DFS - post image - Why should my School add Threads to our Instagram profile

Why should my School add a Threads account to our Instagram profile?

How schools can elevate their social media presence with Threads

Introduced in July 2023 by Meta, Threads has created a buzz – leaving people questioning whether this is the end for Twitter. 

But what is all this buzz about?

As a school marketeer, you might be wondering how your School will benefit from a Threads account. 

In this article, we will explore what Threads is, why it’s popular and why your School should consider joining the platform. 

What is Threads and what does having a Threads Account mean for my School? 

Threads is a new platform for enabling public discussion with your audience. What Threads offers that Twitter doesn’t, is that it can be connected with your Instagram account. This means that you can add your existing Instagram and Facebook followers to Threads after joining the app and linking your account. You don’t have to start from scratch to build a social media presence for your School on Threads.

You can also reply and repost as you do on Twitter. Threads posts can be up to 500 characters long and you can include photos and videos that last no longer than 5 minutes. You can also share your Threads posts in your Instagram stories, or share the link of your Threads on other platforms. 

How can my School use Threads to attract new students? 

Make use of the 80/20 Rule

Spend 80% of your time educating and engaging with parents and students and 20% of your time promoting your School. The high character limit allows you to copy and paste previous content. Plus, you can get creative and post new content without restricting yourself to short-form content formats. 

Build a Two-Way Communication with Parents and Students

How many times did you post on your School’s Instagram account and leave comments with no response? 

This can damage your reputation and it doesn’t reflect the caring environment that your School has nurtured for its students.

This will cost you the time spent on creating a great piece of content while ignoring all the small details that make a difference.

This is why your School needs to be on Threads. There’s no DM feature. Nothing remains secret. Your audience having joined threads is open to starting conversations with your School. All you have to do is to create engaging content that will spark the interest of parents and students to start conversation with your School. In the long term this will increase your enquiries. 

Repurpose your IG content

If you’ve posted a carousel on Instagram, you can turn each slide into a series of Threads posts. Let’s say that you posted on Instagram about initiatives that empower your students to develop different skills.

Start explaining the different photos of the carousel on Threads and provide more details on the initiative and the positive results it had on your students.

As your Threads account is connected to your Instagram account, parents and students can always get back to your Instagram post. 

Follow the algorithm and see how it works

Threads posts don’t appear in chronological order – where the most recent post appears first. Your content won’t be displayed to all of your followers. It goes to the algorithm inventory, which means that your post will appear to the accounts that will most likely engage with your content. 

With Elon Musk suggesting that all the users of X, formerly known as Twitter, need to pay to have access to the platform, joining Threads presents a good alternative.

It offers lots of opportunities for your School to build a more interactive community with prospective students and parents.

As Threads is in its early days, it’s always good for you and your school marketing team to stay alert to any new developments and experiment on the platform.

Just remember that the goal of building a social media presence on any platform is lead nurturing with interactive engagement that will increase your admissions.

If it seems that you get a lot of interactions with prospective families on Threads, then keep adding value for them and attract them to your School! 

Want to learn how you can make the best use of Threads? Let Digithrive For Schools teach you the best practices of social media for Schools. Book a free consultation here

DFS - Blog - 5 Benefits of Marketing Automation for Schools - 01 (1)

5 Benefits of School Marketing Automation with Latest Tools

From how your School can be successful in an increasingly competitive market, to how you can get smarter with posting on social media, there are dozens of things that a school marketeer must handle. Marketing a school can become undoubtedly overwhelming!

Using school marketing automation tools can help you overcome this struggle and get back to work. 

Automation isn’t just about staying on track, it’s a useful tool that will help you improve your communication with your team, increase your engagement with prospective parents and students, and enhance the efficiency of your school marketing campaigns.

In this article, we will explore some of the benefits of using automation in school marketing. 

