Four Fun February Content Ideas for Your School

Four Fun February Content Ideas for Your School

Recently, I wrote a post called “Happy New Year: 7 Content Suggestions for Your School in January”. Now, I offer 4 content ideas that your school should be using on your school blog and social media platforms in February.

But first – why? This time of year, admissions offices are overwhelmed by preview night planning and re-enrollment deadlines. So I have heard many schools say, “these are neat, but we are swamped right now.” But the strategy behind these content ideas is not just to have fun (although revealing your school’s personality is important). You want engagement on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram. You want your current followers to like, favorite, comment and share your content. These allow your school to reach into similar audiences as your followers when they share your content with their friends and followers. So there is a real strategy behind creative content.

Here are 4 February content ideas for your school:

  1. GROUNDHOG DAY – the 2nd day of the 2nd month is the popular cultural event where the groundhog supposedly predicts the upcoming months’ weather. You can use your own mascot to “predict” 6 more weeks of winter. Another cultural reference to Groundhog Dad stems from the 1993 Bill Murray classic movie of the same name. Thus, Groundhog Day references have also come to include having to endure unpleasant situations over and over until changes are finally made (like the experience of the arrogant weatherman Bill Murphy portrayed in the movie). With some creativity, you could create a mini-movie of a public school family experiencing the same struggles over and over until they finally emerge with a new plan to explore your school that will change their future!
  2. SUPER BOWL – because it is very often one of the most trending topics of the early part of this second month, be sure and have contests to predict the winner (fun wagers between coaches or lower and upper school principals can result in future video fun as the loser has to do something embarrassing in front of the student body). If there are any local tie-ins to the NFL players from the 2 teams, capture those and hit up your local media and let them know about it!
  3. VALENTINES DAY – approach this holiday from a variety of angles! Feature longtime romance stories of your staff by interviewing them (in a written article with photos or a video interview) about how many years they have been married. Schools of the Christian faith may want to feature the historical background of St. Valentine. You can also have fun with images on Facebook and Instagram where you have a large chalkboard that students and parents will hold up with “Why I LOVE My School”.
  4. HISTORICAL FIGURES – whether it’s Black History Month or Presidents’ Day, this month provides you plenty of opportunities connecting your present-day school life with the past. Perhaps your community or school has direct ties to significant events from African-American leaders. This would give you a way to connect your school to the things that your community is talking about. With Presidents’ Day, why not also do a feature on your own school President. Or let the President of your Student Council do something creative to showcase your school’s personality.

There are a host of other celebrations in this month, including bizarre events like “National Cherry Pie Day” and “National Tooth Fairy Day” (who knew?) Have fun with as many as you can!

If you need more ideas on having your own content calendar, download our FREE spreadsheet calendar and a complimentary content guide.

Content Guide and Content Calendar

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9 Steps to Marketing Your School

5 easy ways to showcase your amazing students at your next Open House

5 easy ways to showcase your amazing students at your next Open House

When prospective moms and dads leave a preview event or an Open House, there are things they rarely remember:

  • “Honey, wasn’t that an amazing Powerpoint that the Head of School gave!” Nope, no one says that.
  • “Wow, this tri-fold brochure really does capture what is great about this school.” Doubtful.
  • “I felt so inspired by walking from booth to booth learning about the tuition schedule and curriculum.” Rare.

So what makes an Open House memorable?

Students.

Yes, you should showcase successes of your athletic programs. Sure, make sure parents have a clear indication of all of your extracurricular activities and offerings. But the real winner for inspiring potential parents is to see, talk with, and hear about your student success stories.

Here are 5 easy ways to showcase your amazing students at your next Open House:

  1. FIRST-RESPONDERS: weather-permitting, have students in the parking lot to direct cars, hold the car door open for your guests and to direct newcomers to the right door to enter your building. Most parents have a little nervousness at an admission event, so a friendly student voice or action can be a pleasant surprise right from the beginning!
  2. TOUR GUIDES: if at all possible, have student leaders act as the primary tour guide for families. Not as a tag-along but the leader of the prospective parent’s experience. Have a staff person accompany to answer certain questions but more importantly to listen to the frequently asked questions and for any unique way to follow up later. As a staff person giving the tour, if you are so busy talking, you likely cannot listen well. But if your students are leading the way, you can focus on hearing the questions and concerns of prospective parents. Not only can you use this information in a personalized follow-up, you can also discover great material for your next blog post or FAQ page on your website.
  3. REALITY STARS: while a staff person can often be perceived as putting on a great presentation, parents may also trust a student’s testimonial much more because they “tell it like it really is.” Give plenty of opportunities on stage, in videos or in a written story where you let the real stars of your school shine.
  4. VIDEO PRODUCERS: just like #3, empowering students to produce creative presentations and videos about their positive school experience is much preferred to “slick” or “polished” professional videos. Not that the latter videos are useless, but often the student-generated video work is what is shared the most on social media because it tells about your school from the inside out. Run a contest and invite students to produce their best!
  5. PEN PALS: while some students today would prefer to text or tweet, part of your extensive follow-up work with prospective families is to communicate via pen and paper. While an email may go out from the Admissions office and a typed letter may be mailed from the Head of School, the handwritten thank you notes are what get the most attention. In our digital world, people who take the time to handwrite a note stick out. But you should not only do one, but put together a string of consistent notes from board members, current moms and dads, and yes, even students.

Click the image below more ideas on how to make your Open House more effective!

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In this practical guide, you will find:

  • a 25-page resource, “33 New Ideas for Your Next Open House”
  • 3 coaching messages to help you maximize your effectiveness BEFORE, DURING and AFTER your Open House event
  • an easy-to-follow checklist to ensure you do the most important things at your next Open House

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