Your ultimate guide to year-round student enrollment marketing
Last year, enrollment in public schools dropped by 2.6 percent. A family’s decision to change schools isn't an easy one, and it isn’t made in an instant. That decision is built on many small experiences, their values, and their concerns.
That means focusing on your year-round student enrollment efforts is more important now than ever.
Trust us, we know how hard this can be. At Forthright, we love creating student enrollment marketing plans for clients. While every plan is custom for each district’s community, family population, and strengths, here are a few of our tried-and-true best practices:
January - March
Take a look at your data and identify which students are "missing" from your school district. For example, are your kindergarten enrollment numbers down? Are middle schoolers moving to private or online schools? Use this data to select which target audiences to focus on this year.
Gather your biggest student successes of the school year and draft storytelling content to celebrate them. So that all families can see themselves in these success stories, consider everything from an award-winning photography project to a valedictorian attending an Ivy-league university. Find a mix of academic, sports, and extracurricular content to highlight how your district helps students with diverse interests and backgrounds excel. Aim to share one story every month on your website and social media channels.
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April - June
Add video to the mix of strategies when you announce that enrollment is open. Nielsen reports that adults spend at least 35 minutes per day watching videos on their phones, tablets, or computers. Host a live video where you talk about preparing for student enrollment. Give parents an opportunity to ask questions and show that you are listening, helping you build relationships with families.
SMS messages (or texts) are a powerful way to reach all families, especially those without internet at home. Today, roughly three-quarters of Americans have broadband internet service at home, meaning one-fourth of families aren’t connected.
SMS messages are opened more than 95 percent of the time. Send a text message to all families in your district from your superintendent letting them know that enrollment is open, along with information on next steps for families.
July - September
Highlight and share on social media what your schools and education leaders are doing over the summer to support students, families, and the community. For example, this content could highlight your special summer programs, camps, nutrition services, or even how you’re working on new technology to introduce to students in the fall.
Find and train your best advocates. Parents trust those closest to their children to appropriately support them, with a stunning 93 percent of parents trusting teacher support. Pew Research Center has also found that principals are some of the most trusted public leaders. Principals and teachers are great ambassadors for your schools. Make sure to tag them in and share tips for talking about your district with them. For example, drafting sample talking points for them can empower them to connect with families in your district, easily!
October - December
Show off your staff. Share staff profiles to highlight key teachers, leaders, or support staff who are making a difference with students. Profiles should include a wide range of staff members, from teaching assistants who make personal connections with students to the school nurse who has worked harder than ever this last year to keep students healthy.
End the year on a high note. Encourage your superintendent to send a holiday video wrap-up about the district's great accomplishments in the fall semester and looking forward to the spring.
Every parent communication is an opportunity to build a picture of how your district supports students. So when enrollment opens, families are confident that your district is the right choice for them.