Enhanced personalisation with school marketing automation

Effective school marketing is all about sending the right message to the right families at the right time. By sending general messages you’re risking your school marketing campaigns going unnoticed by prospective parents and students. Personal touches are always appreciated. Small details such as the first name of your recipient can work in your favour. By adding an extra layer of care you’re making a long-lasting impression. 

According to Snov.io by personalising emails, marketers have seen an 82% increase in open rates of their email marketing campaigns. HubSpot is one of the tools where you can start building a personalised communication channel between your School, and not only existing parents and students but also prospective parents and students. 

Enhanced time efficiency whilst the clock is ticking

It can seem like you’re pushing your limits when you undertake repetitive tasks. Sending follow-up messages to interested students and parents can be time-consuming. Automation can free up your time to focus on more strategic planning. Automating email sequences when a student or a parent visits your website can help you nurture your leads and increase your enrollments. 

All marketing materials in one place

By using software like HubSpot and having all marketing materials in one place, you can maintain a consistent brand image. From email campaigns to social media posts across LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter you can build a consistent voice and define your School’s vision and goals, leaving no room for speculation by prospective parents and students. What’s more, you can track your performance at the same time!

Improved engagement and communication

How can marketing automation enhance your communication with prospective students and their families? In actual fact, much of your communication with them can be automated. This will help you increase the frequency of your communication – as it can save you hours of manually sending messages through multiple channels. 

For instance, you can implement automated email nurturing campaigns that engage parents and students at various stages of the admissions journey. When a family initially expresses interest in your School by downloading a brochure or attending an open day event, the automation system can send a series of personalised emails.

These emails may include information on your School’s unique curriculum, success stories from current students, and invitations to virtual campus tours or Q&A sessions. The automation system can adjust the content and timing of subsequent messages, ensuring that each family receives the most relevant information and feels genuinely supported throughout their decision-making process, ultimately increasing the likelihood of admission.

Data-driven decision making

You can track real-time data, which gives you the ability to understand what works the best and what needs to be optimised. By having detailed information about the performance of your campaigns, you can use the data to your advantage.

If you run an email campaign, you can observe the open rates, and the unique clicks on your content. That gives you an enhanced understanding who has connected with your content. On the other hand, if your numbers are not satisfying, you can do an A/B test by changing the subject lines, CTAs or visuals, segment your target audience, and understand which improvements you need to make.

Where to start with school automation marketing? 

ParentMail: It allows schools to send messages, notifications, newsletters, and updates to parents and guardians through various channels, including email, SMS, and a dedicated app.

EdSurge Product Index: This is a platform that helps schools discover and evaluate education technology solutions. It can automate the process of researching and identifying tools that can enhance your admissions process or student engagement.

SchoolCloud: It streamlines the admissions process by allowing schools to create online application forms, manage admissions documents, and communicate with prospective families. It also offers features for virtual parent-teacher meetings.

Hootsuite: Provides schools with a platform to schedule social media posts, monitor engagement, and analyse the performance of their social media content.

Want to learn how you can make the best use of school marketing automation? Let Digithrive For Schools teach you the best practices of school marketing automation. Book a free consultation here

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7 Must-Try TikTok Trends For Your School Marketing

With new social media platforms emerging regularly, one platform has taken the digital world by storm: TikTok. This short-form video platform has grown exponentially in recent years and shows no signs of slowing down, prompting schools to consider its role in their marketing mix. 

In this article, we’ll explore innovative strategies for leveraging TikTok’s potential to enhance your School’s marketing efforts.

First things first, what is TikTok? 

According to DemandSage,TikTok boasts over 1 billion active users worldwide, making it one of the most popular social media platforms globally. What sets TikTok apart is its unique ability to capture and retain users’ attention. The platform’s short-form videos, typically ranging from 15 to 60 seconds, are designed to be quick, engaging, and entertaining. Although initially taken up by Gen Z, this is becoming increasingly popular with Millennials with children.

So, how can your school use TikTok as part of your marketing mix? 

