In today’s digital age, social media has become a vital tool for raising awareness and promotion of K-12 private schools. By harnessing the potential of social media platforms, you can showcase your programs, campus life, and educational offerings to prospective students and their families.
Building a strong social media presence not only shapes your school’s brand but also increases awareness and ultimately leads to enrollment growth and revenue generation. It’s time to tap into the power of social media marketing to engage your target audience, foster a sense of community, differentiate your school from competitors, and gather valuable feedback.
Now let’s look at how to harness the power of social media marketing for K-12 private schools.
The Importance of Social Media Marketing for Private Schools
Social media marketing is crucial for K-12 private schools to raise awareness and promote unique features. Using social media platforms, K-12 private schools like yours can showcase your programs, campus life, and educational offerings to prospective students and their families. Social media marketing helps shape the school’s brand, increase awareness, and drive attendance, ultimately leading to enrollment growth and revenue generation.
Additionally, social media marketing allows private schools to engage with their target audience and create a sense of community. Schools can connect with current and prospective students, parents, alumni, and staff by maintaining a private school page or group for communication. Social media platforms like LinkedIn provide an opportunity to establish alumni networks, which can contribute to the school’s reputation and create a positive school environment.
Social media marketing also helps private schools differentiate themselves from their competitors. Schools can stand out in a crowded marketplace by crafting creative and tailored content that reflects the school’s brand and unique offerings. It allows them to highlight their curriculum, extracurricular activities, post-secondary success, and other factors influencing parents’ decisions when choosing a private school for their children.
Furthermore, social media marketing allows private schools to engage in two-way communication and gather feedback from their audience. By actively engaging with the community, creating interactive experiences, and regularly reviewing data, schools can make necessary adjustments to their marketing strategies for continuous improvement. This helps schools understand the needs and preferences of their target audience and tailor their offerings accordingly.
Social Media Users Increase Everyday
“In 2020, over 3.6 billion people were using social media worldwide, a number projected to increase to almost 4.41 billion in 2025.” (Source: Statista) With more users on these platforms, the more prospective students and their families you will find. However, a solid social media marketing strategy will be required to reach your audience effectively.
Social Media Users Are Spending Hours on the Platforms
Social media has become integral to many people’s lives, providing a platform for communication, entertainment, and information-sharing. It offers opportunities to connect with friends and family, follow news and events, discover new interests, and engage with various types of content. Therefore, the amount of time users typically spend on social media platforms can vary depending on various factors such as age, location, and personal preferences. However, typically users spend an average of approximately 2 to 3 hours per day on social media platforms.
Users Will Search Social Media for Private Schools and Programs
Social Browsers are Engaged with Brands
GlobalWebIndex in 2018 surveyed 8,200 people aged 16-64 and determined in one month that 54% of them use social media to research products. Interestingly, nearly 4 out of 10 visited and liked or followed a brand.
With statistics like that, a private school can leverage the power of social media to increase awareness among students and their parents. People tend to follow schools that align with their values, and schools that are active and engage with their users will gain greater traction.
What Are the Main Benefits of Each Social Media Platform?
Did you know there are hundreds of social media channels on the internet, with more coming out each day? However, four stand out based on their popularity and the number of active users on these platforms.
Currently, the top ones private schools should consider are:
- The largest age group on Facebook is 25-34 years old. (Source: Sprout Social)
- Facebook has a large user base, with 2.963 billion monthly active users. (Source: Statista)
- Extensive reach and ability to promote brand awareness, facilitate communication, and encourage interaction
- Efficient for sharing information and providing updates on important events, announcements, and academic achievements
- Encourages trust and transparency through comment sections and groups, fostering a sense of community and open communication
- Targeted advertising capability to reach specific demographics and enhance engagement
- Offers analytics tools and scheduling options for optimizing content strategy and maintaining a consistent presence
- Instagram attracts a larger percentage of Gen Z users, primarily due to its focus on short-form video content through features like Reels. (Source: Sprout Social)
- Largest age group: 18-24 (30.8%) (Source: Statista)
- It’s a strong visual platform for engaging students and showcasing school activities through photos and videos
- Utilize branded hashtags for increased community involvement and awareness
- Diverse features like Stories, Highlights, IGTV, and Reels for creating engaging and entertaining content
- Establish authenticity and a sense of belonging by sharing real testimonials from students, parents, and faculty
- Educational benefits within the classroom, allowing teachers to engage with students, showcase work, and provide additional resources
YouTube
- YouTube has 2.1 billion monthly active users and is a social network and a streaming service. (Source: Sprout Social)
- YouTube appeals to a wide range of age groups, but the most popular are 15-35 year olds. (Source: Khoros )
- Users primarily visit YouTube for entertainment purposes, such as watching videos, rather than specifically engaging with brands.
