I am excited to welcome AISAP members to my town of Fort Worth, Texas! I am honored to be on this year’s Faculty and I will be teaching along some other amazing school marketing leaders. You can read more about the Faculty here. I would love to see you in my MarCom class called, “Why You Should Be using Pinterest and Instagram to Market Your School”. Here’s more of what you will learn in my class:
Visual content matters in a cluttered social media world. Instagram and Pinterest are two exciting platforms that not enough schools are using to market themselves to prospective families. Both of these platforms are also perfectly suited to cultivate a strong loyal ambassadorship among current families, but their power to connect with prospective students and their parents is not being harnessed by schools. In this session, you will learn why these two platforms are unique for reaching your target audience and creative and practical suggestions on the type of content that you should post in each platform. Even though you are already busy enough with Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, you will also learn the tools that successful schools use to incorporate Pinterest and Instagram into your marketing system of recruiting, retention and referrals.
I call Fort Worth home now and have for pretty much the last 25 years. It’s a great city – here a few of my favorite fun facts about Fort Worth:
NOT DALLAS – it’s a longtime rivalry between the two neighboring cities that make up the DFW metro area. But Fort Worth folks do not like it when out-of-towners lump us all into one big city. When you are coming to the AISAP 2016 Annual Institute, you are coming to Fort Worth, not Dallas (said with a little wink and a lot of swagger). I grew up out in West Texas but spent holidays and summers visiting my grandparents not too far from The Worthington Hotel where the conference will be this year. He used to tell me stories of how the mayor of Fort Worth would take a sack lunch from home when having to have meetings in Dallas because he didn’t want to “put any good Fort Worth money in Dallas county!” That’s rivalry!
WE WERE ONCE A REAL FORT – the U.S. War Department established Fort Worth in 1849 as the northernmost of a system of forts for protecting the American Frontier after the end of the Mexican–American War. The City of Fort Worth continues to be known as “where the West begins.” After the Mexican–American War In January 1849, U.S. Army General William Jenkins Worth, a veteran of the Mexican–American War, proposed building ten forts to mark and protect the west Texas frontier. After his death, his successor was assigned to find a new fort site near the confluence of the West and Clear Forks. On 6 June 1849, General Arnold established a post on the banks of the Trinity and named it Camp Worth in honor of the late General Worth. In August 1849, Arnold moved the camp to a north-facing bluff that overlooked the mouth of the Clear Fork. The US War Department officially granted the name “Fort Worth” to the post on 14 November 1849.
COLLEGE SPORTS – in college football, the BIG 12 is one of the best conferences and Fort Worth is home to the Fightin’ Frogs of TCU (that’s “horned frogs”, not just regular little Kermits. Here’s how TCU describes their mascot).
PRO SPORTS – admittedly, Dallas has the Stars in Hockey and the Mavericks in the NBA. But since Fort Worth is the county seat of Tarrant County, we like to lay claim to the NFL great Dallas Cowboys and one of the greatest teams in the MLB, the Texas Rangers. Both the Cowboys and Rangers play their home games in Arlington, which is another great city in Tarrant (not Dallas) county. Another braggin’ right!
GOLF CARTS AND FAST CARS – Fort Worth also hosts the annual Colonial golf tournament and north Fort Worth is where you can find the Texas Motor Speedway, one of the largest NASCAR racing facilities in the nation!
BETTER DOWNTOWN THAN BIG D – I continue my defense of Fort Worth by stating the obvious to anyone who lives in the DFW area: Fort Worth’s downtown experience is far above that of Dallas! I’m sure there are varying opinions from locals, but while I lock my doors in Dallas, I gladly take my family out walking around the amazing open air downtown experience in Fort Worth’s Sundance Square.
NO BOOTS – while Fort Worth is know as “Cowtown”, not everyone wears boots and belt buckles. At risk of being kicked out of town, I admit I do not currently own a pair of boots. But if I was going to own a pair (like I did when I was younger), I would own a pair of Justin boots, made right here in Fort Worth, Texas!
MONEY IS MADE HERE – even though the economy is great in Fort Worth, I am actually literally referring to the. U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing Western Currency Facility in Fort Worth where 60 percent of America’s paper money is printed. The only other place money is printed is in Washington, D.C.
COWBOY & CATTLE CULTURE – while Fort Worth is a cosmopolitan city, there is a lot of cowboy and cattle culture around. Fort Worth is home to the oldest stock show and rodeo in the country – the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show (our family attends every year!) Fort Worth also hosts the world’s only twice-daily cattle drive in the Stockyards National Historic District.
TRADE IN THE BOOTS – Fort Worth is home of the Cowtown Marathon, Ultra Marathon, Half Marathon and 5K and 10K events. The Marathon and Ultra are both Boston Marathon qualifying events. As a matter of fact, Fort Worth’s Cowtown Marathon is the largest multiple-distance event in Texas.
JFK – President John F. Kennedy delivered his last public speech at a Fort Worth Chamber breakfast before leaving for Dallas, where he was later assassinated that day in 1963.
MUSING OVER MUSEUMS – if you have the time to visit any of them, Fort Worth is frequently called, “the museum capital of the Southwest.” There are dozens of galleries and museums around the area, but within walking distance of downtown and The Worthington Hotel you can find 5 major cultural museums: Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Kimbell Art Museum, Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth Museum of Science and History and National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame.
STRAIT COWTOWN SONG – American’s “King of Country Music”, George Strait, rose to stardom in the early 1980s. Especially notable on his rise was the release of his wildly popular 1984 hit, “Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind.”
FOOD – it’s hard to pin down my favorite but Fort Worth is well known for its amazing taste in Tex Mex food, great bakeries (a friend of mine owns the Swiss Pastry Shop which sells its world renown Black Forest Cake) and recently was named by readers of Conde Nast Traveler as one of the Top 10 Burger Cities in America (Fort Worth is #6 and the top-rated city in Texas for burgers!)
