MARKETING YOUR SCHOOL

MARKETING YOUR SCHOOL : 

MARKETING YOUR SCHOOL By Dr. Mark Debowski

Sections : 

Sections TIPS ON MARKETING YOURSCHOOL DEVELOPING A MARKETING PLAN

Marketing is about goodcommunication : 

Marketing is about goodcommunication DEFINE THE ESSENTIALQUALITIES & ATTRIBUTES OFYOUR SCHOOL CAPTURE THESE INTHE IMAGE OF YOUR SCHOOLTHAT YOU PROJECT TOTHE COMMUNITY

Slide 4: 

CONSULT with Current students Current parents Past students Past parents Staff The local community

CUSTOMER SERVICE : 

CUSTOMER SERVICE Ensure your school is "customer­friendly" at every level Groundsmen Receptionist After hours telephone message"On hold" message system or silence? School yard direction signage

COMMUNICATE : 

COMMUNICATE COMMUNICATE COMMUNICATE. The media Make your website everyone's favourite Parent newsletters/e-newsletters Friend-raising through your schoolpublications

BE AWARE OF YOURVISUAL IDENTITY : 

BE AWARE OF YOURVISUAL IDENTITY Your school's name, crestand logo StationeryProspectusNewslettersWebsiteAdvertisementsPhotographs/displaysUniformSchool busMemorabilia

Slide 8: 

CONDUCT AN IMAGE AUDITDEVELOP A STYLE GUIDE The receipt of your printed orelectronic material creates animportant (sometimes first) impression

Slide 9: 

YOUR CORPORATEIDENTITY Control Establish a custodian Ensure that the message youproject is consistent

MARKET TO YOUR CURRENTSCHOOL COMMUNITY : 

MARKET TO YOUR CURRENTSCHOOL COMMUNITY Reinforce school pride Happy students are natural marketers Informed and happy parents spreadthe word effectively Manage "good gossip“ Maintain good internal communications Keep staff (teaching and support) informed about the good things that are going on in all areas of the school

ENSURE YOUR SCHOOL ISNOTICED : 

ENSURE YOUR SCHOOL ISNOTICED Open Days (Use students as guides) Expos and Field Days Memorabilia for prospective and past students Stories (and photos) in the local press Special Event Days open to public or to invited guests

Slide 12: 

Principals can raise the school's visibility in the community (Guest speaker at service, business and sporting clubs) Offer your school facilities for community use - Principal opens or attends Cultivate friends of the school who have the potential to recommend your school

MAKE YOUR STUDENTSVISIBLE IN THECOMMUNITY : 

MAKE YOUR STUDENTSVISIBLE IN THECOMMUNITY Conduct a class or sing in the Shopping Centre Create a mural for the local council Have students assist with charity street appeals Be active on Keep Our Country Beautiful Day

CELEBRATE YOURSCHOOL'S SUCCESSES : 

CELEBRATE YOURSCHOOL'S SUCCESSES Feature your strengths at everyopportunity

INVOLVE PAST STUDENTS IN CURRENT SCHOOL LIFE : 

INVOLVE PAST STUDENTS IN CURRENT SCHOOL LIFE As advertisements for the school'ssuccessesAs role models for today's students

THE DATA BASE : 

THE DATA BASE A MOST VALUABLE DIGITAL TOOL Capture potential enrolments Maintain friends of the school Keep your parents happy Evaluate your marketing efforts Assist in creating an image of efficiency Take time to use its time-saving features

Part 2 : 

Part 2 THE MARKETING PLAN

DEVELOPING A MARKETING PLAN : 

DEVELOPING A MARKETING PLAN A Marketing Plan documents your analysis of your school's special attributes and its target market. It guides senior management in pursuing consistent and strategic objectives with regard to student recruitment, retention and public relations. As new opportunities emerge, the Marketing Plan can be updated but not without adhering to the same logical and objective analysis used in the original document.

Slide 19: 

A Marketing Plan will be most successful if it: is developed with the involvement of all levels of the school's management and its implementation is embraced and actively led by the Principal is built on sound reasoning and hard data is embraced by all staff (teaching and administrative) is succinct and manageable is realistic in terms of resources (fiscal and human) includes a time frame and a process of review

The written document could include the following : 

The written document could include the following : Executive Summary:A brief overview of the proposed plan. Situation analysis: A brief description of your school, its history, the student catchment area, any particular features which set your school apart from others eg boarding, particular religious affiliation. Include your fee structure, whether you accept overseas students and mention other schools which compete for the same market share. A SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) This is an opportunity to raise and deal with a wide variety of issues that will determine the validity of your plan. Various forms of market research such as focus groups of your parents, past parents and community should be undertaken. In addition, you may consider external professional advice. Demographic Report You should include statistics and demographic information including market segmentation (where your enrolments come from). Strategic Plan Your Marketing Plan should relate to/be included in the school's Strategic Plan.

Objectives : 

Objectives Define the goals that the school is trying to reach in terms of enrolments, retention and community perception. Consider short term and long term goals. Evaluation Plan. Indicate how the plan will be monitored and evaluated in relation to your objectives. Develop Performance Indicators and measurement processes. Review Plan. Decide an appropriate time interval between reviews.

Implementation - Marketing Strategies and Action Plans : 

Implementation - Marketing Strategies and Action Plans The marketing strategies and actions plans will be determined and guided by the objectives of your Marketing Plan. Relate your strategies to your objectives and your action plans to your strategies.

Some examples: : 

Some examples: 1. Lift or maintain the profile of the school (strategy). i. Use direct mail drops to heighten awareness of the College ii. Send weekly press releases to local newspaper. Iii. Organise and publicise an Open Day each year (Action Plans) 2. Promote a positive image and market the school's strengths to internal and external community. Define the "soul" of the school. Work towards creating an image that reflects that soul and does justice to your school. Develop or enhance the visual identity (logo, images, photographs. Conduct an audit of print and electronic material that is sent from the school to ensure consistency. Develop a website 3. Engage past students in promoting the school (press stories of successes, their participation in career talks etc) Describe what will be done, by whom, when and how. Ensure that at least broad reference is made to the maintenance of an adequate marketing budget, bearing in mind that you may need to employ specialist staff and/or up skill existing staff to implement your marketing plan.