- Powerful video platform for showcasing activities and sharing educational content
- Educational potential by creating and curating videos that complement the curriculum and enhance the learning experience
- Showcase student achievements and highlight school activities to foster pride and connection
- Visual and interactive nature to deliver content engagingly and interactively
- Communication tool for parents, providing informative videos and updates conveniently
- Pinterest has a predominantly female user base. (Source: Sprout Social)
- It’s a visual platform for showcasing activities, sharing educational resources, and engaging with parents and students
- It’s also a resource-sharing platform for supporting parents’ involvement and providing additional learning opportunities
- Foster a sense of community through collaborative boards and interactive participation
- Showcase unique identity and culture, attracting prospective families seeking specific characteristics
- Potential for long-term visibility and discoverability of content
- LinkedIn’s Largest age group: 30-39 (31%) (Souce: Statista )
- Supports professional connections, alumni engagement, and accessing professional development opportunities for educators
- Foster connections within the school community and engage parents, students, and alumni
- Networking opportunities for alumni engagement and lifelong connection
- Promote the school's brand and attract potential faculty members
- Expand professional networks and access career opportunities for educators
Benefits of Social Media for Brand Building at Private Schools
Humanize Your Private School
One of the most important advantages of social media for private schools is the ability to make genuine human connections. Introduce your followers to the individuals that make up your school community and demonstrate how current students benefit from your educational offerings. Authenticity helps build trust, which produces positive perceptions and attracts new students and their families. Social media is an excellent platform to showcase your school's values, prioritize the well-being of your students and parents, and illustrate how your educational programs work in real life.
Establish Your Private School as a Thought Leader
According to the 2021 Edelman Trust Barometer, while there has been a recent shift toward distrust of government, non-governmental organizations, and the media, businesses are institutions with a 61 percent degree of trust. People turn to companies for insights and information, and there's no better place to deliver it than on social media.
Keep Your Private School Top of Mind
Seven out of ten Facebook users say they visit the site daily, according to a 2021 study by the Pew Research Center. The same study also found that half of the respondents admit to checking social media multiple times per day. Every time a student or their parent logs into social media, you have the opportunity to connect with them. Keep your social media postings engaging, educational, and relevant to your school community. By doing so, you will remain top of mind, ensuring that your school is the first choice when students and their families are ready to make educational decisions.
Benefits of Social Media for Private School Enrollment and Growth
Increase Website Traffic
Social media postings and sponsored posts are effective techniques to generate visitors to your school's website. Posting unique information, such as educational blog posts, can be a terrific strategy to acquire viewers as soon as you publish new content. Participating in social media conversations can also help boost your school's exposure, attract new users' attention, showcase your educational expertise, and generate traffic to your website. Be sure to provide genuine value while promoting your school's offerings. You can also use UTM tracking tags to help track the engagement and ROI of your social posts. Hootsuite has an excellent post about them that you can find here.
Generate Leads
Social media offers an easy and low-commitment way for potential students and their families to express interest in your private school and its programs. Lead generation is a significant advantage of social media for schools, and many social networks offer advertising formats specifically designed to collect leads. By effectively utilizing social media, you can attract prospective students and their parents, fostering meaningful connections and guiding them toward enrollment.
Boost Enrollment
As the number of individuals utilizing social media grows and social sales technologies expand, social networks will become increasingly significant for educational program discovery and finding the right school. Integrating your social marketing activities with your enrollment objectives is essential. You can boost your private school's enrollment by integrating your social media efforts with your enrollment objectives. Social media platforms provide opportunities to showcase your school's unique programs, facilities, and achievements, attracting the attention of prospective students and their families.
Benefits of Using Social Media for Content Creation and Distribution
Promote Content
Promoting your blogs, articles, and other educational content on social media is an excellent way to get valuable information in front of new people. Sharing well-researched and relevant content allows you to demonstrate your expertise, establish your school as a trusted educational resource, and expand your following. A solid content marketing strategy and effective social media promotion can drive engagement and build a loyal online community.
