3 Marketing Strategies to Increase School Enrolment

Hello Friend,

Let’s face it. Times have changed. Some of the strategies that worked back then no longer work. Things are changing faster than we can keep up.

Relying on referrals alone won’t do much. Like all businesses, schools need a marketing plan. However, school marketing is one area that school administrators often neglect. In this week’s SAFLetters, let’s look at some marketing ideas you can implement in your school.?

The fierce competition for students

The school ecosystem is a competitive one. With new schools springing up at every corner of the city, retaining current students and attracting new ones becomes a fierce battle. Before now, schools only had to compete with other schools within their locality.

However, globalization and digitalization have set in. Hence, schools now compete with other schools across the world. Parents and wards can see the ads of schools in other localities, visit their websites and apply for admission. With eLearning, schools in distant climes can also enrol students living in areas where they have no physical presence.

With this trend staring school administrators in the face, there is the need to start thinking like a marketer. That's how to beat the competition and stay on your game. If you are still wondering what school marketing will do for your school, it will:

- Help you attract and connect with parents

- Increase your enrolments and bring in more students

- Increase your revenue and help your school remain profitable

- Help you stay above the competition and differentiate your school

- Help you to attract high-quality teachers and other staff members

- Grow and improve your school's overall image

What School Marketing is Not

School marketing is not a single event or activity. It is not something that you do once and get over it. Instead, it is a structured, deliberate, and continuous process. It starts with a clear idea of what you want to achieve, backed by data from your market research. It requires a holistic approach.

School Marketing is not static. The world around us is changing, and so is marketing. Therefore, keeping up with the times while marketing your school is wise. Relying solely on word-of-mouth marketing and referrals might make little difference in today's world. Old techniques no longer work in the face of the fierce competition in the school space nowadays.

Let's take a look at some of the marketing strategies that will increase your enrolments.

School Website Optimization

It is the 21st Century, and all schools need a website. It is often the first impression many potential students will have before visiting your school. So, you lose a lot when potential students cannot find your school online.

Also, regularly update the website. A neglected school website reflects poorly on the school. When parents of potential students find their way to your website, can they find relevant and updated information about your school??

They will head to your competitor's website when they see that your website has no recent activity. They can tell from your competitor's website that it will be easier and faster to get a response to their enquiries. The reason is apparent. Recent activity on the website shows that the school is still in existence and has not abandoned the website.

Besides regularly updating the website, optimize it for Google Search. Parents and students are shopping around online for the right schools. Optimizing your school's website for the search engine will help them find you, and not your competitors.

Leverage Reviews and Testimonials

Testimonials and reviews are for more than just companies. For example, schools can use reviews from past and current students in their marketing campaigns. Parents searching for schools to enrol their children and wards want to know what others say about your school.?

Students' & parents’ reviews go a long way to getting other parents to choose your school. Put these reviews on your website and social media pages. Also, the reviews can help others find your school faster.

Invite parents and students to give reviews of their experience with your school. You can make it easier for them by sending them an email or form to fill out. With the reviews, you are maximizing your current student body to attract more students.

According to the Local Consumer Review Survey 2023, 76% of consumers read reviews online when looking to patronize a business. Also, 84% of these people rely hugely on online reviews like they would trust a personal recommendation from someone. Hence, it would help if you made reviews a vital part of your marketing plans.??

Embrace Video Content

Every marketer knows that videos are powerful marketing tools. With videos, you can create a higher level of interaction with parents and give them an insight into the user experience of your school. Videos capture the essence of your school and easily capture interest.

Apart from commercials, you can create videos of school tours, school facilities and curriculum, and videos for prospective students giving them a sneak peek of life as a student in your school or a day in the life of your teachers.

You can also create a school brand video showcasing your school's values and creating awareness about your school's unique selling proposition. You can also interview your staff and students. These interview videos can add to your marketing arsenal.

What's Next?

Implementing these strategies will improve your school's brand awareness significantly. It will also grow your numbers and bring more students through the door. However, you need an admission and application tool to ensure that the growth in numbers does not create new problems for you, which is the problem of processing thousands of applications and admissions.

SAFApply is an all-inclusive tool that simplifies the collection and processing of admission applications, making it easier for your school to receive and process applications seamlessly.?

I’ll write you soon.

Till then, have a great time.