As a principal, promoting your primary school can be challenging, but it all starts with a well-crafted marketing plan for your school. The marketing plan is a document that outlines how you will allocate your advertising budget and determine the most effective marketing channels for your school. A strong plan will help you identify your school's unique selling points and guide your messaging to set you apart from the competition to capture more enrolments.
Avoid using generic taglines such as "Small school, big opportunities" or "We know every child by name." Instead, develop a clear and compelling key message that communicates your school's unique qualities. This messaging should be consistent throughout all marketing materials, including school tours, to attract prospective parents and students.
While it may be tempting to start with a website or promotional video, creating a marketing plan should always be your first step. School marketing statistics suggest allocating 10% of your revenue towards marketing, but if that isn't feasible, budget at least $20,000 - $25,000 per year to get a marketing plan in place and advertise in a couple of channels that will work for your school.
Additionally, there are free ways to market your school. Here’s a guide to marketing your school to increase enrolments:
Use your parent network/community: Encourage parents to be advocates for your school by providing them with flyers and other promotional materials to share with their friends, family, and neighbours.
Social media: Utilise social media platforms to connect with your current parent community and their networks. Share news, learning celebrations, and other highlights to engage with your audience.
Letter box drop: Print off a map and ask parents or grandparents to do a letterbox drop regularly in their assigned areas. Consistency is key, so make sure to repeat this strategy over time.
Connect with kindergartens: Build relationships with local kindergartens by inviting their students and parents to visit your school for learning experiences, workshops, and parent information sessions.
Branding consistency: Maintain a consistent visual identity for your school's marketing materials, including school colours and logos. This helps to build recognition and make your school easily identifiable.
Pay for graphics: Hire a graphic designer to create professional-looking marketing materials, from advertising on real estate boards to flyers. This will help ensure a polished and professional look for your school's marketing efforts.
Remember, these strategies are long-term and require consistent effort and investment to yield results.
If you're interested in developing a school marketing plan for your school or require graphics or branding help, please get in touch. We are more than happy to help.