What key factors do you think most influence Gen Z and millennial parents' private school selection? Compelling academics? Nurturing community? Whatever it is, getting the attention of these parents in a competitive private school marketplace is challenging but critical to driving your school's enrollment. Private schools like yours can effectively communicate your value proposition and stand out by taking a strategic, multi-faceted approach. This article outlines the five steps for marketing your private school to parents.
Gen Z and Millennial Mindsets
Before we get into the steps, it’s important to understand the age range and mindset of your prospective students' parents.
Let's first look at the percentage of the US population and their generational names:
As you can see, Gen Z and Millennials make up over 40% of the US population. And when it comes to these Gen Z and Millennial parents, we also have to realize they have spent the past two decades trying to find their economic footing. They have seen a college debt crisis, two recessions, a once-in-100-year pandemic, and the worst labor market in the last 50 years.
In an interview with Juliana Kaplan of Business Insider, Jean M. Twenge says, “The good news is that median incomes for younger adults are at all-time highs, even when adjusted for inflation.”
While these generations may make more money, they postpone major life decisions. A survey by Deloitte in late 2022 said that over 5 out of 10 Gen Z and nearly the same amount millennials found that “many say it will become harder or impossible to buy a house, start a family, ask for a promotion, or start a new job if the economy doesn’t improve.” Also, over the past few years, the birth rates for those ages 20 to 34 have all fallen while the birth rate among 40- to 45-year-olds has slowly been ticking up; it's even more pronounced for those ages 35 to 39.
A Once-In-A-Generation Transformation
National School Choice Week states, “K-12 education in America is experiencing a once-in-a-generation transformation, as tens of millions of parents rethink their children’s education and make crucial decisions about how and where their children learn.” Parents are far more interested in school choices, including nontraditional learning models.
Additionally, the National School Choice Week survey found that:
- Nearly 65% of parents wish they had more information about schooling options for their children. 75% of parents aged 18-29 and 65% aged 30-44 shared the same sentiment.
- 7 out of 10 Black or African American and Hispanic or Latino parents also wanted more information.
Additional Statistics of Note
- Demand Sage says that over 7 out of 10 Generation Alpha parents are Millennials.
- Millennial parents, having reached their 40s, are opting for private or religious schools. (Source: NAIS)
Foundational Strategy - Marketing Plan
Given all this information, your first step is to develop an overarching marketing plan that defines your positioning, establishes goals, identifies target parent demographics, analyzes competitors, and maps out campaigns across channels. This plan will serve as the blueprint that connects and guides all other efforts. Be sure to highlight what makes your school truly unique.
Differentiation and Value Proposition
While research shows academic reputation and college preparation are dominant reasons parents choose private schools, it begs the question of whether you still need to showcase why your school is better than competitors. The answer is yes. You must communicate your unique programs, offerings, outcomes, and culture across messaging.
For example, our fictional Greenfield Academy’s project-based curriculum empowers creativity. They start students’ STEM education in kindergarten with hands-on robotics clubs and coding classes that most schools wait until middle school to introduce. Their website and virtual tours highlight unique offerings like outdoor learning labs nurturing hands-on science exploration.
The bottom line is that you want to tie results back to why parents care - college scholarships earned, higher test scores, and rewards for creative thinking over memorization.
Digital Marketing & Content Creation
Your website is the hub for digitally bringing your differentiation to life. Things you should do include:
- Invest in an intuitive, mobile-friendly website that spotlights your unique academic, extracurriculars, and facilities.
- Use engaging copy, student spotlights, and interactive elements like virtual tours, 3D walkthroughs, and calendars.
- Produce targeted landing pages detailing your standout programs.
- Optimize pages for keywords parents search, like “best area private schools,” to improve search visibility.
- Craft an engaging social media presence to highlight student activities and successes.
- Share school-wide announcements and articles about education.
- Encourage community members to share experiences.
- Use email nurturing campaigns with informative content about admissions, programs, and results tailored to prospect needs.
Engagement & Reputation-Building
Word-of-mouth marketing carries incredible influence. Here are a few things you can do to help with engagement and reputation building:
- Consider surveying your parents on areas of satisfaction and dissatisfaction.
- Ask for referrals to other potential students’ parents.
- Ask for reviews on sites like GreatSchools and Niche.
- Feature authentic testimonials and transform satisfied parents into brand advocates.
- Foster a sense of community with family events and involvement opportunities, strengthening retention and relationships.
- Stay involved from prospect interest through the enrollment journey.
- Offer a streamlined process and tailored communications to guide families along.
Advertising & Promotion
While organic reach builds critical relationships, paid advertising can amplify awareness about your school. Consider the following:
- Use Google Ads to target parents searching local private schools and emphasize what makes you unique.
- Retarget engaged website visitors through channels like Facebook and Instagram.
- Create customized audience lists based on demographics and interests reflective of your ideal families.
- Experiment with display ads on parenting blogs and educational websites.
- Partner with local magazines, radio stations, or community hubs for sponsored exposure to area parents.
Be sure to weigh the risks of overspending against prospective return on investment per channel and campaign and set clear success metrics like cost per lead or applicant influenced.
Bonus: Adapt Continuously
Listen to shifting parent preferences with surveys and adjust offerings accordingly. Track competitor actions and fine-tune your proposition and messaging as the marketplace evolves.
Conclusion
Distinguishing and marketing your private school effectively is essential to your stability and growth. You can convey differentiation and drive enrollment in a changing environment by taking an orchestrated approach across digital experiences, community engagement, reputation-building, and strategic promotions. The schools finding success connect with parent motivators and priorities online and offline.
If you need help developing or executing a comprehensive marketing strategy tailored for your private school, I am here to help. Reach out to me today for a free 30-minute consultation.