Here’s a few clever ways …

Spark Engagement with Interactive Challenges and Contests

TikTok thrives on challenges and contests that encourage user participation. Schools can tap into this trend by creating their challenges, and inviting students and followers to engage actively. These challenges could range from academic quizzes to creative challenges related to your School’s ethos.

Launch an ‘Academic Excellence Challenge’, where students submit short educational videos explaining complex concepts in a fun and engaging manner. The challenge not only promotes learning but also showcases your School’s commitment to academic excellence.

‘Meet our Faces’ Series with Student Takeovers 

Give your students the reins for a day or week. Allow them to take over your School’s TikTok account, providing a glimpse into their daily lives. This approach fosters a sense of community and trust among your followers.

Designate a ‘Student Ambassador of the Week’ who creates content showcasing their daily routines, favourite school spots, and interactions with school staff. This personal touch humanises your School and makes it more attractive to prospective students.

Behind-the-Scenes Tours

Take viewers on captivating behind-the-scenes tours of your School and facilities. Highlight hidden gems, secret study spots, and the vibrant atmosphere that sets your School apart.

Create a series of ‘Secrets of Your School’ videos, revealing intriguing aspects of your School, such as a centuries-old library or your new science lab.

Spotlight on Alumni Success

Showcase the achievements of your alumni to inspire current and prospective students. Share success stories, career journeys, and interviews with graduates who credit your School for their accomplishments.

Launch an ‘Alumni Spotlight Series’ featuring recent graduates discussing the impact of your School on their lives. This content reinforces your School’s reputation for fostering academic success and helping students achieve their career goals.

Interactive Connect and Inform Q&A Sessions

Host live Q&A sessions with school representatives, school staff, or students. Invite viewers to submit questions in advance or during the live session, creating an interactive and informative experience.

Schedule a ‘Student Life Q&A’ session where current students answer queries about school life, extracurricular activities, and academic support. 

Educational Mini-Series

Offer bite-sized educational content on TikTok, providing viewers with valuable insights and skills. These mini-series can cover a wide range of subjects, from exam preparation tips to career development guidance.

Launch a ‘Study Smarter’ mini-series where each episode focuses on a different study technique or time-management strategy.

Trend-Savvy Content by Joining the TikTok Trends

Stay attuned to TikTok trends and integrate them into your content. By participating in trending challenges, songs, or memes, your School can stay relevant and increase its discoverability.

Join a trending dance challenge and infuse it with your School’s spirit by featuring students and staff participating in the fun. 

TikTok represents a creative and powerful addition to your School’s marketing mix. Its vast and engaged audience, authenticity, creative potential, trend participation, student recruitment capabilities, cost-effectiveness, and tracking capabilities make it a useful platform for schools. By using the power of TikTok, your School can connect with a broader audience, showcase its unique personality, and stay ahead in the competition with other schools. So, don’t miss out on the opportunity—embrace TikTok and unlock its full potential for your School’s marketing success! 

If you have any more questions about using TikTok as part of your marketing mix or you’d like to learn more, we would be happy to help advise you. Book a free consultation here

When do you need to migrate to Google Analytics 4?

When do you need to migrate to Google Analytics 4?

With a July deadline looming, you might have heard that Google is updating Google Analytics from Universal Analytics (GA3 or UA) to their new upgraded version. The upgraded version is called Google Analytics 4 (GA4). 

But what does Google Analytics 4 do, and when do you need to migrate by? Here’s everything you need to know.

What is Google Analytics 4?

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the latest version of Google Analytics. It is designed to help businesses better understand their customers’ behaviour across different platforms and devices. GA4 uses machine learning to provide insights into user behaviour and to help businesses make data-driven decisions.

What is the deadline for migrating to GA4?

On July 1st 2023, GA4 will be the new standard, meaning all Universal Analytics properties will no longer receive data. However, 360 Universal Analytics properties will still be active until July 1st 2024. However, it’s a good idea to move your data and set up GA4 as soon as possible. 

What are the benefits of GA4?

Improved cross-device tracking: GA4 uses machine learning to help businesses better understand how users interact with their website. This includes tracking on mobile, desktop, and tablet.

