Digital Marketing for Schools: 10 Strategies Every Education Marketer Should Know
November 24th, 2024
In today's digital landscape, effective marketing strategies are crucial for schools to attract and retain students. Modern families are discerning—conducting thorough research and favoring schools that not only satisfy academic expectations, but align with their values.
The reliance on traditional marketing methods is a thing of the past; robust digital strategies are now imperative. Families expect the same level of precision and appeal from schools as they do from top brands. They demand instant access, seamless experiences, and personalized interactions.
Join us in this comprehensive guide as we explore tried and tested principles of digital marketing that will consistently strengthen your schools admissions funnel.
Create Engaging Social Media Content
Social media platforms are the pulse of communication with the average person uses 6.7 social networks a month. Today's families searching for schools are no exception.
When searching for a new school environment, there's an urge for carers to get an authentic glimpse into what school life is really like behind the scenes.
For schools, creating engaging content can significantly enhance visibility and brand awareness. Share meaningful stories, student achievements, and behind-the-scenes glimpses to build a strong online community. Consider platforms like Instagram and Facebook, where visual content thrives. Use stories, reels, and live sessions to engage students and parents alike!
Whether you're starting out with social media marketing or already have a strong presence, it's important to stay organised so that you can maintain a consistent cadence on your channels. Use social planning tools such as Hootsuite or Sprout social to plan your social calendar, community management and to push content across multiple channels.
Try and use engaging reels and video content where possible.
If you're struggling to produce more content, take some time to speak to faculty leads and get the academic staff involved in providing insights. You may even want to consider involving current pupils in your strategy.
Level Up Your Email Marketing
Email marketing remains one of the most effective communication strategies for schools. But it's important to personalize your emails to maximise results. Segment your audience breaking it down into at least the three major segments (i.e. parents, students, and alumni). If you can, break it down into further meaningful personas the do that too.
Next use an email marketing tool to create email workflows. Email workflows are automations that get triggered by specific actions. For example you might use a prospectus request as a trigger, which then initiates a follow up email a few days later inviting a prospective parent to a personal tour.
These email worflows (also referred to as email drip campaigns) can save you a huge amount of time whilst improving your schools touchpoints with prospective and existing communities alike. Use your email drip campaigns for various initiatives like:
- Nurturing prospective inquiries
- Promoting and sending reminders for an upcoming event
- Onboarding newly enrolled families
Once you find your feet with email marketing, start optimizing your campaigns by testing things like subject lines and personalizations. Emails with personalized subject lines have a 26% higher chance of being opened.
There are plenty of inexpensive tools to get you started with email marketing. Here are some of our favourites:
For tech-savvy schools who want even more personalization options and data on prospective families, a tool like AMAIS allows for advanced features.
Audit Your School Website
Your school website is the digital front door to your institution. Conduct a thorough audit to ensure it's user-friendly, up-to-date, and mobile-responsive. It's crucial for parents and students to find information effortlessly.
If you don't already closely monitor traffic to your website, consider leveraging tools like Google Analytics to track your website's performance and make data-driven improvements.
To conduct a technical and SEO audit either consult an SEO specialist agency or use tools like SEMRush and Screaming Frog to crawl your website like a search engine does, and indentify key issues for you.
If your website needs a complete overhaul, find a provider who leverages the latest technologies that allow you to seamlessly personalise content, and that offer an engaging, responsive design.
Learn more about UBIQ websites
Create A Virtual Tour
Virtual tours have become increasingly important, especially post-pandemic. They offer prospective families a glimpse into the school's environment before arranging a visit on-site.
Use high-quality video and interactive elements to showcase classrooms, facilities, and more. According to a study by Matterport, virtual tours can increase interest by 50%.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO is the backbone of any successful digital marketing strategy.
By optimizing your website for search engines, you can improve your school's visibility and ranking.
To start with, research keywords that your target audience would type into search engines to find you. As part of developing your SEO strategy, focus on which terms have the largest search volume versus how competitive they are.
Once you have your keyword targets defined, weave those terms into relevant content on your website in a natural and readable way.
It's also important to ensure your local SEO is up to scratch. Start by creating and filling out a Google my Business profile if you don't already have one.
To learn more about SEO strategies for schools, check out our comprehensive article below.
SEO Strategies for Schools
Run Effective Advertising Campaigns
Implementing targeted digital advertising for schools is a highly effective way of getting more enquiries.
Platforms like Facebook and Google Ads offer geo-targeting and demographic targeting options. This means you can reach families in specific locations that fit your ideal customer profile (ICP). Using search and display campaigns with Google and other search engines, allows you to target prospective parents that are actively looking for educational options.
Track your campaigns closely to optimize for better results and ROI or engage an agency to maximise campaigns for you.
Contact us about digital advertising
Create Alumni Success Stories
Alumni success stories are powerful testimonials that can influence prospective students and parents. Highlighting graduates who achieved significant milestones can demonstrate the quality of education and opportunities your school offers. Showcase these stories on your website, social media, and newsletters to inspire the next generation.
Reviews; Manage Your Online Reputation
A school's online reputation can significantly impact its enrollment numbers. Encourage positive reviews from current students and parents on platforms like Google and Yelp. Address negative feedback promptly and professionally. According to BrightLocal, 87% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses, including schools.
Reviews are also a great source of new content. You can repurpose your reviews for user generated content (UGC) on social media. Even more advantagou - you can add structured markup to your website so that users see your star rating when you appear in search engine results pages (SERPs). This improves click through rates for both organic and paid search initiatives.
Create A Newsletter
Consistent communication is key to maintaining strong relationships with your school community. A well-crafted newsletter keeps everyone informed and engaged. Share news, achievements, and valuable resources. Offer subscription options on your website to build an extensive email list over time.
Write and Maintain a Blog
A blog is an excellent way to showcase expertise, educate top and middle of funnel users, and provide value to your audience. Blog posts can also enhance your SEO efforts. When your content aligns with your keyword strategy, and matches your user intent you'll see incredible results.
Write insightful articles on educational trends, parenting tips, and school updates. Engage guest writers, such as teachers and alumni, to add diverse perspectives.
Before starting, it's important to plan out your strategic approach. Here are some helpful prompts:
- What publishing cadence can you maintain?
- What sort of articles will be produced?
- Who are they targeting?
- Who will be writing them?
- What will the editing process look like?
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why should you use digital marketing for school? |
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Because most families searching for a school will start their journey on a search engine. You'll get the best reach with your ideal customer profile, and, you'll be able to track your return on investment better than through offline tactics. |
How do I market my school? |
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Leverage a mix of traditional and digital strategies. Use social media, email marketing, and SEO to reach potential families. Highlight your school's strengths and success stories to resonate with your audience. If you need support marketing your school or don't know where to begin, contact our friendly team today. |
Do schools need digital marketers? |
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Absolutely! Digital marketers help schools effectively reach prospective students and parents, enhance their online presence, and adapt to changing communication trends. This can often be more cost effective than hiring, training and onboarding a new member of the team. Since outsourced agencies like The Virtual Marketer also have a whole team of specialists at hand, you will likely get better returns on your overall marketing spend too. |
Key Takeaways
Digital marketing for schools is no longer optional—it's a necessity. By implementing these strategies, you can enhance your school's visibility, build a strong community, and attract more students. Ready to take your school's digital presence to the next level? Start by auditing your website and brainstorming engaging social media content. Or, get in touch with a digital marketing agency that specializes in the education sector (we don't bite!).
