Is your school’s digital presence working hard enough?
Just as the school admissions process has evolved - from locally-controlled systems to one with standardised regulations - so too has the way prospective parents and carers make decisions about their child's education.
Similarly, marketing is a central strategic function for schools and other educational institutions that’s expanded beyond attracting students. It includes engaging with alumni, donors, local communities, and potential staff. Having a holistic overview of your marketing strategy is key, to help build a strong, support network around your institution.
But with rising costs due to inflation and staffing provisions, plus maintaining aging infrastructure outpacing year-on-year funding increases, marketing understandably falls to the bottom of the list - when it’s needed most.
But here’s the good news: a strategic approach doesn’t require an enormous budget.
We’re sharing some of our secret sauce - the marketing strategy framework that’s helped schools across the UK cut through the noise. Let’s explore…
Define clear objectives
Did you know that education-related search campaigns typically achieve an average click-through rate (CTR) of 10.9% - which is nearly five times higher than the industry average of 2.2%?
Before you jump headfirst into any marketing activities, you need to establish what success looks like.
Start by setting specific, measurable goals that align with your institution's broader objectives. Whether you want to increase admissions, improve engagement with current parents, showcase a specific programme or enhance local visibility - any activities need to align with these goals.
Know your audience, inside out
Any marketing activities should address a combination of the following audience segments. This also depends on your institution - for example, it’s more important for a university to keep up with its alumni than a primary school!
Prospective families are looking for reassurance about academic standards, school values, and potential provisions for special educational needs (SEN). They’re asking: “Will my child thrive here?”
Current parents, carers, and students need timely updates about school life. They're thinking: "Is my child getting the best possible education?"
Alumni value the connection with your institution, and will be looking for networking opportunities, or to share as a case study or social proof. How can they stay meaningfully connected?
The local community is interested in your institution’s contribution to the surrounding area. How does your school contribute?
Each group has distinct priorities, so your messaging should be tailored accordingly.
Choosing your channels
We’ve been helping schools across the UK overhaul both their traditional and online presences for almost twenty years. And, while it feels essential to be active on every channel - this isn’t the case. Here are our top recommendations:
First impressions count
Your website is your virtual front door, and we’ve covered how to it stand out to prospective parents and carers in the past. That being said, there are some technical aspects you need to consider, too.
With most parents now browsing on their phones, making sure your website is mobile-responsive is key. Moreover, your institution’s website should be accessible and compliant, not only meeting the WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards, but also including all required statutory information from the Department for Education.
Your school community in action
93% of educational institutions use Facebook for marketing. Effective social media focuses on strategic content over constant posting:
Use Facebook for parent updates and community engagement - in-line with safeguarding policies
Use Instagram for visual highlights of student achievements
Use LinkedIn for alumni connections (if relevant to your institution)
Remember - focusing on quality over quantity of posts will always be more well-received with your audience segments.
Direct communication that works
Email marketing will always be an effective way to communicate with your audience. The average open rates for emails sent in the education sector are 28.5%, but this is expected to be higher when communicating directly with parents and carers.
Build segmented email lists for prospective families and current parents and carers (broken down by year group). Just like your website, it’s likely that parents and carers will be viewing emails from you on their phones, so your emails should be both visually appealing and mobile-friendly.
From important announcements to regular newsletters, community updates or year-group specific communications, parents and carers will appreciate you being in their inboxes.
Content that drives engagement
Any content - whether it be organic social, email marketing, or printed newsletters - should be planned around the academic year, and aligned with term dates, admissions deadlines, and key school events.
We always recommend focusing on these high-performing content types:
Celebrating success with school achievements
Showcase school life and student culture with behind-the-scenes glimpses
Support parents and carers with practical resources and curriculum information
Feature projects and performances with student showcases
Measuring success
The average education campaign achieves an average conversion rate of 3.13%, with pre-schools reaching even higher rates of 6.55%. But how do you know your marketing is working?
Analytics platforms like Google Analytics can help you keep track of visitor numbers and popular pages on your website. And, your email marketing software will allow you to measure email performance with click-throughs and open rates. Within social media platforms, you can also see how many users your posts are reaching, and the comments you’re getting, too.
You could even set up specific conversion events for online touchpoints like prospectus downloads or open day bookings - but we’re on-hand to help with these things, if needed!
Making it happen with limited resource
60% of UK businesses, including educational institutions, reportedly now have a search engine optimisation (SEO) strategy in place. And, if you fall into the 40% that don’t have an SEO strategy, can you afford to be left behind?
Even with limited resources and shrinking budget:
Assign clear responsibilities for each digital channel
Create a simple workflow to make content approval easy
Repurpose content across multiple channels and formats
Involve the local community, parents, and carers in content creation
And remember, consistency of output will always be more important than the volume of output.
Take your school’s digital marketing to the next level
Having a distinctive digital presence isn’t just about ticking boxes, it’s about creating meaningful connections with your audience. The most successful institutions we work with understand that marketing isn’t an optional extra, it’s a strategic investment that supports their wider goals.
This framework makes a good starting point for creating your own digital marketing strategy. But, if you would like expert support implementing it, our team have helped dozens of schools across the UK redefine their approach to digital marketing.
Get in touch today to discuss how we can best highlight what makes your school special.
Steal our Autumn term school content plan!
Is your school's content strategy ready for the new academic year?
We've done the hard work for you with our ready-to-use autumn term content framework.
September to December content - mapped out month by month, with channels and audiences already defined. No more last-minute scrambling for opportunities!
Save hours of planning time and steal our new school year content plan today.
Download: School Year Content Plan
