With the school year ended and most buildings empty of students, as principals we finally get a chance to take a breath. Once we do that a few times we know we gotta get back to work. When we reflect on our student count and think of ways to increase it marketing is the name of the game. In an era of increasing competition we know we have to stand out to capture the attention of families who have greater choice. How can we market our schools so that the values we stand for are represented? These three strategies can help support your enrollment goals.

Unique

This isn’t easy for a public school because we have to be everything for everybody. This makes it hard to stand out and be distinctive. One of the advantages that private and charter schools have is their ability to define their own niche. A private school can be religion based and focused solely on a particular faith or bring in a specific kind of athlete. Charter schools can have a specific theme or cater to specific ethnicities. As a public school finding your focus is essential to increasing school enrollment. This has traditionally been done through an emphasis on things like athletics or band. In today’s technological age, what are ways you can stand out from the crowd? Answering this question will help you be unique.

Remember, regardless of whether you’re a newly established principal or a veteran you are an expert at what you do. Your own particular values as the building leader can also help guide this search for uniqueness. You know exactly what the students need to do to be successful and you’re able to deliver it. The families in your community need you and your school’s particular expertise. Once you identify your one of a kind culture the next step is spreading the word.

So how do you deliver this information? The easiest way to do so is to use social media. Presumably your school already has a Facebook account. If it doesn’t, start one. According to Facebook stats, Facebook has the largest number of users between 25 and 35. That is a prime age for beginning families. Leverage your demographic data and use a social media platform to meet your families where they are.

While, as public schools we have to accommodate everyone, we can still specialize in certain areas. Using social media will help spread your unique characteristics and your school values. Even though school may be out for you reposting older content and reminding your families of your school’s unique qualities is a great strategy

Dependability

Another way to stand out is to be dependable. With every change in leadership schools lurch from one new directive to the next. This fosters uncertainty and parents aren’t sure from year to year what their child is going to get. Being uniform in what you offer to families and the community helps parents know what they’re going to see when they come in for their second and third child. With that consistent way of doing things the parents and the staff can confidently state what is happening year to year and promote your school. No one likes instability. Being unstable causes anxiety among your stakeholders and make choosing another option more likely. Be dependable and not only will families stand by you they’ll sell your school for you.

The most dependable assets at a school are also the greatest asset. The staff. Often we forget that they can do more than just teach. They have hundreds of contacts in their own email and social media accounts. Use them to help spread the word of how dependable and stable your school is. Once a month pass something onto them that they can share with those with whom they have influence. It could be as simple as a picture of them working with their students. Add a brief caption about how great the students are and send it to their friends and families asking them to share it with their friends. As the end of the year approaches have the teachers spread th(continued)