It’s imperative that as a private school, you have a marketing plan that sets you apart from other options in your area. Here are a few key elements to consider when developing your marketing strategy.
Establish a List of Goals
As with any project, it is essential to have benchmarks to work towards. Evaluate your school comprehensively through self-studies, marketing analysis, and interviews with your administration. Find out where your school is weakest and needs to improve. You may be great at getting donations, but lacking when it comes to increasing enrollment.
Once you establish your goals, attach a quantifiable number and end date. Rather than just saying you want to “increase enrollment,” your goal should be “increase enrollment by 10% by 2019.” The clearer your goals, the easier they’ll be to achieve.
Evaluate Resources
After establishing a list of goals, you need to investigate what resources you have at your disposal. Create a table that includes your benchmarks, estimated budget available for each department, and all additional resources that can support those goals. Some projects will be easy to accomplish with your current resources and staff, while others may require you to outsource a professional.
Prioritize Your Marketing Goals
The key to a successful marketing campaign is prioritizing the lowest hanging fruit. Stay realistic with what’s most important and attainable within the scope of your resources. If your team tries to accomplish everything at once, they’ll get overwhelmed and unfocused. Remind them that some goals may take years to reach. Choose a couple items you can check off quickly, and identify a few others that will require more time.
Brainstorm a Strategy
Collaborating with your team is one of the most inspiring parts of launching a marketing plan. Encourage the staff to share every marketing concept that comes to mind—nothing is too far-fetched or out of the question. It only takes one great idea to have a fruitful marketing campaign. Choose the strategy that you believe will be the most successful, and create a step-by-step implementation plan.
Thoughtful Implementation
It’s crucial that you’re intentional in the implementation process. Outline a clear illustration of what tools are required for each goal and the desired timeline. Clarity encourages more efficient collaboration and ideation. Each department will have their own ideas, but it is important to stay level-headed and not attempt to satisfy every person. Be firm, but considerate, in your responses to project requests you cannot immediately accommodate.
Creating a market strategy can be intimidating and exhausting, but there is no reason to get overwhelmed. Follow these tips, and you’ll be on your way to a successful marketing program. If you’re looking for further support or strategy for digital marketing, Blueprint is here to help. To get started on your next private school marketing campaign, contact us or call 770-817-9560 today!