Source Content
Social media offers two primary methods for private schools to acquire content:
- Source Ideas: Engage with your followers and ask them what educational topics they want to learn more about. Conduct surveys, polls, and discussions to gather valuable insights and create content that resonates with your audience's interests and needs.
- User-Generated Content (UGC): Encourage your students and their families to share their experiences, achievements, and positive moments related to your school. Use hashtags and contests to collect user-generated content, which can be shared on your social media platforms. UGC increases brand awareness and fosters a sense of community among your school's stakeholders.
Benefits of Social Media for Private School Communication
Reputation Management
Your students and their parents are already talking about your school on social media, whether you are there or not. By actively monitoring social posts about your school, you can promptly highlight positive feedback and address any concerns or negative comments. Proactively managing your school's reputation on social media helps maintain a positive perception, build trust, and address any issues before they escalate.
Student and Parent Engagement
Social media platforms enable you to communicate directly with your students and their parents, allowing them to interact with your school. Unlike traditional communication channels, social media allows two-way conversation, fostering engagement and building stronger relationships. By maintaining an active presence on social media, responding to comments and questions, and providing valuable information, you can enhance the overall student and parent experience.
Customer Service and Support
Students and their families expect schools to be available on social media, and they often turn to social accounts for customer support. About 50% of social media users want brands to respond to them on social media within three hours. Social media platforms offer students and parents a convenient and efficient way to seek assistance, ask questions, and receive prompt support. You can promptly address inquiries and provide helpful guidance to enhance your school’s community’s overall satisfaction and experience.
Benefits of Social Media for Gaining Insights
Learn More About Your Students
Social media generates a considerable amount of data about your students in real time. By analyzing social media insights and demographic information, you can gain valuable insights into your student body’s preferences, interests, and behaviors. This information allows you to tailor your educational programs, services, and communication strategies to better meet your student’s needs.
Gauge Sentiment Around Your Private School
Monitoring social media conversations about your school provides valuable insights into how your brand is perceived. Understanding the positive and negative sentiments surrounding your school helps you identify areas for improvement, address concerns, and showcase the positive aspects of your educational offerings. By staying on top of social media sentiment, you can effectively manage your school’s reputation and ensure your messaging aligns with your students and their families’ expectations and experiences.
Keep an Eye on the Competition
Monitoring your competitors on social media lets you gain valuable insights into their strategies, offerings, and brand perception. By tracking their activities and engagement, you can identify opportunities for differentiation, stay informed about industry developments, and benchmark your school’s performance against others. This knowledge empowers you to make informed decisions and remain competitive in the educational landscape.
Stay on Top of Industry News
Social media provides a convenient and real-time industry news and trends source. You can stay updated on developments that may impact your school by actively listening to social media conversations and following relevant educational thought leaders and organizations. This knowledge allows you to adapt your academic programs, curriculum, and teaching methodologies to remain at the forefront of educational innovation.
Benefits of Social Media for Proving ROI: Reporting and Analytics
Demonstrating return on investment (ROI) is a challenge for many marketers. However, social media tracking and analytics tools provide valuable insights into the impact of your social media activities. By analyzing key metrics such as followers, engagement, website traffic, and conversions, you can measure the effectiveness of your social media efforts and make data-driven decisions. Utilizing UTM tracking tags and other analytics features, you can attribute conversions and assess the value social media brings to your private school.
Social Media Is for Building Relationships, Not Just for Promotion
It's essential to approach social media as a platform for building relationships and fostering engagement with students and their families. Rather than solely focusing on promotional content, aim to create meaningful connections and provide value to your audience. Answer their questions, address their concerns, and showcase the unique aspects of your private school. By consistently engaging with your followers and cultivating a positive online presence, you can increase brand loyalty, establish credibility, and position your school as the preferred choice for quality education.
In Conclusion
As a private school administrator, you're constantly seeking ways to enhance your school's visibility and attract students and their families. Social media is a powerful tool that allows you to engage with your target audience, expand your reach, promote your educational programs, and establish your school's unique voice. By leveraging the benefits of social media, you can effectively communicate your school's value proposition, nurture relationships, and drive enrollment. If you're looking for expert assistance with social media marketing for your k-12 private school, feel free to contact me. We at Cube Creative Design specialize in helping private schools succeed in their social media efforts.
