As a private school admissions officer, your primary responsibility is to get more potential families to enroll their children in your institution. While there are many ways to attract new students, leveraging email marketing is one of the most effective methods in today's digital age.
Email sales cadence is the art of crafting a set of automated emails that are sent to your prospective families, designed to be compelling and informative in order to nurture them through the sales funnel. In this blog post, we will discuss how a private school can effectively use an email sales cadence to walk a potential family through the sales funnel.
Understanding the Sales Funnel
Before walking your potential family through the sales funnel, you need to understand it first. Depending on your institution, the sales funnel for your private school may vary. In most cases, the funnel stages include leading with awareness, consideration, decision, and, finally, enrollment. Once you know the funnel stages of your private school, you can then develop targeted and compelling content to cater to each stage. Typically, prospective families who are at the awareness stage of the funnel will be interested in general information about your school.
Those who are at the consideration stage would want to learn about the programs, features, reviews, and such. Families who are at the decision stage would want to learn about the application process, admission requirements, and deadlines. And for those at the enrollment stage, they would want to know about financial aid, scholarships and lastly, to complete the enrollment process. Once you've understood which content to distribute at each funnel stage, you can then start the email sales cadence.
Creating Compelling Emails
Within the email sales cadence, your emails should be designed to match each funnel stage. Each email in the series is unique and specific to the stage of the prospect; you should adjust the content of the email accordingly. A compelling subject line is crucial. Use attention-grabbing lines and taglines to encourage the recipient to open the email. Furthermore, ensure that your emails provide valuable content, such as personalized recommendations or a list of frequently asked questions relevant to your institution. For videos - add a feature of promoting campus life, teacher and student interaction, and personalized student experience at your institution. Creating personalized emails can increase the open rate and response rate by a massive percentage.
Scheduling Cadences
A successful email sales cadence requires effective cadence scheduling. Set a cadence to follow up with prospects after every few days to a week. Giving too much or too little attention at different stages of the sales funnel can quickly kill the interest of a prospect. Writing personalized emails requires a few days to a week, and scheduling the next email concisely between each email can help retain the interest and trust of the prospect.
Measuring and Optimizing
Once you have launched the email sales cadence, you can track and measure how the campaign is performing. Keep track of how many emails were opened, click-through rates, and engagements of the campaign. Analyzing the data will help identify things that need improvement, and you can then optimize the emails in the cadence accordingly. If a particular email within the cadence is not getting the result you expected, analyze the content, and seek ways to improve it.
Last but not least – Consider Automating the Cadence
Using automation software can significantly simplify the process of creating and launching the email sale cadence. Most modern marketing automation platforms offer an all-in-one solution to lead nurturing, segmentation, contact information management, reports, and integration into other supporting systems.
Private School Email Cadence Examples
In the examples below, we are using our example school, Greenfield Academy. It is important to customize the email wherever possible using the parent and student names.
General Email
Subject: [Student's Name] at Greenfield Academy
Dear [First name],
Greetings from Greenfield Academy! We are thrilled to have the opportunity to introduce ourselves to you and [Student's Name]. As an admissions officer, I am here to guide you through the admissions process and answer any questions you may have about us.
When looking at Greenfield Academy, ask [Student's Name]:
- What does [Student's Name] love learning about?
- What are [Student's Name]'s favorite activities?
- Would [Student's Name] enjoy learning a second language?
- What is most essential for you to, [parent first name], when looking for a school for [Student's Name]?
At Greenfield Academy, we pride ourselves on providing a top-tier education that fosters personal growth, academic achievement, and community involvement. Our dedicated team of educators is committed to creating a safe and supportive environment where students can thrive.
We offer a comprehensive curriculum that emphasizes creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration. Our classes are designed to challenge and inspire students, encouraging them to pursue their passions and develop the skills necessary to succeed in the 21st century.
We also value extracurricular activities and offer a range of programs that allow students to explore their interests and build leadership skills. From athletics to arts, our extracurriculars are designed to complement our academic program and promote well-rounded students.
In addition, we prioritize diversity and inclusivity in everything we do. Our community is made up of students from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, and we celebrate the unique perspectives that each student brings to our school.
If you are interested in learning more about Greenfield Academy, I invite you to schedule a visit to our campus. We would be happy to give you a tour and answer any questions you may have about our admissions process.
Thank you for considering Greenfield Academy for your family. We hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
Admissions Officer at Greenfield Academy
STEM Focused Email
Subject: [Student's Name] and STEM at Greenfield Academy
Dear [First name],
We are thrilled to introduce you to our private school community where we believe in providing our students like [Student's Name] with the best possible education to empower them to achieve their full potential. At Greenfield Academy, we take great pride in our dedication to offering a comprehensive curriculum centered around STEM.
In today's rapidly advancing world, the importance of STEM education cannot be overstated. That's why our school has made it our mission to ensure that our students are at the forefront of these critical fields, prepared to not only excel but also thrive in an ever-changing job market. Our STEM programs provide our students with hands-on learning opportunities that foster critical thinking skills and creativity, preparing them for the challenges of tomorrow.
