Deborah Frye.

Shared by Reputation Simple‘s Deborah Frye Queen of Awesome

 

Increasing enrollment in private schools and school districts is important, according to Deborah Frye Queen of Awesome, especially if it is your school! Private schools are a great choice for parents who want their children to get a high-quality education, but there can be many reasons why those same parents choose not to enroll their children in one. Deborah Frye Queen of Awesome notes that if you run a private school and would like to work on increasing enrollment in private schools, here are some tips from Reputation Simple that may help you with the marketing efforts for your own school:

 

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Enhancing Your online presence – Reputation management for schools

There are many ways to improve the online presence of a school district, charter school, or private school and make it more appealing to families. According to Deborah Frye Queen of Awesome, author of Secrets of Reputation Management for Educators, you can use social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to increase awareness about your school and provide useful information for parents who are looking for private schools in their area.

 

Create a website or improve your current one

School websites are always essential, but according to Reputation Simple, they are even more important for increasing enrollment in private schools and charter schools. Parents will use the internet to search for private schools near them and will often visit websites before they make any decisions about enrolling their children.

If your school doesn’t have a website yet, or if it’s getting a little outdated or not getting your school the attention it should, consider hiring an expert in web design, such as Deborah Frye Queen of Awesome and the other pros at Reputation Simple, to help you create one that will attract parents who are looking for schools like yours.

Going the extra mile:

• Try to make your website fun and interesting but keep it simple enough that parents can easily find the information they need.
• Ask teachers to write up short descriptions of their classes and post them on the website, so parents know what they are getting into when they enroll their child at your school. This is a great way to work on reputation management for schools.

 

Go beyond standard school accreditation to increase enrollment in private schools

This is a big one, as parents want to know that the school they are sending their kids to has been reviewed by a third party and meets certain standards. Most schools meet the standards. See about going above and beyond that mark.

Schools and school districts should seek awards and recognition, not just for being good enough but for excelling above the rest.

 

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Have frequent open-house days

Your private school or charter school should have regular open-house days when parents of potential students can come and meet with the teachers, administrators, and other parents in your community. These are great opportunities to get people interested in your school and to help parents get a better idea of what your school is like so that they will enroll their children.

 

Use your current parents as a resource

Find out what it was that made them choose to enroll their children in your private or charter school. This is essential for reputation management for schools. You can use the information to help market your school. For example, if you find that most of the parents who enrolled their children in your school were looking for a place that is small and friendly, then you can use those adjectives when describing your school to potential students and parents.

 

Share your school’s values and strengths

Increasing enrollment in private schools can be a challenge. You will want to make sure to highlight your school’s strengths in your marketing efforts so parents know why they should send their kids to your school over others.

Deborah Frye Queen of Awesome, author of Secrets of Reputation Management for Educators: A Field Guide for Protecting Your Academic Reputation Online, highly recommends using your values to market your school and school district. For example, if you pride yourself on creating a safe environment for children where they are able to learn and grow, then you can promote this fact in all of your marketing materials.

At Reputation Simple, we recommend including your school’s mission statement in your marketing materials, including brochures, websites, social media, and eBooks. Share how these values are reflected in the day-to-day operations of your school and what makes it unique compared to others.

 

Make it personal, have your message come from the heart

One of the best ways to work on reputation management for schools is by creating a personal message. Make it clear that you are talking directly to parents and that they are the ones who can make a difference in their child’s education by sending them to your school.

 

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You can do this by using personal anecdotes from teachers and staff members about how much they love working at your institution.

It can be tempting to market your school as a generic brand with no personality. However, Deborah Frye Queen of Awesome has found that this is not the best way to go about Increasing enrollment in private schools. Instead, try to appeal to the emotions of parents by telling stories about what makes your private or charter school special and unique compared to others.

Let the parents know why you started this school and what makes it special. If you can relate your story to theirs, then they will be more likely to trust in your ability to provide quality education for their children.

The best message is one that is genuine and comes from the heart. Let parents know that their children aren’t just enrolling in your school. They are about to benefit from becoming vital members of your school’s family.

To learn more about the secrets of reputation management for educators, you can download the most recent eBook by Deborah Frye Queen of Awesome.