Summer is upon us. While students are at camps, poolside, or working part time, most charter school leaders are already focused on the fall, planning for the school year and asking questions:
* How many new students will we have this fall? * Are our summer enrollment marketing efforts working? * Are we attracting the best possible students and most committed families to our school? * How can we attract more support from the community for our efforts? Having a solid plan that embraces all possible marketing strategies in our increasingly mobile and online world will ensure that classrooms will be occupied by students ready to learn, now and into the future. So… where to start? The goal of any marketing program is to get the right message in front of the right person at the right time – and in a meaningful way. It sounds simple, but it takes a surprising amount of strategy, especially when you consider that most people need to see a message at least seven times before they remember it. Laying the groundwork for developing a strong marketing strategy can feel rather daunting, but as with any journey, once you get past these first few steps, you’ll be well on your way. I challenge you to pull a small team together to answer these four critical questions: 1) What are your school’s growth goals? A smart charter school leader once said, “If you’re not growing, you’re dying.” As the charter space gets more competitive, growth becomes a driving strategy for charters to mature and stabilize. One of your strategic marketing goals should be focused on exceeding enrollment goals, grade by grade. 2) Who are your target audiences? Keep in mind that this goes way beyond just your school’s community of parents, students, teachers and administrators. You also need to factor in funding sources, community leaders, neighbors, alumni and more. Every target audience should get targeted messages, based on what moves them to support you. 3) What makes your school different? With such a broad group of audiences with varying degrees of interests and needs, having a clear position is critical. Your positioning – whether as the city’s best college prep program, a creative oasis, or STEM focused curriculum – will be consistent across the board. What will change is who among your audience you are connecting with and how you’re framing your message. 4) What are the key attributes of your school that you want people to know about? This question will frame your key messages, which should be communicated in all your marketing efforts. Be sure your messaging is sound, strong and tested before venturing into the world of tactics like advertising or social media. Now that you have your marketing foundation complete, it’s time to start working on the tactical portion of your plan. This includes everything from your website, content creation, paid, social and earned media (also known as publicity), and non-digital tactics like events and collateral materials. To get you started, Charter School Capital has created an in-depth 58-page workbook on marketing strategies that covers all aspects of developing a plan – from the steps discussed above – all the way through developing and evaluating your first campaign. You’ll find it available here. For more information about Charter School Capital, visit charterschoolcapital.org. About the Author As Chief Marketing Officer for Charter School Capital, Janet Johnson is an experienced marketing executive with deep experience in strategic planning, brand management, positioning and go-to-market strategies. She spends her “free” time as an adjunct professor of digital marketing at Portland State University and working with her family’s 13-year-old Corgi (Joey) to get him walking again. Special Note: Learn more about Charter School Capital at the 2018 National Charter Schools Conference in Austin, Texas where they will be onsite for two sessions. “Top Five Financial Mistakes Charter Schools Make…and How to Avoid Them” – Tricia Blum, Charter School Capital’s Intervention Lead, on Monday, June 18, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. in Room 12 A/B. “Charter School Budgeting Best Practices: Don’t Just Survive — Thrive!” – Matt Percin, Charter School Capital’s Manager of Financial Analysis & Risk, on Tuesday, June 19, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. in Room 12 A/B.
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