Our highly knowledgeable and experienced faculty have created individually tailored curriculum that is designed to meet the unique needs and interests of each student, ensuring that every child receives a rigorous education that challenges them academically while also allowing them to explore their interests.
We take a holistic approach to education that emphasizes character development, strong communication skills, and leadership qualities; all necessary for success in STEM and beyond. Our students graduate as confident young leaders, equipped with the skills and knowledge to pursue their goals in any field they desire.
At Greenfield Academy, we believe that our students and families are part of a thriving community that supports each other. Our school features a variety of extracurricular activities and programs that help our students develop social skills and engage with their peers, making lifelong connections along the way.
Please don't hesitate to reach out should you have any questions about our school or admission process. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
Admissions Officer at Greenfield Academy
Athletics Focused Email
Subject: [Student's Name] and Athletics at Greenfield Academy
Dear [First name],
We just wanted to drop a quick note to let you know how excited we are about the possibility of having your family join our Greenfield Academy community! Our admissions team has been hard at work putting together a personalized plan to meet your family's individual needs throughout the admissions process.
As you may know, our school is renowned for its excellence in athletics. Our students have access to outstanding facilities, talented coaches, and a supportive community of fellow athletes. Our students have gone on to achieve great success both athletically and academically, with many securing scholarships at top universities across the country.
But our school isn't only about athletics. Our curriculum is rigorous, our faculty is top-tier, and we offer a wide range of extracurricular activities to nurture well-rounded individuals. Our goal is to inspire a lifelong love of learning and personal growth in each of our students, and we believe that our school is uniquely positioned to do just that.
We would love to schedule a tour of our school for you and your family so that you can see firsthand what makes Greenfield Academy so special. During your visit, you'll have the opportunity to meet with teachers, coaches, and other students, as well as get a feel for our state-of-the-art athletic facilities. We're confident that you'll love what you see!
We hope that you'll take some time to consider our school as you make this important decision. Our team is committed to providing you with all of the information and support you need as you navigate the admissions process. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.
Best Regards,
[Your Name and Title]
Admissions Officer at Greenfield Academy
Small Class Size Email
Subject: [Student's Name] at Greenfield Academy
Dear [First name],
Thank you for considering our K-12 private school! We understand that choosing the right school for your child can be a daunting task, and we're here to make this process as smooth and informative as possible.
One of our key differentiators at [School Name] is our commitment to small class sizes. We believe that in order for students to reach their full potential, they need individual attention and support. That's why our average class size is only [number], with a maximum of [number] students in each class. This allows our teachers to get to know each student personally, address their unique strengths and challenges and tailor their instruction accordingly.
Our dedication to small class sizes is not just an empty promise. As an accredited institution, we comply with rigorous standards that ensure our faculty-to-student ratio remains low. We hire only qualified and experienced educators who share our philosophy and values. We invest in technology and resources that enhance both teaching and learning, from interactive whiteboards to online learning platforms.
But don't just take our word for it. Our parents and students consistently give us high marks for the quality of education they receive. Our graduates go on to top colleges and universities, armed with critical thinking skills, problem-solving abilities, and a love for learning that will serve them well throughout their lives.
We would be honored to show you around our campus, introduce you to our faculty and staff, and answer any questions you may have. We offer various opportunities for you to visit us, including open houses, tours, and shadow days. We understand that your time is valuable, so we promise to make the most out of your visit and provide you with all the information you need to make an informed decision.
Thank you again for considering [School Name]. We hope to hear from you soon and welcome your family into our community.
Warm regards,
[Your name]
Admissions Officer, Greenfield Academy
Email Focused on Scheduling an In-person Tour
Subject: You are invited to tour Greenfield Academy
Dear [First Name],
We are so excited to have you consider Greenfield Academy for your child's education! Our private school offers a unique and unparalleled educational experience that is tailored to meet the individual educational needs of each student.
We understand that choosing the right school for your child is a big decision, and we are here to help. To give you a better understanding of our school and what we have to offer, we would like to invite you to schedule an in-person tour of our campus.
During your visit, you will have the opportunity to meet with our team of experienced educators and administrators, see our state-of-the-art facilities, and get a first-hand look at our exceptional academic and extracurricular programs. We believe that once you see everything that Greenfield Academy has to offer, you will understand why it is the perfect place for your child to thrive both academically and personally.
To schedule your tour and learn more about our school, please reply to this email or give us a call at [Phone Number]. We look forward to hearing from you soon!
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
Admissions Officer, Greenfield Academy
Conclusion
Crafting a personalized email sales cadence requires understanding your sales funnel and crafting targeted emails for every stage. With the right approach, scheduling, and automation, you can get students and parents to enroll in your private school. Use the comprehensive guide discussed above to create a personalized email sales cadence that brings in new families. Make sure you have a strong value proposition for your institution, create a personal touch to your emails, align the email cadence with the sales funnel stage, measure and optimize the campaign, and most importantly, use automation software for effective tracking and execution.
If you need help optimizing your private school email sales cadences or help in general marketing your k-12 private school, reach out to me. I am here to help you and your school increase enrollment year after year.
