Marketing for Christian Schools

This summer, I had the opportunity to attend a marketing conference that focused on Christian schools. The Herzog Foundation offered this conference free of charge for Christian school administrators and marketers.  

Proponents of school choice, especially in Florida, have allowed private schools to expand significantly. The Herzog Foundation helped me and a few of my teachers that were able to attend look for ways that we can market differently to grow our enrollment to capacity.

In my area, my school only needs a little marketing for competition. We are a rural area with a few private schools that are K-12. There are three central cities, each with a selection of private schools. Most families do not travel from their city. So our marketing is different. 

The main thing I must market is how the state's scholarship program is available for families to attend tuition free. One of the Herzog speakers referred to financial aid as a marketing tool. My school has full-pay families and full-scholarship families. Each student follows the same tuition/fee schedule. This maximizes the scholarship potential for Florida. The Board can use discounts based on many factors, but the school limits automatic discounts (multi-child, self-pay, etc). As a strategy, this can be a negotiated item for families that look at your school. 

Another area my school focused on is marketing through an online presence. Our Facebook page is the primary source of day to day information for our families or potential families. We do have a website also that is used strictly for marketing. Current families do not use the website for anything. Everything for current families is on our Facebook page and student information system.

Having school choice helps rework the education for students in our community. My school gives them an option from the traditional public school with little or no out-of-pocket expense that is different from free and public education. In my years as an administrator, the school has transitioned from a typical worksheet-based system into an environment where students can think and develop problem-solving in a safe environment. 

Through marketing, I can maximize the capacity of my campus while providing a different environment for education. 

There is more to come with my marketing journey.

If you are interested in learning more about how to market your school to increase your capacity, send me an email!