Can’t wait to meet you in Fort Worth!
~ Randy Vaughn, School Marketing Consultant, @schoolmktg
In a conversation recently with one school, the Communications guy responded to my inquiry of why the Facebook postings were so few lately. His response surprised me.
“It’s summer. Not much going on around here.”
Wrong. I could not have disagreed with this person more and sought to explain why the summer months are not a time for slowdown.
Some families are still looking and investigating for last minute transfer from the public school to your school. Remain top-of-mind to these folks.
Even if you are full and have closed enrollment, consider that you should already be in RETENTION mode for next year. Absence of any communication does not help you keep families. It alienates them.
But more importantly, you have hundred of current families who need to see their school in their news feed. This is crucial for brand exposure in the event any family is having last minute doubts about returning, or better, so they will talk up your school to their friends.
First of all, while not as busy as April, there are no doubt things going on THIS SUMMER. There are also plenty of things you can REPURPOSE from last year, or post about the UPCOMING school year.
Below you’ll find a list of 11 suggested things you should post during what you may call a “slow time”:
Candace Payne’s hysterical viral video, “It’s the simple joys in life…”, recently put Candace on the social media map as the “Happy Chewbacca Lady“. If you haven’t seen the video, you have to stop what you are doing and take 4 minutes and get ready to laugh!
Naturally, I think many schools may look at a video like this and immediately long for their own “viral video”. The concept of “creating a viral video” is almost impossible, because the true viral test is determined by the reaction of your audience. So stop trying the produce the next trending video and learn some important lessons from the Chewbacca lady. Here are 5 lessons that I think that every school should take away and implement in your marketing every day:
SIMPLE JOYS – Everyone needs to laugh! As Candace says in the video and every subsequent interview she has had on GMA or The Today Show, it is important for us to laugh and not take ourselves too seriously. Schools are notoriously stale on social media. Have some fun and showcase the lighter side of life at your school. Many of you will remember the fun that the Durham Academy administrator’s had with a snow day announcement back in 2014!
REAL-TIME – It appears that Candace’s video was truly unplanned and a great example of real-time, spontaneous authenticity. There are moments at your school where something happens during morning announcements, during your weekly chapel time or on the court that you want everyone to see. The lesson is to always have your smartphone on and ready to capture the moment so you can share it with the world (including your prospective parent audience!)
EVIDENCE – For years, I have told my Christian school clients that they cannot just “talk” about what makes them great, but they have to be able to “showcase evidence” of the marketing claims they make. Candace’s demonstration of the Chewbacca mask is the genius of this video and it is mixed with the contagious emotion of Candace. Emotional videos (tears or laughter) provide the platform to showcase the fruit that your school produces. Thus, video testimonials from parents are great examples of capturing evidence and emotion together in one piece of content. Here are 5 important things your school’s content should do well!
REPURPOSE – The initial “Chewbacca Lady” video has been viewed millions of times and shared all over every social media channel imaginable. But the marketing lesson is what happens after the video. Think of all the interviews Candace has already done or will do in the coming days and weeks. Learn to repurpose your own great content, recycle it, and extend the life span of your content by giving your audience multiple ways to watch it over and over. If you have a good online review come in from GreatSchools.org, then repurpose it and make a new blog post out of it, post it as an image on Instagram or paste the testimonial alongside your tuition to put your school’s price tag in context of the value parents receive. Learn more about reducing parental “sticker shock”.
RESPONSE – Candace mentions in the beginning of the video that she found the Chewbacca mask at Kohl’s department store. Then later in the video she reveals that she is not buying the mask for her kids, but keeping it for herself! Well, within hours of the original video going viral, Kohl’s responds and shows up at Candace’s house with masks (and more) for her kids, too! This is a great example of how an organization must stay aware of what is being said about them online. You can create a social media listening station through Hootsuite, systematically check for new online reviews every couple of days, or be aware from your parent ambassador group about what other parents or students are saying about you on various social media channels. When it is appropriate, you can comment on the Instagram post about your school, you can respond professionally to the online review, or you might just show up at someone’s house with a basket full of your school’s spirit wear!
While every organization wishes for a viral video to put them on the map, consistently strong enrollment marketing is more than just one moment in the social media limelight. Smart enrollment marketing is a customized system that is paired with an effective marketing strategy and the right marketing tactics for your school.
We provide customized marketing systems for Christian schools through 2 different ways:
Each year, every first Thursday in May since Ronald Reagan signed the law in 1988, the President of the United States has called the nation to its knees for “National Day of Prayer”.
The proclamations vary according to each President. I read again President George W. Bush’s declaration the May after the previous fall’s terriorist attacks on 9/11. Among many things, President Bush reminded us:
On this National Day of Prayer, I encourage Americans to remember the words of St. Paul: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
Graduation is one of your school’s best marketing events. Tears of joy, cheers of pride, and years of experiences tell powerful stories of your school’s ability to produce top graduates who are ready to change the world!
However, like many campus events only witnessed by insiders (current families), many marketing opportunities are missed. When prospective families, your ideal target audiences and investigating students want to learn about your school, you need evidence to prove every claim you make on your website. Families are too sophisticated (and appropriately suspicious) of “marketing speak” they see on your brochures or website. They want validation. Highly emotional moments in the life of your school offer numerous opportunities for evidence.
In my recent guest article on EdSocialMedia.com, I mention some marketing opportunities you may have overlooked at your recent graduation event.
**UPDATE** – in the commencement program, have a full page dedicated to the cumulative amount of scholarship money awarded to the graduating class and from what universities such money came. This is powerful evidence of the type of scholar produced by your school!
