Marketing for Private Schools
How Do Your Position Your School To Increase Enrollment?
Marketing plans are essential for ALL types of businesses, including private schools which must compete with other schools for students.
Private schools are a business just like any other business, and must compete not only with other private schools, but with public schools that offer their services for free. A solid marketing plan is essential for success.
To start your plan, I first suggest doing a comprehensive competitive analysis of the other public and private schools local parents can choose for their children. Include test scores, financials if available, enrollment statistics, and demographics. Compare these results, and see if there is a niche that you can fill. Are local music programs weak? Are math scores flagging? Make sure your school addresses this missing area, and emphasize it in your promotional material.
Next, talk to the parents of your exisiting school. What was it about your school that made them choose you over all the alternatives? Include this also in your marketing materials.
Now, write your background section of your plan. Discuss what is missing in the local area, and what you provide that is unique and different.
Next, write your financial section showing where you are today, and set goals for increased enrollment. Develop financial projections showing where you will be if you hit enrollment goals.
Next, write the Marketing Strategy section. It should include these types of things:
1) If you have a website, create a strategy for search engine optimization to include beefing up keywords, enhancing your positioning with Yahoo and other directories, etc. Make sure it is inviting, and shows pictures of your students enjoying the school. Add detailed curriculum sheets for every grade that are easily downloadable.
If you don't have a website, it is time to get busy!
2) Create an informational flyer and mail it to parents in your local area. Invite them to an informational meeting in your area to describe your curriculum, and to meet the teachers.
3) Consider planning an annual carnival, publicizing the event, and inviting the community to attend. Ask the PTA to plan this event, and have plenty of informational flyers about the school available.
4) Add an advertising plan to include local papers and websites. Create an inviting ad to drum up interest in your school.
5) Ask parents to blog about the school, and post the reasons why they chose it.
Condense all this information into an Executive Summary in the beginning of the plan, then add a time line for completion of the plan at the end of the Marketing Strategy section.
Voila! You have a plan ready to take your school to the next level!
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