Do you feel like you are trying really hard, but your school marketing is not making a difference?
Do you want to use modern techniques when marketing your schools, but leadership wants to keep doing things the same old way?
In this article, I will examine eight statistics that will impact the way you market your schools in 2019.
“In God we trust… all other must use data”
“There is an epidemic failure within the game to understand what is really happening… They are asking all the wrong questions.”
Eight Mind-Blowing Statistics that Will Make You Rethink Your Marketing
There has been a dramatic shift in the way we need to market in public education to be successful. Gone are the days where parents are choosing their school based on location. With increased competition in the education industry, public schools must develop a game-plan to survive.
Although your gut plays a big part in the way we must engage our audiences, we can not disregard statistics. Numbers rarely lie…
Here are eight mind-blowing stats that will change your perception on the way you market:
1. Sixty-Two percent of consumers want companies to take a stand on social, cultural, environmental & political issues
From the book Punk CX by Adrian Swinscoe
In the past, public schools have often taken a neutral approach to cultural issues, trying not to enrage certain subsets in their community. In the year 2019, that might need to change. According to Accenture’s 14th Annual global Consumer Pulse Research, 62% of consumers worldwide want companies to take a stand… [Swinscoe p. 021]
In his book, Punk CX, Swinscoe uses the Colin Kaepernick Nike advertisement as an example of a company taking a stand. Many thought this was controversial, but to Nike’s core audience it didn’t matter. In fact, it had a positive impact on their bottom line. Nike’s sales rose over 32% after the ads ran [Swinsoe p. 021]
Peel Schools in Ontario, Canada does an exceptional job at taking a stand. They were one of the first school districts to taking a stand against discrimination students based on sexual preference. There Values Statement says it best:
Our values, based on our character attributes, are the foundation of our genuine relationships with students, parents and each other. Together, we create safe, positive climates for learning and working—environments that prepare students to be empathetic citizens of the world.
2. Two-thirds of the touchpoints during the product evaluation phase involve human-driven marketing activities
From the book Marketing Rebellion by Mark Schaeffer
Schaeffer says it best when he said, “Let that sink in for a moment. Two-thirds of your marketing… is not your marketing.”
He points out that these activities include:
- Internet Reviews
- Social Media Conversations
- Word-of-Mouth From Family, Friends and Experts
The customer is in control. Gone are the days we can push advertising onto the masses. With so many channels where they can research your school district before interacting with you is changing the school marketing landscape. We must adapt.
The customer now controls the marketing funnel… as school districts, we must change from a push to pull marketing society. It is vital we make a deeper connection with our students, parents and community to build their trust and market for us.
Research says that 83% of consumers are influenced by word of mouth marketing. Is that communication negative or positive in your community? Knowing your audience and listening to them is key.
3. Customers say they tell an average of 9 people about good experiences, and nearly twice as many (16) about poor ones
From the book Customer-Centric Marketing by Aldo Cundari
This goes back to the statistic that 83% of consumers are influenced by word of mouth marketing. With the most sway coming from family and friends. Get to know them to be successful…
Your parents and students are the life-blood of your district. Make them feel that way. Give them reason to be your best advocate to the community. They will be trusted much more than a billboard on the side of the road.
4. About one in four Millennials is a parent already
From the book Millennials with Kids by Jeff Fromm & Marissa Vidler
This statistic really is mind-blowing. When we think of Millennials, we usually think of crazy teenagers. That is not true anymore. They are growing up and entering the workforce and having kids. Is your marketing changing to adapt to what they want?
These digital natives do not ingest advertising like Generation X and baby boomers. They are on their smartphones. They are on their devices, consuming content online and on social media. Are you connecting with them through these channels?
5. Fifty percent of Generation Z teens surveyed agree that personal success is the most important thing in life
From the book Marketing to Gen Z by Jeff Fromm & Angie Read
What are you doing in your district to promote personal success of your students?
Marketing is much more than creating advertisements. Marketing has a big role in the creation of products and services. We should be the audience experts that helps guide program decisions in your district.
And do not be confused with the words “Personal Success” from your students. It probably means something completely different than your picture in your head.
They would much rather take a video class to learn how to build their personal brand on YouTube. They would much rather take an entrepreneur class to learn how to flip sneakers instead on bookkeeping. They would much rather be on an esports team then run laps in gym.
Listen to your students. Survey your students. Learn from your students. Create a monthly sit down with influential students in your district. Not straight A students, but students who might run their own business, or write a fashion blog, or have a fantasy football podcast. Learn to explore outside the 19th century core classes in education.
6. Sixty-Four percent of customers will pay more for simpler experiences
From the book Punk CX by Adrian Swinscoe
Let’s say you convince a parent or student to visit your campus. They love it, and they are ready to enroll. But when they get to your online application, it is a mess… They are not going to be happy anymore.
As school marketers, we are so concerned with getting our initial numbers that we disregard touchpoints along the way that might be roadblocks to complete the “purchase.” We have to be touchpoint experts. We have to walk through the entire process to eliminate stress. Every part has to be fluid.
Make sure you are doing touchpoint audits often. It could make or break your marketing. Even if it kicks butt!
7. The average adult spends more than 20 hours a week with digital media
From the book Inbound Content by Justin Champion
We have to market where our audience is. We can not do things because they have worked in the past.
If students and parents are consuming content digitally, we have to market to them on their digital platforms.
Once again, you must know everything you can about your audience. Especially what channels they are consuming content. The best way to find out is to simply ask. Focus groups are great. Roundtables are great. Any way you can talk with your audience is going to be awesome to locate them where they are.
8. Only 13% of consumers are loyal to a brand
From the book Marketing Rebellion by Mark Schaeffer
No one is brand loyal anymore. They are going to make what they feel is the best choice for their child and family. If another school looks better in their eyes, they are going to jump ship and enroll in that district.
How can we make our families more loyal to our brand? THe best thing you can do is to understand what brand really means.
Knowing that brand is all about experiences, you must make the best student and parent experience possible. That does not just include you communications department. Everyone in the district has to be part of the experience. They all must do their part to provide the best experience possible!
Conclusion: Marketing in 2019
Recognize the marketing shift that has occurred over the last five years. The customer is in control. We need to fine-tune our school marketing to adapt to this new way of marketing.
