When running a private school, it can be challenging to stand out from the competition. Private schools can vary in size, but for this article, we will define them as schools with fewer than 500 students. With so many options available, how can your private school get noticed?
When running a private school, it can be challenging to stand out from all the other public and independent schools in your community. According to a study by the National Center for Education Statistics in the 2019–20 school year, almost 1 out of every 4 schools were considered private in the United States.
As we approach the 2023-24 school year, you may be looking at what you can cut to save money. Often marketing is one of the first things people look to cut. However, I am here to tell you that is the last thing you want to do.
While traditional advertising methods can be costly and nearly impossible to measure, private schools have never had more accessible access to low-cost, measurable marketing tools. The best way to market your school may be much more accessible than you think. Here are some of my top ten tips to help you market your private school effectively:
1. Be a Recognizable Brand in Your Community
Creating a brand for your private school is essential. A strong brand can help differentiate your private school from your competitors, increase your visibility and recognition in the community, and build trust with potential parents.
To develop a strong brand, defining your school’s unique value proposition and messaging is essential. What sets your school apart from others? What are your core values and mission? All branding efforts should reflect these elements, including your logo, website design, and marketing materials.
Your school’s logo should represent your school and its values. While many low-cost logo options are available, investing in a professionally designed logo will make your school appear more trustworthy and professional.
Continuing consistency is also vital, as all branding should be consistent regarding color schemes, typography, and overall style. This helps create a cohesive and recognizable brand identity.
Finally, it’s essential to actively manage your school’s brand reputation by monitoring social media and online reviews and responding appropriately to negative feedback. By prioritizing branding efforts, private schools like yours can establish a solid and memorable presence in their community and ultimately attract and retain more students.
2. Have a Modern and Professional Website
A website is necessary for any business or organization; private schools are no exception. Your website must be the hub for all your school’s marketing efforts. It should also provide a platform to showcase your school’s values, programs, and achievements.
However, it’s important to note that a website is not just a static page. Your website should be a dynamic, interactive tool that requires careful planning, design, and development to be effective. While many DIY website builders are available, they often fall short in customization, functionality, and user experience.
In contrast, hiring a professional web design and development company can ensure your website is tailored to your school’s specific needs and objectives. A professional designer can create a visually appealing website, meets accessibility standards, is user-friendly, loads quickly, is easy to navigate, and provides all the necessary information for parents and students.
In addition, a professional web designer can ensure that your website is optimized for search engines, making it more likely to be found by potential students and their families. Investing in a professional website is crucial in establishing a strong online presence and attracting new students to your school.
3. Utilize a Blog
A blog can be a powerful tool for private schools to convey their experience, expertise, authority, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) to potential students and their families. By creating informative and engaging content, schools can establish themselves as thought leaders in their industry and provide valuable insights and resources to their audience. Blogs can also help your school stay top-of-mind with your audience by regularly sharing updates, news, and events.
You can showcase your unique programs, achievements, and values through your school’s blog content. For example, a blog post highlighting a successful community service project or an innovative educational program can demonstrate the school’s commitment to providing a well-rounded education and positively impacting the community. Blogs can help parents and students decide whether the school is a good fit for their needs and interests by providing a glimpse into the school's culture and values.
Moreover, blogs can help build trust with potential students and families by demonstrating the school’s expertise and authority in their field. By sharing insights and opinions on relevant topics and trends, schools can show that they are up-to-date on the latest developments in education and are committed to staying at the forefront of their industry. Blogging can also allow schools to showcase the expertise and accomplishments of their faculty and staff, further bolstering their authority and credibility.
The bottom line is that blogging is a great way to drive traffic to your website and establish your school as an authority in education.
4. Optimize Your Landing Pages
Having landing pages can be an effective tool for private schools to drive traffic and conversions on their website. Landing pages can help schools target specific audience segments and provide a more personalized experience tailored to their needs and interests.
By creating landing pages optimized for search engines and targeted at specific keywords or phrases, schools can increase their visibility and attract more qualified leads to their website. Landing pages can promote particular programs or events, such as open houses, campus tours, or summer camps. By providing a clear and compelling value proposition and a simple call-to-action, landing pages can encourage visitors to take action and engage with the school further.
In addition, landing pages can help your school gather valuable data and insights into your audience. Schools can track visitor behavior and collect contact information from potential leads using lead capture forms and analytics tools. This information can then tailor future marketing efforts and improve conversion rates.
Overall, landing pages can be a powerful tool for private schools looking to increase conversions and attract more qualified leads to their website. By creating targeted, personalized, and compelling landing pages, schools can provide a better user experience, drive more traffic, and ultimately increase enrollment and retention rates.
5. Develop an Elevator Pitch
You should always be marketing, no matter where you are. As a result, you will need a compelling “elevator pitch” or a short statement that says not what you do but how you help parents and students.
According to studies, the typical adult’s attention span is six to eight seconds. That’s all you’ve got to get someone’s attention.
So instead of saying you are the principal at “Trinity Christian School,” you could say, “I am a principal at Trinity Christian School where we help students and parents by offering them different educational opportunities through a Christ-focused curriculum more tailored to each student’s needs.”
6. Leverage Your Community
Marketing your school in your local community is a great way to get noticed. Consider joining the local business community to help drum up support and awareness. Getting involved can increase your school’s recognition and build relationships with potential parents.
7. Get Reviews
Reviews are crucial for private schools, just like small businesses. In today’s digital age, online reviews are often the first point of contact between potential students and their families and the school. Bright Local says, “90% of consumers read online reviews before visiting a business.” And from an older survey conducted by Dimensional Research, 86% are influenced by negative online reviews.
In addition, reviews can help private schools gather valuable feedback and insights from their students, families, and staff. By listening to the concerns and suggestions of their community, schools can identify areas for improvement and make necessary changes to enhance the educational experience. Reviews can also help schools identify strengths and unique selling points that can be highlighted in their marketing efforts.
Moreover, reviews can help private schools improve their search engine rankings and online visibility. When ranking websites, Google and other search engines consider the quantity and quality of reviews. Therefore, having many positive reviews can help schools appear higher in search results, attract more traffic to their website, and ultimately increase enrollment and retention rates.
8. Optimize your Google Business Profile
Depending on your source, Google holds anywhere from 92% market share worldwide to 93% of the search market between all their properties. Regardless of how much they own, your Google Business Profile (GBP) is the front door to your website. Optimize it by providing accurate and up-to-date information about your school. Encourage parents to leave reviews on your profile to increase your chances of appearing in search results.
9. Utilize Social Media
Social media is a powerful tool for marketing your school. Make sure to have a presence on platforms your target audience uses and provide engaging content that encourages interaction.
Just remember to keep the “social” in social media.
10. Using SEO to get R-E-S-P-E-C-T from Google
You need to utilize good SEO techniques to get some respect from Google. This means every page on their website has an equal opportunity to rank on the first page of search results, just like your competitors. However, it takes time and effort to see results without a solid SEO strategy. Without one, it may take even longer, or the website may never rank well. Achieving the number one spot on Google can take extensive knowledge and hard work, and it won’t happen overnight. By investing in good SEO practices, private schools can increase their online presence and attract more potential students and families.
Bonus
If you think this list is daunting, don’t fret. It can be a lot to try to handle on your own. I would strongly suggest looking to an outside agency to help. Don’t look to your father’s brother’s nephew’s cousin’s former roommate for help unless you know they specialize in assisting private schools like yours. Remember that marketing is an investment. The goal is to get more back than you put in. It will be worth it if your digital marketing agency does that for you.
At Cube Creative, we can help you with all or some items on this list. Reach out to us for a free consultation!