Enhanced data privacy features: GA4 has several new features to help businesses comply with data privacy regulations, such as the ability to automatically delete user data after a set period of time.

More detailed insights: GA4 provides more detailed insights into user behaviour. This includes information on how users engage with your website and which actions they take.

Simplified reporting: GA4 has a new reporting interface that is designed to be more intuitive and user-friendly. The platform’s home screen provides businesses with a quick overview of their website or app’s performance, with metrics such as active users, engagement, and revenue displayed prominently. The new reporting interface also includes a customizable dashboard that allows businesses to create their own reports and visualisations. This feature provides businesses with more flexibility in the way they view their data, allowing them to focus on the metrics that matter most to them.

Integration with Google Ads: GA4 is fully integrated with Google Ads, allowing businesses to measure the performance of their advertising campaigns more accurately. The platform provides businesses with insights into how users interact with their ads and how these interactions translate into conversions.If you have not upgraded to Google Analytics 4 by July 1st, 2023, your website will not be able to collect any new data past that date. Your website will still use Universal Analytics, but only to track information from before July 1st, 2023.

The integration with Google Ads also means that businesses can use the platform’s machine learning capabilities to optimise their ad campaigns. GA4 can identify which ad creatives and targeting options are most effective at driving conversions, allowing businesses to make data-driven decisions about their ad spend.

What are the next steps you need to take?

Overall, GA4 can provide significant benefits and help you better understand and optimise your digital performance. If you do not make the transition to Google Analytics 4 before July 1st, 2023, your website will no longer be able to collect new data/information after this date. The current Universal Analytics will still be working, but it will only be able to record data that has been gathered before the deadline of 1 July 2023.

Here at Digithrive we are able to take the worry out of your hands and migrate your GA to GA4. To speak to one of the team about this click here.

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How does digital marketing help education institutions?

Digital marketing or online marketing is nothing new – in fact, the term “digital marketing” was first used in the 1990s, when the first clickable banner went live in 1993! However, digital marketing for schools is relatively new, which is why many schools do not have a school digital marketing strategy in place or are not taking part in any digital marketing activity that aligns with the school’s objectives.

This is why Digithrive takes a holistic approach to digital marketing; we see your school as both a business and an institute of education.

We will develop a marketing strategy that is customised to your marketing objectives and your specific target audience (don’t worry – we explain all of this jargon here in our guides!), focusing on the digital channels and social media platforms that will drive business success and improve your learning environment.

Generate More Leads

Developing a school digital marketing strategy allows you to focus on marketing activities that bring in more students – in the digital marketing world, we call that “generating leads”. Each student or parent who finds your school through search engine results thanks to searching engine optimisation results, could become a potential lead (and thus a potential conversion) for your school. Leads are generated through paid advertising, content marketing such as writing blogs or guides (using keywords, of course), local SEO (updating your Google My Business Page), and paid social media advertising.

Engage With Your Audience

Digital marketing does so much more than just splash your brand across the internet. For schools, it allows you to engage with more parents and students on the platforms they use daily – especially on social media. Not only can you inform current parents about events and important information, but you can also reach prospective parents with entertaining, engaging, and educational content. There might be some negative interactions and engagements, but with the help of our marketing managers, you can mitigate these and turn them into positive experiences.

Improve Local Visibility

You may think that digital marketing is solely meant for reaching people far and wide, but there is local SEO that you can use to improve your visibility in your specific area. Digithrive knows that schools are region-based, and a targeted marketing plan for your region will drive more valuable leads, as the people looking for schools in their area will find you at the top of their list. You can also produce extremely targeted content about your region and your school using local keywords, which will appear in search results for those terms.

school digital marketing

Cost-Effective Solution

Schools are not only places of learning – they are businesses too, and for many, a marketing budget can become exorbitant. With Digithrive, we make use of tools and technology that enable us to manage your advertising budget across different campaigns to get the best results. Marketing your school online is also flexible, allowing you to alter your content and budget or schedule whenever you need to. Our team of professionals will never give you a “one-size-fits-all” marketing plan; we work with your business budget to find the most cost-effective solution for your goals.

