Ofsted reports, academic achievement, reputation, a school’s ethos – there are many things parents consider when deciding on what school is best for their children. It’s one of the most important decisions a parent can make and can sometimes feel like an absolute minefield.
So, what can you do to raise the profile of your school? How can you make sure parents are putting you down as their first choice? Here at One Education, we believe it’s important to communicate with parents in the community to raise the profile of the school.
Here we’ll cover some tips on how to have an effective school marketing strategy.
Make your school’s information easily accessible with a good website
Not all parents are able to attend Open Evenings, so it’s important to make it easy for parents to find the information they need.
The number of people looking for information online is growing all the time, so it’s important to consider; is your website easy to navigate? Does it contain all the key information and show a vibrant, nurturing environment for children to thrive and grow?
A strong, content-based strategy will ensure your school’s website is constantly updated and relevant, along with printed materials as a constant reminder of what your school has to offer.
Utilise social media for your school marketing strategy
Social media provides a platform for you and your colleagues to shout about all the good things that happen at your school, clarify any miscommunication, and show why your school should be a parent’s first choice.
It allows your school to be in the limelight, whilst at the same time reaping the benefits of a positive online image.
If your school is not already on social media, or not actively using the accounts you probably set up a long time ago…. What are you waiting for? Get sharing, interacting and exploring platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Read more: School Marketing: The Three E’s of Social Media
Communicating with the press regularly
There is a common misconception that speaking to the local press is only needed when a crisis is at hand, however this just isn’t the case. Build trust and respect with your audiences when times are good, as this will maintain a consistently good public image.
Create and nurture existing and new relationships with consistent, strategic messaging by sharing good news; whole school successes, the success stories of employees and your student’s achievements.
Regularly communicate with parents
Communicate with existing parents on a regular basis – they can be your biggest advocates, in the playground and beyond!
This is important for consistently and successfully engaging parents in their children’s education and working with them to help pupils to reach their full potential.
It also helps to build a strong sense of community within the school, and having a two-way communication process helps build those much-needed positive relationships.
School marketing solutions
We know that school marketing can all seem a bit overwhelming and daunting.
But don’t worry, everyone feels those pre-nerves at the thought of creating attention to yourself online and worrying about the smallest things.
Your school does amazing things and impacts children and young people’s lives for the better. It deserves to be acknowledged, and your staff deserve to be praised and recognised for their hard work and dedication to the education of their pupils.
If your school or academy requires marketing support or just a little help in the right direction, One Education can provide you with a range of services that include marketing strategy, branding, communications, website service, social media and photography & video production.
These can be tailored to provide a bespoke package incorporating one or more services.
Find out more via our website or contact us for more information
