Word-of-mouth marketing is the most powerful marketing you can invest time in. There is no budget to consider, no approval to seek, no research to undertake. It’s merely tossing a topic of conversation out to the masses and waiting for it to grow to a roar. Right?
If your school is active in the community—a performing arts school, amazing sport teams, engaged alumni, etc.—people might organically talk about your facility. However, not all schools carry a reputation for excelling in one area or another. The media, your parents, and even alumni might not be involved enough in “what’s new” to be the best salesmen they can be.
So, how do you get people talking about your amazing school? There is a basic formula for getting people excited and chatting. Here are a few steps.
1. Send a consistent and simple message through all your communications. This should most likely be your school’s mission statement. However, if your school’s mission is long and confusing, it won’t resonate and the message will be lost. Review your school’s mission statement and then boil it down to the specifics. (Gold Consortium members can access I&P Vol. 31 No. 5 Purpose and Outcome Statements: Capture the Essence of Your School for more insight on restating your mission.)
2. Have a consistent internal marketing message through all your internal communications. Internal marketing is one of the most important components to your overall marketing plan. Teachers are part of your sales force! This is one reason why hiring and retaining mission-appropriate staff is so critical to your school’s success.
3. Offer families multiple but simple ways to inquire about your school. Your messages need a clear call-to-action. Send them to a link on your Web site, a post on your Facebook page, a person to call directly for more insight. Your messages are out there encouraging people to learn more about your school; now let them investigate further with guided ease.
4. Garnish your stories and messages with statements from current families.
5. Be selective about what messages you share. Information is a good thing. Too much information is not. Don’t drown your readers, followers, or fans with multiple updates throughout your day. Share big events that have potential to strike up larger conversations.
6. Encourage feedback. Just as it’s important that you provide simple call-to-actions, it’s important that you encourage chatter among your listeners. Provide them a platform where they can share their opinions, thoughts, and stories with others.
7. Don’t expect a viral marketing miracle over night. Creating buzz takes time and patience. You’ll learn what people are interested in and what doesn’t get any attention. Focus on communication strengths and practice reinventing conversations in creative, engaging ways.
Additional ISM resources of interest
ISM Monthly Update for Admission Officers Vol. 8 No. 9 Your Summer Assignment: Define Your School's Main Marketing Message
ISM Monthly Update for Trustees Vol. 10 No. 6 Does Your Mission Need Review?
Private School News Vol. 9 No. 12 What 2011 Means For Marketing Your School
ISM Monthly Update for Admission Officers Vol. 11 No. 1 Make Your Next Open House Exciting and Effective
ISM Monthly Update for Admission Officers Vol. 11 No. 1 Attention-Getting Facebook Content
Additional ISM resources of interest for Consortium Gold members
I&P Vol. 31 No. 5 Purpose and Outcome Statements: Capture the Essence of Your School
I&P Vol. 35 No. 14 Assessing Your School’s Internal Marketing
I&P Vol. 34 No. 8 The Student Culture Profile and Your Purpose and Outcome Statements
To The Point Vol. 9 No. 3 Turn Your 'Mean' Receptionist Into a Marketing Asset
