“The very things that held ya down are gonna to carry you up and up and up.”
These profound words were said to Dumbo by Timothy Q. Mouse when he was encouraging him to fly. They may also apply to the possible changes with the popularity of School Choice being implemented in states nationwide. We need to use marketing for school choice!
In states that have School Choice, parents have the opportunity to use their tax dollars in the form of school vouchers, education savings accounts (ESAs), tax credits, or tax deductions to decide which educational options best meet their children’s needs. Many parents feel they should have a choice in the matter, but others, particularly teacher unions, feel such changes might undermine public education as we know it. We’ll leave that debate for others.
The challenges of change sometimes obscure the benefits often lost in the political debate. So, when change is on the horizon, and it usually is, we can be proactive by focusing on the benefits. In this case, if the change doesn’t happen, we’ll be that much ahead of everyone else because, regardless of the outcome, we’ll have put best practices into place. So, be like Dumbo when he fully commits—don’t just fly, SOAR.
To meet the competitive challenge that all schools face when parents have more educational options, like any other business or service, you must earn your customers. In any school’s case, that means earning the trust and faith of parents, students, and staff. How do you do that?
Market Your School
More competition forces us to raise the bar, offer unique services, target specific needs, and most importantly, let our communities know what we are doing well. Even if your school is exceptionally effective, those successes remain unknown because you are losing out if you fail to communicate them. You are failing to build trust, win advocates, and attract more students or quality staff.
Effective communication and marketing earns parental support and student engagement. There is abundant evidence that engaged parents produce better student outcomes. Isn’t that your overall goal? Want to learn how to market your school? Start by downloading our free eBook “How Successful Schools Market Themselves.” But, when you’re serious and recognize how important creating a strategic marketing strategy is, purchase Marketing Your School calendar/toolkit with 50+ weeks of marketing strategies and access to the companion web resources. You’ll be well on your way to getting out the good word and letting your community know what you have to offer.
Tell Your Stories
Facts and numbers don’t usually convince doubters. What reaches beyond distrust and suspicion, though, is engaging emotions. A compelling story impacts us emotionally. That is how we are wired. Our brains resonate to story. We intuitively put ourselves into the experience, and that helps us identify, relate, and internalize the story.
So, tell stories rather than a list of facts or a calendar of events. Your website news page should be packed with story. Stories make your data believable and memorable. Story conveys and demonstrates your school values. They differentiate your school from its competition. And most importantly, stories will help people imagine a future that’s worth achieving, even when it is far beyond their present experience. For tips on getting started with telling your school’s stories, gathering stories, generating stories, and prompting stories that win not only minds but hearts, check out our blog post, Telling Your School’s Stories.
Become Your Own Media Outlet
If you don’t create your own outlet of communication and keep those channels flowing with information and answers, you won’t control the narrative. Are you willing to turn the narrative over to strangers who may not have your school’s best interests at heart? In fact, they may not even have the facts, which can allow public relations to quickly spin out of control. But, if you don’t fill it, that communication void will be filled by others, often by well-meaning or not so well-meaning media, disgruntled community members, misinformed parents, or frustrated or uninformed staff.
Luckily, your school has two effective, manageable, and affordable channels that can become a powerful media outlet: your school website and your school social media platforms.
Whether starting from scratch or redesigning your existing school website, a lot goes into it. Some of the important steps include:
- School website content that is effective, comprehensive, and inviting
- Responsive website designs that are intuitive and website accessible
- Reliable and secure website hosting
- Effective school communications that include staff input to keep your website and social media current and engaging
- School website management processes that include quality control, consistency in style and tone, and maintenance of ADA accessibility standards
- School social media platforms incorporated into your school website processes so that they work in unison to help you reach all your audiences
Once you have done all the above, your next step will be to establish relationships with your local media outlets (newspapers, radio stations, online news outlets, even Mommy bloggers who cover school events) and begin including them in your news updates.
Don’t just fly, SOAR
Following these steps, you’ll take your school marketing to the next level and have no fear of School Choice. Parents and community members will hear a steady stream of good news. You’ll be building trust and confidence. Your school reputation will be positive, and you’ll have the supportive ambassadors you need to weather challenges that may come. Whether it is the competition that School Choice may bring or some media crisis that rocks your world, you’ll be able to fly above the fray. Dumbo, our role model in this blog, was an improbable hero. Your school, regardless of the competition, can also be the local educational hero. If you choose to market your school, plan your communication process, and then work your plan, you too will soar.
Good luck, and let us know if we can help. Get a quote or call Jim at 888-750-4556 and let him show you how we can help.
Bonnie Leedy, CEO