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