Measurable Results

Any marketing plan needs to have a goal in place that signifies the successful completion of the plan. This could be something like generating ten new leads a month or increasing the sign-ups to your school’s newsletter. Digital marketing allows you to track all actions taken by your audience and measure the results of your marketing plan, giving you clear metrics on the success of your campaign. By using analytics and statistics, Digithrive can adapt your marketing strategy to achieve the best results.

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Why should schools stay up-to-date with marketing trends?

Digital marketing is constantly changing, and it is important for your school to stay up-to-date with these changes. After all, you are also a business, and any business needs to stand out from its competitors online.

While you do not need to become subject matter experts overnight, staying abreast of what digital marketing tools and technologies are on the market and making waves in your industry helps you to remain relevant to both parents and students alike.

Understanding these trends will also empower you to choose the best marketing agency (and strategy) for your needs.

Some school marketing agencies might tell you that digital marketing success only comes from being on every platform at once, but we tend to disagree.

Let’s break it down: If your audience is not on Facebook, advertising or posting on Facebook won’t drive visibility or help with any lead generation strategies.

You need to focus your communications strategy on where your audience spends their time – not on where the general public gathers online.

Is digital marketing the right move for my school?

While print marketing is still highly relevant for schools today, without a digital strategy, you may find yourself losing out on a larger audience.

Your online audience is different to your print audience, and you will need to understand their needs and demographics if you want to provide meaningful content and interactions.

There is also the element of flexibility that comes with creating digital content to market your school; flyers and posters are fantastic local advertisements, but with digital advertising, you can create videos, gifs, and banners that are shown at the exact right time, to the exact right audience.

The measurability of digital marketing certainly trumps print marketing.

You can see exactly which advertisement drove which actions, allowing you to tailor all future content to match those successes – no more guessing if any potential parents have walked past your poster in the park and made a call to your school to find out about enrolments.

Having an up-to-date, mobile-friendly website not only helps you to remain relevant online, but it also allows you to create and share valuable content with current and potential parents and students.

Blogs and videos backed up by search engine optimisation tactics help you to build visibility and authority with search engines and with your audience themselves. And, with students becoming more digitally savvy, your school needs to reach them where they spend their day, in order to truly resonate with them.

Partnering with a digital marketing agency that understands your needs is the right move for your school. Let Digithrive teach you the ways of the internet, while you teach the future.

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SEO for schools

If your school wants to increase website traffic and enrollment numbers, then SEO (or search engine optimisation) is a key component in your marketing strategy. Employing an SEO strategy will help you get ahead of your competitors and rank higher than them on the most popular search engines. It will also improve your website functionality for the benefit of your current site users as well as prospective parents and students.

Here are our top tips for using SEO in your school’s marketing strategy…

Why is SEO for schools important?

Search engines, such as Google, want people to find relevant and helpful content when they use their platforms. Search engines rank your content based on keyword relevance. When a user enters a keyword or keywords into a search engine, the results page will show the most relevant content at the top.

Appearing on page one for the keyword you want to rank for is important as most users will never make it to page two. The higher you rank on page one, the more likely users are to click on your content.

How to do keyword research

Keyword research is the process of finding and analysing the search terms that your target audience will be entering into search engines. It’s important to plan out your keywords before you start writing the content for your school’s website as it will help you to identify the queries you should be targeting, and also how popular they are and how difficult they are to rank for.

To find keywords that have a high search volume, and are also relevant to your school, you can use tools like Google’s Keyword Planner. Keywords that have a high search volume are more difficult to rank for. The best practice is to choose keywords that relate to your school’s offering, rather than just aiming for the keywords with the highest search volume.

Keyword research will also help you identify related keywords. Related keywords are variants, semantically related terms, or synonyms to the main keywords that you’re targeting and want to rank for on the SERPs. 

