when choosing a school for their child?
• Pain Points: What challenges or concerns do they face in relation to their child's education? How can your school help address these issues?

Answering these questions will equip you to create content that resonates with your target audience or parent personas and addresses their specific needs and desires.

Why Private School Marketing Matters

Developing a private school marketing plan will help you prepare your school and parents for the enrollment process ahead.

It is no longer feasible for a private school to have great programs and excellent teachers in today's competitive market. Your school's enrollment numbers will not increase until prospective students and parents know you exist.

You must attract and educate prospects about your school's experiences. Concentrate on your educational offerings, such as class sizes and educational opportunities. This should also provide a window into student life through a student’s eyes.

As a private school, the key factors for expanding enrollment are balancing traditions, publicity, and the story of your legacy. Having an effective content marketing strategy and plan can ensure that your school’s long-term objectives are current, practical, and achievable.

This post will help you determine the process, define your niche, and grow your school via a marketing strategy that distinguishes you from other schools in your area.

Crafting Your Content Marketing Strategy

Now that you understand your target audience more clearly, it's time to start building your content marketing strategy. While the process may seem daunting at first, breaking it down into smaller, manageable steps can help you stay focused and organized.

1. Defining Your Unique Value Proposition

A clear, compelling, unique value proposition (UVP) should be at the core of your content marketing strategy. Your UVP sets your school apart from the competition and communicates the specific benefits and outcomes prospective families can expect from choosing your institution.

To craft your UVP, consider the following:

• What are your school's strengths and unique offerings? This could include specific programs, extracurricular activities, faculty expertise, or educational philosophy.
• How do these strengths align with the needs and desires of your target audience?
• What proof points or success stories can you share to back up your claims?

For example, let's say you're the principal at the fictional K-12 private school, Greenfield Academy. Your UVP might be something like:

“At Greenfield Academy, we believe that every student has the potential to thrive. Our personalized learning approach, combined with our state-of-the-art STEM facilities and award-winning arts program, ensures that each child receives the support and challenge they need to succeed academically, socially, and emotionally. With a 100% college acceptance rate and a diverse, inclusive community, Greenfield Academy prepares students for college and life.”

2. Identifying Key Content Themes and Topics

With your UVP in hand, you can start brainstorming the key themes and topics that will form the backbone of your content marketing efforts. These should be areas that align with your school's strengths, address your target audience's pain points and interests, and differentiate you from the competition.

Some potential content themes for K-12 private schools might include:

• Academic excellence and student achievement
• Character development and values-based education
• Innovative teaching methods and personalized learning
• Extracurricular offerings and student life
• Parent involvement and community engagement
• Faculty expertise and thought leadership

Within each of these broad themes, you can identify more specific topics and angles that will resonate with your target audience. For example, under the "academic excellence" theme, you might create content around your school's unique curriculum, advanced placement offerings, or college preparation resources.

3. Developing a Content Calendar

Once you have a list of potential content ideas, it's time to start organizing them into a cohesive plan. A content calendar is a helpful tool for mapping out your content creation and distribution efforts over a specific timeframe, typically a semester or school year.

When building your content calendar, consider factors such as:

• The optimal frequency and timing of your content (e.g., weekly blog posts, monthly newsletters, quarterly videos)
• The format and medium of each piece of content (e.g., written articles, infographics, podcasts, social media posts)
• The target audience and distribution channels for each piece of content
• Any relevant holidays, events, or milestones that you can tie your content to
• The resources and budget available for content creation and promotion

By having a clear plan in place, you can ensure that your content marketing efforts are consistent, strategic, and aligned with your overall enrollment goals.

How to Execute Your K-12 Private School Marketing Strategy and Plan

As education teaching methods become more advanced and progressive, it is critical to express what your private school's foundation symbolizes clearly. This is entirely customizable, and following a strategy and plan will help you cover all the bases:

• Forming a clear positioning statement 
• Using content to solve parents’ pain and passion points
• Conducting competitive research by studying competitors/industry thought leaders
• Developing a vault of content assets based on your team's ability and budget bandwidth
• Identifying the most effective marketing channels and strategies
• Discovering the content topics your audience craves
• Assessing your organization's need for resources
• Defining your unique value proposition
• Collecting your marketing materials
• Creating an online marketing strategy

Here’s how you do it:

Tell Your School's Story by Leading With Your Strengths

Promote your achievements, whether they are excellent test results or a K-12 Christian-based STEAM curriculum in your area. Parents have no trouble investing in their children if it matches their wants and resources.

Your executive summary should outline each aspect of your marketing plan. We recommend that you keep it on the table throughout the planning phase. Writing your positioning statement last, on the other hand, will guarantee that your entire plan is cohesive and adheres to your institution's aims. Your executive summary will serve as a cheat sheet of your plan and define your story for you and other parties (advisors, employees, financiers, etc.).

