By Maggie Twaroski, Truth Tree Contributor
Online searches and artificial intelligence have made it easier than ever for prospective parents and students to research and compare schools. With so many options on the market, schools are looking for ways to stand out and engage new families. A student-centered marketing strategy can be a highly effective way to differentiate yourself from other schools and appeal to your most important stakeholders.
With generation alpha consisting of those born between 2010 and 2025, the elders of this cohort are entering their teen years and spending ample time in the digital space. According to an article by Basis Technologies, “Gen Alphas are not passive online users. They actively engage, create, and influence digital content, and prefer personalized, immersive, and interactive online experiences.”
What better way to provide content that will resonate than delivered by their very own generation?
“Your students are your product AND your customer, so prospective families want to meet them. Put them in front of the camera, in front of the tiny mic, or, heck, just give them the phone and let them record what they think is special about their school experience. It might be a little rough around the edges, but it will be authentic, real and therefore will resonate with parents because they will be able to picture their child in that photo or video,” said Heather Burchfield, Director of Partner Success.
Students have an important role in deciding which school they enroll in, so delivering messages and content that appeals to them can provide the nudge they need to progress in the enrollment process. Plus, incorporating student voices in your marketing messages makes it easier for parents to envision their children thriving at your school.
What does a student-centered marketing strategy look like? Let’s break it down.
Storytelling
A student’s school experience is an emotional one–from first-day jitters, to gameday spirit, to pride on graduation day. Just as emotions help drive the student experience, they also drive the way parents and students engage with your school’s marketing. Storytelling is one of the most effective ways of sparking emotion in your marketing and is sure to leave a lasting impression–even more than your most impressive data points.
Powerful stories come from the students and the teachers, staff, and parents who support them. Stories about a student’s academic, social, and extracurricular journey go a long way in building lasting relationships with current and prospective families. Check out these awesome examples of schools incorporating stories in their digital marketing:
Framlingham College: A “Life at Framlingham” page on the school’s website tells the stories of two students and their everyday experiences in class, with friends, and in the community. Readers learn about their daily routine through student-told stories accompanied by images.
King’s InterHigh: The school’s blog publishes stories directly from parents, teachers, students, and alumni. Parents can read stories from other parents about topics they care about, from bullying to flexible scheduling to family life. Students can read about their peers’ experiences in athletics, with friends, and confidence in the classroom.
Student-driven content
While it may seem unusual (even risky) to put students in charge of content creation, they offer a unique perspective of your school’s brand that might otherwise fly under the radar. A well-produced video, social media post, or blog article from a group of students can help uncover the reasons why they love your school–and why others will, too. Not only does student-driven content engage prospective students and their parents, it also encourages your current students to take a more active role in your school’s mission.
Delegating some of your social media content to students is a great way to incorporate student voices in the platforms they’re most accustomed to. A simple TikTok video, like this one from Mcallen ISD has over 4,500 views and encourages families to register for classes.
And don’t worry–all final content pieces can go through staff approval.
- Some schools have developed policies that student leaders and staff sign together to build a foundation of guiding principles and boundaries.
- In some cases, a student-focused account is created and managed by students, with staff overseeing and always having login credentials in case of an emergency.
Student feedback
Inviting students into your marketing plans in a guided, strategic manner can reveal opportunity gaps and help your school appeal to a younger audience. Consider presenting marketing plans to students in a focus group or student advisory committee to see how your current plans and goals resonate across different age groups, and where they might be falling short.
Or, set up a student-led marketing workshop where ambassadors can present ideas on how to improve school marketing and outreach. This is an opportunity to hear from students who represent different groups and programs in your school, so try to diversify the attendees as much as possible. For example, a well-rounded workshop would include students from different grades, academic programs, athletic tracks, and extracurriculars.
Regardless of the format in which you choose to receive feedback, the goal is to listen to what students perceive in your school’s marketing efforts, and where there are opportunities for improvement. Where do students find themselves interacting with your school brand? What kind of content do they like to see? How do they prefer to communicate with your school? In what ways have they experienced a sense of belonging? Answers to these questions can help drive student-centered marketing initiatives that empower current students to support future students.
Meet students where they are
A lot has changed in digital marketing in recent years, especially on social media. As students become more active online, it’s important to stay informed on the trends and platforms that are driving engagement. Check out our detailed blog post on student-centered social media marketing, with tips on how to attract and retain tech-savvy students across top platforms.
How strong is your digital marketing strategy?
Digital marketing is a moving target with new trends and techniques emerging around every corner.
Does your strategy (or bandwidth) allow for experimenting with them?
Our team partners with schools around the world to handle the main pillars of a digital marketing strategy allowing the MarCom team to focus on the day-to-day.
