The Show Must Go On(line)
Closed Campuses Mean Admissions & Marketing Must Share Centre Stage
Much of life is in a long intermission. One thing won’t be delayed: the admissions season. For that show to go on, it must be staged online with admissions and marketing sharing top billing.
Prospective families still want to explore your school even if the campus is closed. They still want to experience its educational benefits. Current families considering next year do too. With that in mind, here are 7 ways admissions and marketing can team up to take the show online.
7 Ways Admissions & Marketing Can Team Up
1. Be a Social Media Storyteller
Let’s face it, right now more people are spending more time on social media. Give them high-quality, engaging stories that define your learning experience. Clarify your competitive advantages in creative ways. That takes strategy and staff training, otherwise, your posts are digital noise.
Social posts, curated by your marketing team, can feed into your website - making it a living view-book.
We partnered with Charlotte Preparatory School on #SocialStrategy. Prep's social engagement grew to three times that of larger schools nearby. The leap happened within months - with a part-time social media manager. The result was an increase in inquiries and applications.
If your content is limited, dig out stories from the archive for #TBT or #FlashbackFriday. Share what happened a year or two ago, or longer, to show how learning has changed - but still goes on without interruption.
Remember, people are still talking about your school. Digital word of mouth is the new chat in the grocery store line (staying 6-feet apart, of course!).
2. Showcase Distance Learning
When it comes to embracing online learning, teachers everywhere are saying, “Why not?” No longer confined by classrooms or daily routines, they are imagining new ways to teach. Students are responding with perseverance, renewed commitment, and gratitude. Why not shine a spotlight on their amazing work?
Pine Crest School excels at sharing their students’ online learning adventures. Fourth graders recently showed off their space history presentations using Zoom. It's one of many examples of #PCProblemSolving.
Take it a step further and pair your examples of online learning with photos or videos of past work in the classroom. A Digital vs. Real-World Teaching Face-Off!
In virtual classrooms, students can still feel connected. Take a look at this short video of Pine Crest students seeing each other for the first time after campus closed!
These are the social media stories you can share in emails to prospects or in the school newsletter. Keep your website consistently current by feeding them into your site with a hashtag strategy like Pine Crest.
Keep an eye on other schools’ best practices on our #DistanceLearning Twitter feed.
3. Host Webinars and Virtual Events
Personal meetings, open houses, and community events create immediacy and togetherness. That doesn't have to be a thing of the recent past. Move your office visits with prospective families online using Google Meet or Zoom. Take a look at one school doing it right. Pulaski Academy has launched a comprehensive yet simple Virtual Admissions Centre with several alternatives to a campus visit.
Use the same online tools as Pulaski to host virtual bonding events like student pizza parties or ice cream socials for new families.
Instead of open houses, webinars are a great platform for promoting your school and answering questions. Or, better yet, asking questions and providing support in turbulent times.
“This really is a time for virtual admissions to become unprecedented expressions of institutional kindness,” writes David Willows, director of advancement at the International School of Brussels, in a blog post. “And if we take this opportunity, we will leave a truly lasting impression.”
4. Create a 360° Virtual Tour
Your school’s learning experience is still very much alive. Show it off on a virtual tour like the British School of the Netherlands.
I know what you’re thinking: How can I create a virtual tour working from home? Don’t worry, Interactive Schools and Google has it covered! We are a Google Trusted Partner and deliver virtual tours that can be integrated with Google Maps and 360° Virtual Reality.
When paired with a great content strategy, this is the closest thing to seeing the school in action without being there. Imagine having a virtual tour of your theatre with a live feed of past drama performances running alongside it! Amazing!
5. Feature a Personalised Admissions Calculator
How do you explain the complexities of your admissions process online? Many schools do it on pages packed with too many paragraphs. There is a simpler way! Take a look at Westover School’s Start Your Journey admissions calculator. Parents enter their child’s birthdate and click submit. Out pops information and deadlines specific to their child’s entrance grade.
Schools using the calculator report increases in conversions. As important, it cuts down on questions to stretched admissions offices. Instead, staff can spend time on personalised interviews and virtual tours.
6. Start Onboarding Online
Welcoming new families is always a big part of the admissions team’s spring and summer. This year, that greeting can be as warm and supportive online.
Westover School hosted a virtual parent-to-parent webinar for accepted families capped by a 1-hour Q&A with Head of School Julie Faulstich. The newcomers felt welcome and ready for the upcoming school year. Incoming students received the same treatment.
What can your school do to welcome new families in new ways? Let us know your ideas and we will share them with hundreds of top schools around the world.
7. Showcase an Immersive, Inspiring Website
With campus closed, your website takes centre stage. Now is the time to ask: Does the site inspire curiosity and wonder? Do your teachers and students star on every page? Is your mission coming to life through engaging storytelling? If not, why not?
As you look ahead to life after COVID-19, think about ways you can go beyond hosting a virtual bulletin board. Instead, imagine taking visitors on a one-of-a-kind, immersive journey. Each step starring inspirational storytelling, bespoke creative elements, and beautiful photography. That’s the most captivating way to shine a light on your school's benefits and value.
It’s true that relationships set independent schools apart. What’s different - for now - is that the admissions office’s warm smiles and welcoming handshakes are virtual. A partnership with marketing can make those connections every bit as meaningful.
The stage is set. Now, your school is ready to star.
If you have any questions or queries on how your school’s marketing can improve during this period, or you have tips on what platforms you are finding useful, then why not reach out to one of our Digital Jedi - we would love to hear from you!