In Texas, we enter yet another week of state-level standardized testing, known now in our state as STAAR (State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness).
For many parents of public school students, this is a dreaded week. As a parent of a very bright 3rd grader, I can tell you he is very anxious about it. Our child’s public elementary school is one of the best in the area, and he has a great teacher and wonderful administrative personnel. But STAAR week is a downer for most public school families.
Here are 5 ways you can turn this into a marketing opportunity: (more…)
In marketing your school, you must consider how the approach to education is an attractive element for prospective families. Many families are hungry for something unique, something that they will not find in the typical public education system.
Whether or not you agree with this being the future of education, it is worth a look simply to challenge your school’s view of the educational model and paradigm to which you subscribe.
Click the video below to watch 13 minutes of paradigm shifting:
This animate was adapted from a talk given at the RSA by Sir Ken Robinson, world-renowned education and creativity expert and recipient of the RSA’s Benjamin Franklin award.
Here’s a quick tip on properly engaging with other organization’s as your school – not just your admin’s personal profile!
~Randy
You get an angry parent who not only lashes out to your Headmaster in person, but he takes it online. Ouch. It’s one thing for an exchange to happen behind closed doors on campus, but it’s a bigger deal when prospective families get to read about it online!
That’s why your school needs reviews today – right now – don’t delay!
I would encourage you to ASK your satisfied families to review you on 2 different places online:
- Your School’s Google
Place Local Page – because Google is Google, if a prospective family is searching online using the most popular search engine, they will likely see a map listing alongside Place Local Pages for various area school’s matching the search person’s search terms. The sheer prominence of Google reviews makes it a strong reason to have reviews there.
- GreatSchools.org is the other review site where you must have reviews. Formerly integrated into the entirety of reviews on your Google
Place Local Page (but now separated under an obscure link to “more reviews around the web”), families who know about GreatSchools may come here first to check out various things about the schools in the area. Even the Today Show recommends this website for families to review schools. As well, GreatSchools got some national recognition in a recent article on Education Week.
Keeping a consistent flow of positive reviews is the very best solution for deflating the sting of an occasional negative review. But they are not as easy to get as you might think – asking 10 families might generated 1-2 reviews. Families are busy and they forget to do it – keep following up and asking.
-Randy