What are the best keywords for your school?

The best keywords for your school will depend on specifics such as what you offer and where you’re based. Search engine optimisation is all about making your content as relevant as possible. Generic education keywords like ‘school’ are not only difficult to rank for in the search results, but won’t help Google direct your target audience to your site. The best SEO strategy is to choose more specific or longtail keywords (phrases). For example, the words ‘independent school’ as well as your school’s location gives Google more information and will also be easier to rank for than the word ‘school’.

How to use keywords to optimise the key pages on your school website

To optimise your content, use your main keyword and related keywords in your page title as well as subsequent heading tags, body text, image alt text and in the page meta description. Make sure you also use them on all the key pages on your website. Main keywords should only be used once per page, otherwise you will be competing against other pages for ranking.

Whilst keyword density is important, keyword stuffing, however, is not considered good practice. Overloading your content with keywords in an attempt to improve your Google ranking is considered webspam or spamdexing. If Google thinks that this is what you’ve done, it will negatively impact your search ranking. The best approach is to include your main keywords and related keywords within natural prose.

It is also important to optimise your homepage to boost your site’s ranking. For your homepage, you’ll want to include your school name as well as the type of school you are. The page title should be the name of your school.

What is the best practice for page URLs?

Using good practice across your page URLs will have a positive impact on your SEO. The page title should match your URL, or at least make up the majority of it. If you change a page URL, make sure you set up page redirects first. It can negatively impact your Google ranking if an indexed page encounters a ‘page not found error’.

How to use title tags and header tags

Using title and header tags in your copy is important for SEO because they help Google understand your content. They also make your content more readable and user-friendly for your website visitors. The best practice is to start each page with a headline using the H1 tag. Then you can separate your content into sections using the H2 tag and subsections using the H3 tag.

How to write a meta description

A meta description is an HTML element that provides a summary of each webpage. It’s the short paragraph that Google displays on the search engine results page. It’s important to make the meta descriptions for each of your web pages enticing in order to encourage prospective parents and students to click on them, rather than a competing school’s site. Your meta description should include your main keyword, as well as many associated keywords as possible.

Sizing images and using alt text

It is important to make sure your website images are not too large or too small, as this can have a negative impact on SEO. Make sure you resize and compress images as large images can slow down your site speed as well.

It is also important to add the correct tags and alt-tags to images. Search engines can only read data, so adding a title to your image helps them to recognise what your content is about.

Using internal links

An internal link is a link from one page on your school’s website to another. Linking to relevant pages throughout your content will keep the user on your site for longer. Internal links are also important for SEO, as search engines use them to navigate your site. Make sure your anchor text is keyword rich for both internal and external links, as Google factors this into your search ranking. There is no upper limit for links on each page and the best practice to use as many relevant links as you can.

Why are external links important?

Links to your website from other high-ranking websites can boost your Google ranking. Inbound links can give your school’s website credibility and authority. Using outbound links on your site can help encourage other high-ranking sites to reciprocate. External links can also help to increase your website traffic.

Using topic clusters

Using ‘topic clusters’ is an effective SEO strategy where you link your content around a master overview page called a ‘pillar article’. Topic clusters are also useful when you need to cover a broad subject in detail. Using topic clusters will allow you to dominate keyword categories in organic search.

Creating unique pages

Search engines favour unique content, and will ignore pages that it thinks are duplicated. The best practice is to not copy and paste from elsewhere and also make sure your copy isn’t too repetitive throughout your site.

Creating footer text

Your website’s footer should contain sub-menu links and key links to help your visitors navigate your site. A well organised footer works in a similar way to internal links and is an easy way of boosting your SEO ranking.

Add a blog to your school’s website

Finally, search engines love new and up-to-date content and a blog will help you add fresh content to your site regularly. Writing a blog post is also a good way of sharing relevant content with your school community as well as prospective parents and students. For the best search performance, make sure your blog is included within your school website and is linked to from your homepage.