We Can Put Together an Effective Marketing and Recruiting Plan For Your School

An effective marketing and communications plan is critical to the enrollment growth and identity of your private-independent school. Effective marketing strategies and tactics and a plan to put them into action are invaluable for building awareness and an institutional identity within your community (be it local or global), presenting an appropriate image, and communicating with constituent groups your key message.

What you need is an organized approach to marketing that will communicate your school's message to your designated community.

Effective communication is really very simple. It’s simply a matter of the right person, communicating the right message, to the right audience, at the right time, and in the right way. But you've got to get it right. Too many times school marketing has a reactive, seasonal approach. We always put out our ad's in the local paper at the end and beginning of the school year, right after we see other school's do it. But this isn't the right approach. You need to know your message, know how to measurably communicate that message using media in a cost-effective manner. Do you even know what your cost-per-student enrolled is in terms of your marketing budget? Do you know your most cost efffective marketing tactics? You should!

Internal School Marketing

The first step with effective marketing starts with your "internal marketing." You need to ensure that there is match between your mission-vision, goals and the message used to communicate by your staff, board, parents, alumni, and students. faculty, students. What's does your receptionist say? Is this person friendly and welcome and informative? How many prospective students do you lose right there?

Remember this is your "elevator speech"; how you and your staff describe your institution to your community. Poor internal marketing can lead to money wasted on misdirected external marketing campaigns, which in turn will impact your enrollment, fundraising, and revenues. Note: you never have a second chance to make a first impression.

Admissions and retention analysis (known as the marketing funnel), and surveys of current and prospective students, parents, and alumni are critical tools for private-independent schools and essential for determining your marketing plan and strategies. We can help you there.

Establishing and promoting unique "centers of excellence" are vital to marketing schools, which draw many families to the school. Do you have your own centers of excellence to brand to your prospective parents and students?

External School Marketing

Today's "external marketing" strategies for private-independent schools have become extremely complicated and demand a level of understanding and measurability that need serious consideration. Direct mail, for example, has a far higher rate of success and return for schools than it does for other business enterprises. Radio advertising and billboards are effective "image" tools for schools, while the time proven open houses, coffee sessions with the Director of Admissions and key staff and public outreach programs, as well as word of mouth, continue to serve schools well. They must, however, be appropriately designed and staffed to gain maximum impact, and done at the right time of year. It's never too early to start reaching out to your current and future parents and students.

Because of our extensive background in helping a variety of schools develop and grow their enrollment under challenging circumstances (e.g., boarding, ESL, PreK-12, International, day, single gender, special needs, preparatory), we are able to bring a unique marketing viewpoint to the range of challenges and opportunities facing private-independent schools (for- and non-profit). In addition, with over 25 years experience in developing and producing communications and marketing solutions for educational institutions, HEG is well suited to assist your school with its admissions and marketing needs.

Publications Development

• Research and Analysis;
• Concept Development and Image Design
• Copywriting, Editing, and Design Development
• Print Coordination
• Institutional Identity
• Logo, Wordmark, and Crest Development
• Letterhead and Stationery Design

Marketing Plan

• Develop Your School's Key Message and Copy
• Develop your Marketing Strategies, Media, and Budget
• Publication Design and Placement
• Systematic Implementation Plan
• Measurability Tools to Determine the Success of Your Marketing Strategies

How We Can Help

We can help you understand the critical elements of effective marketing and admissions for your private-independent shool, and evaluate whether your current marketing plan, strategies, message, and media are working effectively, and what areas you need to make adjustments in. This includes:

• Market Analysis to determine "who" you are reaching out to
• Review the critial message that represents what your school is all about
• Assessment of the media that you are currently using (e.g., publications, advertising, outreach programs, internal/external communication by your staff)
• Identification of the tool you will use to measure your marketing success (e.g., enrollment, retention, response rate, fundraising peformance)
• Development of "new" marketing strategies and tactics to enhance your peformance and enrollment

It's important to understand that current and prospective parents, students, and donors are influenced by your message and your media. They are making decisions about enrolling or re-enrolling at your school or even making a donation. It's critical that you've developed a marketing system that maximizes your message and reassures your community about what you represent and how they fit in, and the benefits to enrolling at your school. Remember it's about them, not just a list of bullets about your school. They have to know what's in it for them.

Our services in reviewing your current marketing and admissions's systems usually involves 2-3 day on-site. We will meet with your adminstrative and marketing team, your key stakeholders, and review your marketing materials in reference to your message and your marketing funnel. This will be followed by a comprehensive report that provides recommendations that will guide with improving your marketing and admissions process.

Benefit to You

We will share our understanding of the effective principals of marketing, communication, public relations, recruiting, and admissions with an effective message and marketing tools that are targeted to your community. The benefit is growth in student enrollment , retention, increased fund raising results, and even the recruitment and retention of better staff and board members for your private-independent school. We've experience with marketing and admissions in the following types of schools:

• Day Schools
• Boarding Schools
• International ESL Schools
• Prep Schools
• Special Needs Schools
• Prek-12 Schools
• Post Secondary Institutions
• New and Establish Schools
• Single Gender Schools
• Co-Ed Schools
• Equestrian Schools
• Canadian and US-Based Schools
• Faith-Based Schools

If you are interested in our private school consulting services and would like to receive written material about HEG, or would like to discuss your particular needs, please contact Doug Halladay directly to find out more about our services. You can set this up by sending him an email to info@halladayeducationgroup.com or calling directly at 1-604-868-0002. I also invite you to continue browsing my web site by clicking on Our Service.

To your success, Douglas Halladay, B.A., B.ED. M.A. President and Founder Halladay Education Group Inc.

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