Remember that you have the ability to frame your content. What you promote might be the first time your target audience has heard of you. Make sure your school’s unique value proposition is appealing, professional, and uses complete concepts while still being concise.

Tell Your School's Story by Identifying Your School’s Weaknesses

Let’s be real: no school is perfect. Every institution has its weaknesses and areas for improvement. But here’s the thing - acknowledging and addressing these weaknesses can actually be a strength in disguise.

Think about it this way: if you’re willing to be transparent about your school’s challenges and show that you’re actively working to overcome them, prospective families will see that as a sign of honesty, self-awareness, and commitment to growth. It’s like saying, “Hey, we know we’re not perfect, but we’re not afraid to roll up our sleeves and do the hard work to get better.”

Of course, you don’t want to dwell on your weaknesses or let them overshadow your strengths. But by proactively identifying areas for improvement and having a clear plan in place to address them, you can turn potential negatives into compelling positives.

For example, let’s say Greenfield Academy has historically struggled with diversity and inclusion. Rather than shying away from this issue, the school could create content that highlights its new diversity initiatives, student and faculty stories, and community partnerships. Greenfield Academy can differentiate itself from competitors who may be glossing over similar challenges by showing that they’re taking concrete steps to create a more welcoming and equitable environment.

Tell Your School's Story by ‍Finding Hidden Opportunities 

Discovering assets you didn’t realize you had or were capable of will boost your value as a K-12 private school marketer. Keep in mind that your private school has a specialty or niche and a market that can and will impress both students and parents. Use your distinct message and suggestions to supplement existing strategies and give your school a marketing makeover. 

Tell Your School's Story by ‍‍Assessing External Threat(s)

Competitors aren't the only threats to be aware of. You should keep an eye out for new technological advancements, political factors, pressures, and local, regional, state, and global environmental challenges that will help you stay prepared. If you know what is happening, you can position yourself to keep your school at the top of prospects’ minds.

Tell Your School's Story by ‍‍Following Market Trends

You can keep ahead of your competition if you understand the climate and how your school fits within it. 

Use the market trends to inform you on:

• What needs to be developed?
• What parents and students need.
• What do they require, and which distribution channels should be used to reach them?
• How can you reduce the uncertainty prospects develop as part of the new process? 

Facilities, academics, technology, organizational structure, and spiritual life are essential areas of your offers that can be split into key categories to enhance your market growth. 

These key areas will be determined by research and conducting a long-range plan. This plan will help you determine which action items will be vital elements in the development of your plan.

Tell Your School's Story by ‍‍Knowing Your School’s Competition 

Know where you stand amongst competing schools. You must understand their distinct capabilities to ensure your school is on par with the other area alternatives. You may even determine where you can aim higher with this information. Knowing the qualities of competing institutions, such as the price or programs offered to students, can help you understand what you're up against. ‍

Tell Your School's Story by Outlining Your School’s Offerings

As part of your private school marketing plan, you will need to be able to answer the following questions:

• What sets your school apart?
• What areas is your school working on to improve your competitive edge? 
• Why should a parent pick your school over another? 
• Is your school up to date with helpful programs, technology, and software for students?

When you start outlining your school's offerings, you must review the above list and ensure your tuition is competitive. Showcase your teachers, administrators, and specialists, especially if they have rare specifications. Emphasizing these aspects of your school's ecosystem increases its worth. 

Each of the steps previously listed will help you settle comfortably within your school’s niche. Now that your objectives have been broadened, you may use marketing techniques targeting specific segments.

Five Types of School Marketing Plans & Channels

With your competitors in mind, it is crucial to employ a number of marketing strategies to increase your school’s brand recognition. Your next steps should be deliberate if you want to be perceived as a contender school. Begin by determining what sort of plan(s) you require:

Quarterly or Annual Marketing Strategy

Quarterly and annual marketing plans outline the techniques or initiatives you'll implement over a specific time period.

“Breaking News” Marketing Strategy

A "Breaking News" layout will guide the various ways you'll implement announcements to emphasize a new award, certification, or other excellent news you want to share with your target audience.

To execute your traditional and digital media strategies, you’ll want to use a variety of channels and strategies, such as the four following:

‍Paid Marketing Strategy

Pay-per-click (PPC), paid social media promotions, or native advertising should be considered and be part of your paid marketing strategy.

Initially, paid advertising can help you get steady leads until more organic methods, such as content marketing, kick in. With paid advertising, you can more effectively influence and inform specific segments of your target audience within your budget.

Your metrics will be easier to track, and this will aid you in reporting outcomes. This will help you measure your school’s success.

