In an upcoming episode on our private school marketing podcast, we are talking about retention and the efforts it takes to cultivate “loyal ambassadors.”
Today, I read 2 articles to encourage your school retention efforts:
The article by Bolden reinforces how simple efforts play such an important role in cultivating an environment where families return year after year (loyal) and they talk enthusiastically about your school to their friends as if they were on staff with the school’s marketing department (ambassadors)!
To learn more about retention ideas, download the free ebook, “3 Rs of School Marketing” at the bottom of our website. It’s FREE!
As you prepare for marketing events like a preview night or open house event, what if your Facebook page was a “virtual” open house?
What if they could get a “tour” of your school’s uniqueness even before they called or came to your campus?
What if they could watch videos, see sports schedules, and even schedule a tour – without having to leave Facebook?
With a custom Facebook page, this is all possible!
(NOTE: This post contains content that may be outdated. If you have questions about a custom Facebook page for your school, email Donny by clicking here)
By clicking the image at the top of this post (or just click here), you will see a new custom Facebook page that we recently did for The Woodlands Christian Academy in the north Houston area. On the enlarged image, you’ll also see our own Facebook page and some highlights of how we customized our page. This will give you a taste of all the possibilities for your custom Facebook page! And be sure to watch the video above to that explains the importance of having a custom Facebook page.
Here are some of the things you can do when we customize your page:
Be creative in the Timeline cover photo
Integrate your school’s logo into the profile image (and thumbnail image)
Showcase up to 3 custom “tabs” (see Woodland Christian’s WELCOME, ALUMNI and ATHLETICS as example)
Establish a “Like/Reveal” gate where you increase the capture of LIKES on your page (that is the goal!)
Up to 3 custom landing pages corresponding to the “tabs” mentioned above
On these landing pages, you can:
Link to an external site (i.e., your school’s website)
Link to a Facebook group (i.e., your Alumni group on FB)
Embed YouTube or Vimeo videos
Embed LIVE portions of your website (via iframe technology; i.e., sports schedules, staff directory, etc.)
Incorporate creative design that mirrors your school’s branding
Capture email addresses, newsletter signup (i.e., using MailChimp or Constant Contact embed code)
Link to other social media channels (i.e., Twitter, Pinterest)
Link to map
Include an on-screen QR code linking to another image, video or PDF
Drive traffic directly to these landing pages via FB ads, email marketing, etc… (each landing page has a unique URL)
. . . and so much more!
These custom landing pages act as a “mini-website” for some, and for others, it may be a more dynamic representation of who you are! When prospective families are searching for private schools, don’t you want your FIRST IMPRESSION to be a powerful one?
Through the end of Novtember, you can get all of the above for $150off the normal price! Use promo code: YSM600 (this promotion is no longer available)
Earlier this month, we conducted a popular webinar called, “7 Tips to Getting More Likes & Comments on Your School’s Facebook Page”. For the first few weeks after the webinar, we offered exclusive access to the archived recording to all those who registered (consider it a perk!) Today, we release this video to everyone on our new school marketing YouTube channel.
Why should you watch this webinar?
Would Your School Like to Have More Fans?
Would You Like to See More Comments on Your Posts?
Would You Like to Increase Your School’s EdgeRank?
When we are talking about how to get more visibility to your school’s Facebook page, you need to understand EdgeRank. Launched 2 years ago (although most people still have no idea what it is), EdgeRank is an algorithm that ranks objects in the Facebook News Feed. Pages with high EdgeRank Scores will be more likely to show up in the news feed than Pages with low EdgeRank Scores.
EdgeRank is made up of 3 variables:
Affinity – Dependent on a user’s relationship with an object in the news feed.
Weight – Determined by the type of object, such as a photo/video/link/etc.
Time Decay – As an object gets older, the lower the value.
Understanding EdgeRank is vital, but if you are still saying, “I don’t get this!” then, you are not alone. To help us out, here are 3 more resources you may find helpful in understanding EdgeRank and the impact it is on your school’s Facebook page:
5 New Ways to Improve Your Facebook EdgeRank [Mashable is typically a good source of information – and this article simplifies this algorithm to where most people can understand it]
What is EdgeRank? [You might enjoy understanding EdgeRank from this well-done illustration/infographic]
Finally I’ll let someone take a shot at teaching you more on video [watch the 11 min video]:
In an upcoming episode on our 
