School open days offer a great opportunity for your School to showcase its value and attract prospective students and parents. To ensure the success of your event you need a well-thought plan on how you can not only captivate families during the event but also make them choose your School.
In this guide, we’ll explore some actionable tips to enhance your overall post-event communications strategy and make your School Open Day marketing efforts impactful.
From personalised communications to leveraging social proof through social media adverts, these post-event communications tips will not only boost your conversion rates but also enhance your School’s online visibility through effective SEO.
Send follow-up emails expressing your gratitude
Within 24 hours, send a personalised thank you email to your attendees. Highlight your key takeaways from your open day. This not only creates a connection with families but it is also a gentle reminder of what your School has to offer.
Contact segmentation
Segment your contacts based on their expressed interest during your School’s open days. Craft tailored messages addressing specific concerns or interests, showing that your School aligns with what parents are looking for in an educational experience for their children. Personalisation enhances your communication with parents and demonstrates your commitment to understanding and supporting each prospective families’ needs and goals. Include links to specific blog posts on your school website based on their requirements and provide detailed information on what interests them the most.
Use multiple channels
Diversify your approach to maximise your reach. Combine email, social media advertising, or print school adverts to share event highlights or unique selling points of your School. To maintain the enthusiasm you can partner with school magazines like Absolutely Education to feature highlights of your open days. You can also host webinars and live Q&A sessions to encourage questions showing that you value parents’ input. Host a webinar on “Navigating the Admissions Process” and share the recorded version on your social media for those who couldn’t attend.
Clear CTAs in your post-event communications
Include clear call to actions (CTAs) guiding prospective families on the next steps. Invite them for a private tour or events based on their interests.
Whether it’s scheduling a tour, applying for admission, or joining an upcoming event, a well-crafted CTA directs their journey through the admissions process.
Leverage social proof
Encourage attendees to share their experiences online. Their experiences can be a powerful marketing tool and create a positive impression of your School. User-generated content gives a sense of authenticity and contributes to a favourable online reputation.
Feedback and improvement
Request feedback from attendees to improve your future events. Use feedback to address concerns and showcase your commitment to ongoing improvement. You can create surveys using tools like Google Forms to inquire about specific aspects of the event, from the registration process to the information provided. Analyse responses to identify your strengths and areas for improvement.
Maintain connection with a nurture sequence
Implement an automated email sequence. Share relevant information periodically to move your leads gradually through the admission process. Offer diverse and valuable content like success stories and insights into your community. You can enrol specific lists into your sequences and slightly tweak your messages according to specific groups of people.
Managing your post-event communications effectively is crucial for independent schools to convert open day attendees into schools admissions. With these tips, you can elevate your conversion rates. Stay engaged with social media adverts, stay personalised with constant email communication and watch your school’s admissions soar.
If you would like more professional tips on marketing your School do get in touch with the Digithrive For School’s team who are always happy to help. contact us here