Here’s an example of what this looks like:

Best Practices for Paid Marketing:

• Define your target audience and create ad content that resonates with their needs and interests
• Use compelling headlines, visuals, and calls to action to grab attention and encourage clicks
• Optimize your landing pages to ensure a seamless user experience and maximize conversions
• Continuously monitor and adjust your campaigns based on performance data to improve ROI

Social Media Marketing Strategy

Social Media Marketing outlines the strategies, platforms, and methods you intend to use to achieve certain goals on social media for your school. If you want to increase traffic to your website, social media platforms are an excellent place to help lead prospects to your detailed resources. 

Social media platforms allow you to express your message through graphics, photos, images, and videos. This will help you expand your audience and generate more leads.

Social media networks should be seen as an extension of your website. They can be a quick way to get parents’ and students’ attention and maybe increase enrollment. Using various tactics, like hashtags, you can capture the parent and student personas you are aiming for. 

Here’s an example of what this looks like:

Best Practices for Social Media Marketing:

• Choose the platforms that align with your target audience and marketing goals
• Develop a content calendar that balances promotional posts with engaging, informative content
• Use visuals, videos, and interactive elements to capture attention and encourage sharing
• Engage with your followers by responding to comments, messages, and mentions in a timely manner
• Collaborate with influencers, parents, and students to create authentic, user-generated content
• Use social media advertising to reach new audiences and promote specific campaigns or events

Content Marketing Strategy

This covers the creative resources you develop to promote your school's offerings. These content assets could include strategies, tactics, and campaigns to communicate the school's mission from several perspectives.

This marketing strategy allows for the most unique material while still providing direction. Examples might be a school tradition or an awareness day.

Now that you've determined which tactics are best for your purposes put yourself in the shoes of the parent. This will help you tailor your content to reach your buyer persona.

Say you received a donation intended to help with STEAM learning. This is the perfect use case for the “Breaking News” Marketing plan. You can use the outlets and plan to announce not only the Dalmatian but also that you are focused on STEAM learning. 

This will work in your favor, primarily if your competition does not provide Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math curriculum. This will help elevate your school in the minds of parents who are willing to invest in their child's education.

You should have an objective in mind for each activity. The results, such as interactions over a given time, enrollment numbers, and metrics, will show your success and that of your K-12 private school. 

Best Practices for Blog Posts:

• Create a content calendar that covers a mix of informational, educational, and promotional topics
• Optimize your posts for search engines by using relevant keywords, meta descriptions, and header tags
• Use engaging headlines, visuals, and formatting to make your content easy to read and share
• Include calls-to-action that encourage readers to explore more of your content or take a specific action

Best Practices for Videos:

• Develop a variety of video content, such as school tours, student and faculty interviews, and event highlights
• Optimize your videos for different platforms (e.g., YouTube, Facebook, Instagram) and devices
• Use engaging thumbnails, titles, and descriptions to attract views and encourage sharing
• Include captions or transcripts to make your videos accessible to a wider audience

Best Practices for Infographics:

• Identify key data points, statistics, or processes that can be visualized in a compelling way
• Use a consistent color scheme and branding elements to make your infographics recognizable
• Break down complex information into easy-to-understand visuals and short, digestible text
• Promote your infographics across multiple channels and encourage others to share and republish them

Best Practices for Podcasts:

• Develop a podcast series that covers topics of interest to your target audience, such as parenting tips, education trends, or student success stories.
• Invite guest speakers, such as faculty members, alumni, or industry experts, to add variety and credibility to your content.
• Optimize your podcast for discoverability by using relevant keywords, categories, and tags.
• Promote your podcast episodes across your website, social media, and other marketing channels.

Get Your Website Listed in Local Searches

Apart from Google ranking, getting found in directories such as GreatSchools.org will help you get in front of your target audience.

Other Ideas to Consider 

In order to target prospective students or parents, try to launch your campaigns six months before the semester or enrollment begins. If families are researching options, they will be actively on the hunt around this time.

Measuring and Optimizing Your Results

Creating compelling content is just half the battle. To truly maximize the impact of your content marketing efforts, you need to consistently track, measure, and optimize your results. This means going beyond vanity metrics like page views and social media likes and digging deeper into the data to understand how your content is driving real outcomes for your school.

Some key metrics to track include:

• Website Traffic and Engagement: Look at metrics like unique visitors, bounce rate, time on page, and conversion rates to understand how well your content is resonating with your target audience.
• Social Media Performance: Track metrics like reach, engagement rate, and click-through rate to gauge the effectiveness of your social media content and identify top-performing posts.
• Lead Generation and Enrollment: Use tools like Google Analytics and CRM software to track the number of leads and enrollments your content is generating and which pieces of content are most effective at driving these outcomes.
• Brand Awareness and Sentiment: Monitor metrics like brand mentions, search volume, and sentiment analysis to understand how your content is impacting your school’s reputation and visibility.

