Most schools I consult with tell me that they are using email to communicate with families. At which point I ask, “which ones?”
If you are using Constant Contact or some other email marketing provider to communicate only with your internal families, that’s OK, but that is more about communication and less about marketing. Yes, good communication is vital for retention efforts (one of the reasons families often give for leaving a school is poor communication). But I’m talking about reaching out regularly with prospective families.
Here are 5 tips you want to consider with your email marketing:
- THINK LIKE A PUBLISHER: just like anything having to do with marketing, it is best to make sure it operates like a system. The “hit-or-miss” strategies you have used are no longer effective. Make your email marketing work on a calendar. Work with your creative team (staff and/or volunteers) to look at your school calendar and create email marketing messages around attractional events (sports, theater, etc), marketing events (open houses, preview nights, etc.) as well as community events that showcase your involvement in the town at large (Christmas shoe drive, Spring Break food pantry assistance, etc.) Holiday themed messages are appropriate as well. Think more like a magazine publisher and start capturing and creating high value content for these monthly or bi-weekly messages. For your December email marketing newsletter to prospectives, for example, you need to be gathering the content in October.
- BE USEFUL: (more…)
Keeping Custom School T-Shirt Costs Low [by Eric Uzelac of TheShirtPrinter.com]
Often we find that many design custom T-shirts only to find that it won’t be cost effective for their budget. Here are a few tips that will help you make your own T-shirt in the most cost effective manner possible.
- Tip #1. Order your custom tee shirts in large volumes when possible. Printing custom t-shirts is like printing business cards, newspapers, or any variety of items, the cost is in the set up. As such, the higher the quantity of custom apparel ordered the lower the cost per unit becomes.
- Tip #2. Look for a cotton mix product vs 100% cotton. The product chosen plays a factor in the price of custom apparel. Name brands, type of fabric and specialty items will drive the price up. Changing a product from a 100% cotton ringer tee to a 50-50 white tee will dramatically bring the cost down.
- Tip #3. Be flexible on the colors of your custom tee shirts. Color of your custom t shirt also enters into the mix. Because color shirts require extra steps in the printing process you will find that it is less expensive to print custom t-shirts on white rather than color.
- Tip #4. Be aware, the more elaborate and more locations of the t-shirt design, the higher the cost. When you make your own t-shirt for your school, your t-shirt design plays a big factor in the cost. How many colors and where you want it printed will determine how much you pay. Basically, the more colors and the more areas you print, on your custom t shirt the higher the cost. When you make your own t-shirt the best rule of thumb for a cost effective custom T-shirt is, one color and one side.
- Tip #5. Stick with sizes less than XL. Lastly, size plays a factor. You will find that custom tee shirts sizes above XL cost a bit more. Unfortunately the only thing one can do to change that is hit the gym!
Have a great day and remember when you make your own t shirt:
Price = Quantity + Product + Color + Design + Size.
[ABOUT ERIC UZELEC – TheShirtPrinter.com]
Eric Uzelac has printed thousands of T-shirts for schools and churches all over the U.S. While some party-poopers may discount the need for “yet another T-shirt”, Eric understands how each T-shirt provides your students and staff the opportunity to be a walking billboard and word of mouth marketing voice in the community. Eric can help you avoid the pitfalls most screen printers make and give you tips on designing a T-shirt that really creates buzz! One unique thing about Eric’s company is that they also provide FREE SHIPPING anywhere in the U.S. – so let Eric’s team design and print your next T-shirt! Launch your idea today in the world famous Design Lab at TheShirtPrinter.com!
[BONUS]
Watch this tutorial video from TheShirtPrinter.com about “How to Add Names and Numbers to Your T-Shirts”.
Like TheShirtPrinter on Facebook and see Eric’s ad on the side of the full version of our site.
The following is a guest article I wrote for EdSocialMedia.com – an awesome site for exploring the role of social media in schools!
In addition to the article below, here are the additional posts I have written for them in the past:
In the most recent article, I take a look at schools and social media during a Friday night football game. Written in September, this is timely, but honestly, the themes and practical suggestions have implication during any sport any time of the year.
Explore 4 ways you can and should be capturing the Friday night sports moments at your school.
READ THE FULL ARTICLE, “Friday Night Football – A Modern Mobile Marketing Marvel”
Related Bonus: You may also want to share with your athletics director “The Student-Athlete And Social Media” from my online colleague, Shane Haggerty (@ShaneHaggerty).
Recently Facebook updated it’s policy regarding contests and promotions. In the past, for example, (to be “legal” under Facebook’s guidelines and policies), you were not allowed to ask people to LIKE your page and then make them eligible for a prize or giveaway. Well that has all changed. Click here to see Facebook’s announcement.
We’ve put together a series of articles and resources to help you navigate through this change (more…)
