Keeping up with the changing world of marketing as a charter school administrator can be confusing and overwhelming. With our world being so focused on the internet and digital communication now, you might think traditional marketing is out of date for your school. However, there are benefits to having a marketing strategy that includes both traditional and digital elements.
Let's use the example of a soccer player. It is common sense for the attacking player to put the ball where the goalie isn't. It would be unwise to always kick the ball to the same spot of the net even if the goal keeper is there.
Oftentimes it is easy for schools to run Facebook, Instagram, Google, TikTok or any other digital ad just because "everyone else is doing it."
Instead of doing something just because you think you have to, be like a soccer player and look for an opening in the goal, or in other words, where your competition isn't.
Here are a few reasons to consider both traditional and digital marketing for your school.
Traditional marketing
Traditional marketing refers to any kind of marketing that is not online. This includes print, direct mail, television, radio ads, and billboards. Up until the increased popularity of the internet, this was the only type of marketing that schools had at their disposal. This method of marketing does still hold some merit and should be considered as a facet of your marketing strategy.
Consistency and Control
The first benefit to traditional marketing is that you avoid the inconsistency of the changing digital landscape. This means you have more control over where your material appears and how it is perceived. It also means that your material will stay relevant, since it is not tailored to keeping up with internet trends.
Physical Brand Awareness
As a charter school, you want to have a solid presence in your local community. Traditional marketing practices lend themselves to this! For example, you can put up flyers around town and hold in-person events that add a personal communication aspect to your branding. This puts you ahead of digital competitors because it guarantees that your message doesn’t get lost in the noise of the digital world and distinguishes you in the community as a local charter school.
Digital Marketing
Digital marketing is any kind of marketing that takes place online. This could take place in the form of social media, or email marketing. At Charter Connect, our mission is to assist schools in fine tuning their digital marketing strategies and digital presence. Digital marketing gives charter schools the ability to expand their reach when it comes to potential students, which is very important in these times of COVID when so many schools have transitioned to virtual learning and everyone is relying more on digital communication. Here are just a couple of the benefits of implementing a digital marketing strategy for your school.
Cost Efficient
Digital ads are a great way to do a lot with a limited budget. Part of the reasoning behind this is that they have a long shelf life and can be adjusted and edited to reach specific target markets with specific messaging. In addition, you can choose to set a budget for your online ads. This reduces unnecessary costs and lets you determine how much money you are willing to spend for a click on your link. With digital marketing you can also use the same ad on multiple platforms, removing the need for multiple versions of your messaging.
Better Targeting and Tracking
Probably the most important benefit of digital marketing is the ability it gives us to track interactions and target a specific audience. For example, with Google Ads you are able to set a radius in miles for your target audience. By doing this, your ad will only appear in that set area, eliminating wasted advertising for the wrong audience. You also are able to track how many times the ad appears, how many people clicked on it, and the actions they took after clicking. This is a quantifiable way to see what is working and what you can adapt for your audience.
Overall, the goal as an administrator is to increase enrollment and visibility of your school. Using both traditional marketing and digital marketing practices can help charter schools to achieve this same goal in different ways.
Final Tip
Whether it’s digital or traditional marketing, your success will depend on how effectively you can deliver the right message to the right person. To make assure efficiency, ask yourself the following questions:
Does my message stand out?
Is the call-to-action clear?
Who will see my ad?
When will they see my ad?
What were they doing before seeing my ad?
Where is your competition (Be where they aren't!)
Can I track the results of my ad campaign?
Feel free to reach out to our team of charter school marketing professionals with any questions!