By regularly reviewing these metrics and using them to inform your ongoing content strategy, you can continuously improve the effectiveness of your marketing efforts and drive better results for your school.

Overcoming Common Challenges

Of course, implementing a successful content marketing strategy is easier said than done. Private schools often face a number of challenges when it comes to creating and distributing high-quality content, such as:

• Limited Budgets and Resources: Many K-12 private schools have small marketing teams and tight budgets, making it difficult to invest in the tools, talent, and technologies needed to produce top-notch content.
• Resistance to Change: Some school leaders and stakeholders may be hesitant to embrace new marketing approaches, preferring to stick with traditional tactics like print ads and direct mail.
• Difficulty Standing Out: With so many schools vying for attention online, it can be challenging to create content that truly sets your institution apart and captures the interest of prospective families.

So, what’s a resourceful private school marketer to do? Here are a few tips for overcoming these common hurdles:

• Get Creative With Your Resources: Look for ways to repurpose and remix existing content, partner with other departments or organizations, and tap into the talents of your school community (e.g., student and faculty stories, alumni testimonials).
• Build Buy-in Through Education and Advocacy: Share success stories and best practices from other schools and help stakeholders understand the value and ROI of content marketing. Start small and build momentum over time.
• Focus on Quality Over Quantity: Instead of producing a large volume of mediocre content, prioritize creating fewer, more impactful pieces that showcase your school’s unique strengths and personality.
• Experiment and Iterate: Don’t be afraid to try new things and take calculated risks with your content. Use data and feedback to continuously refine your approach and double down on what works.

Maintaining Consistency and Coherence

Finally, it’s important to remember that effective content marketing is not just about creating individual pieces of content but about building a cohesive, recognizable brand across all touchpoints. This means ensuring that your messaging, visual identity, and customer experience are consistent and aligned, from your website and social media profiles to your campus tours and admissions events.

Some tips for maintaining brand consistency include:

• Develop clear brand guidelines and templates to ensure that all content adheres to your school’s visual and verbal identity.
• Create a central content repository or style guide that everyone on your team can access and reference.
• Regularly audit your content and channels to identify and address any inconsistencies or gaps.
• Provide training and resources to help all school employees understand and embody your brand values and voice.

Presenting a united front and delivering on your brand promise at every interaction will build trust, credibility, and loyalty among your target audience.

The Future of K-12 Private School Marketing

As the education landscape continues to evolve, so will the ways private schools market themselves to prospective families. While the fundamentals of great content marketing - understanding your audience, telling compelling stories, and providing genuine value - will remain constant, schools' tools and tactics to reach and engage their target audiences will undoubtedly change over time.

Some emerging trends and technologies that K-12 private school marketers should keep an eye on include:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning: AI-powered tools like chatbots, personalized recommendations, and predictive analytics can help schools provide more targeted, efficient, and engaging experiences for prospective families.
• Virtual and Augmented Reality: Immersive technologies like VR and AR can help schools bring their campus and programs to life in new and exciting ways, from virtual tours and open houses to interactive learning experiences.
• Voice Search and Smart Speakers: As more and more people use voice assistants like Siri and Alexa to find information online, schools will need to optimize their content and SEO strategies for voice search queries.
• Micro-Moments and Mobile Optimization: With the majority of web traffic now coming from mobile devices, schools need to ensure that their content is fast, responsive, and optimized for the small screen and that it caters to the micro-moments when prospective families are searching for quick answers and information on the go.

By staying attuned to these and other trends and continually adapting their content marketing strategies to meet their target audience's changing needs and preferences, private schools can position themselves for long-term success in an increasingly competitive and dynamic market.

Final Thoughts

In today’s crowded and complex educational landscape, content marketing is no longer a nice-to-have for private schools - it’s a must-have. By crafting compelling, authentic stories that showcase your school’s unique value proposition, engage your target audiences, and build trust and credibility over time, you can differentiate your institution, drive enrollment growth, and set your school up for long-term success.

Of course, effective content marketing is not a one-and-done endeavor - it requires ongoing effort, iteration, and optimization. But by following the strategies and tips outlined in this post and staying attuned to the ever-evolving trends and technologies shaping the future of education marketing, you can create a powerful content engine that will help your school thrive for years to come.

So what are you waiting for? It’s time to get started on your K-12 private school marketing journey. And if you ever feel stuck or overwhelmed along the way, just remember - you’ve got this. With a little creativity, perseverance, and a whole lot of heart, you can create content that not only fills your classrooms but also changes lives. Happy marketing!