Consider these seven activities to improve your school marketing and admissions effort:
1. Website Enhancements – It may be time for a complete overhaul of your school’s website or you may just need to invest in some key enhancements that may include improved copy that is keyword rich or videos that tell your school’s story. Keep in mind that your website is your most important marketing and communication tool—it is the face of your school.
2. Mobile Website — With the increased use of smart devices (phones and tablets), a mobile version of your school’s website is a must for keeping in touch with students and parents. Your mobile website isn't the same as the website viewed on your big desktop screen. Website technology can identify whether you have a 20" screen or a 4" screen and format content accordingly - if you've designed your site to do so. Take a look this site on your PC and then see the mobile version on your smartphone for some ideas.
3. Blog – Incorporating a blog into your school’s website can help you tell your school’s story as well as to provide ever-changing, rich content source that is important for search engine optimization. You might want to take the approach of launching a head of school blog or a general school blog that is written by multiple contributors from your school team.
4. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – A great looking website is important but all that eye candy won't help one bit with enrollment if you have not taken steps to do effective on page search engine optimization (SEO). Once you've set up your on page SEO, it's important to monitor trends in search for your keywords and what your competition is doing. These are services Innovative Marketing Resources can provide.
5. Facebook Enhancements – Increasingly social media like Facebook offer great opportunities both for recruitment and for communications in an independent school. Facebook has upgraded its services and you'll want to take advantage of things like a branded landing page and sign-up forms. Once you get your page set up, NorthSocial.com offers Facebook applications that you can incorporate into your page to stimulate interaction.
6. Facebook Ad Campaign – Your prospective parents are most likely on Facebook - if not for themselves then to keep in touch with their kids! Advertising on can help drive your "likes" as well as increase views of your website and specific landing pages that generate interest in your school. Facebook ads can be developed in conjunction with an online graphic design service.
7. Video Clips – Video is an important tool to use to market your school and it's probably one of the marketing methods that schools fear the most. While anything you produce should be tastefully done, the requirement for big video productions is an artificial barrier. Incorporating short video clips on your website, Facebook and YouTube, you can tell your school’s story through students, parents, alumni, faculty and staff.
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