Social media strategy for schools: how to engage new prospects in a post-COVID world.

Social media strategy for schools: what does this look like in a post-COVID world? With so much economic uncertainty — and so many consumer behaviour changes — ‘legacy’ social media approaches will only go so far. To help private schools survive and even thrive, Roger Christie unpacks the current challenges and explores two quick wins schools should consider to ensure all social media efforts and investments convert interest.

The realities of committing to private schooling right now.

My daughter just turned one. And, while I’m of course unashamedly biased, ever since I first held her she’s been nothing but an absolute joy.

As you can imagine, my wife and I have spent many hours and late evenings over the past year talking about her future, particularly her education options. But — far from being a joy — the whole process has been tough. As a consequence of COVID-19, we’re faced with running a small business in a recession. While at the same time, we’re trying to look beyond the immediate pains and make the best decisions for her future. To say we’ve back flipped a fair few times throughout 2020 would be an understatement.

I’m sure we’re not alone.

According to a recent article in The Age: “State school principals are expecting an increase in student numbers as financially stretched families turn away from private schools.” The article also highlights the complications COVID has thrown in around engaging new parents, and the impact that could have on enrolments: “Student recruitment has taken a different form this year, with shutdowns and social distancing killing off face-to-face open days and tours.”

When you’re about to make a $300k+ choice per child, parents are right to feel uneasy about making decisions without the usual checks and balances. Particularly in such an uncertain economic climate.

So what can schools do to address these concerns? How can they accommodate changing market conditions, a shrinking prospect pool and risk-averse parents?

Why a change in social media strategy is urgently needed to engage new parents.

You have to admire how well industries like education have adapted to the massive operational challenges of COVID and virtual classrooms. But to continue to survive and enrol new students as the economy tightens, schools will need to keep adapting.

One area of huge potential is social media.

More than 83% of Australians over 13 now use social media — a number that will only keep growing given the enduring changes to our physical environments. We’ve also seen massive growth in social media messaging during the pandemic, as reported by Facebook. And a study looking at social media usage in 370 schools across Australia, the USA, England, Canada and South Africa revealed schools benefited most through increased exposure (92%) and increased traffic (72%). And this was before the enormous shift to online through COVID.

So this being the case, how have private schools responded on social media? How have they refined strategies to tap into the new and growing reliance on digital channels for research, communication and engagement among consumers? From my own personal experience — and follow up industry research — it’s clear most private schools want to harness social media’s potential but — as the earlier global schools study shows — many remain unsure where to invest their efforts for greatest impact, reflected by the 57% of respondents who still can’t measure the ROI of their social media activities.

It’s clear legacy marketing and lead generation methods need to change moving into 2021 and beyond, so how should private schools be adapting and leveraging this surge in social media to meet marketing KPIs and drive enrolments?

Two ways your school can improve its social media strategy today.

Based on our industry experience, we see two clear social media opportunities private schools could take advantage of right now to start improving social media results in the current climate.

1. Double down on social listening and your use of data. Is your school currently using social media insights to better understand your target audience? Particularly given how needs and attitudes have changed, and what they value about your school or private education will also have changed through COVID? Are you using this information to help you craft more accurate, compelling content that informs delivery of the right message at the right time to speed up the conversion process? How are you combining first, second and third party data sources to help school leaders see the changing trends and providing confidence that you understand these new needs and how to engage parents and decision makers?
2. Review and reset your social strategy and measures. Does social media have a defined channel role within your broader marketing and enrolment toolkit? Have you reviewed your social media channel and content mix given the huge shift in preference for online communication and engagement? And are you measuring the impact of these changes to ensure your social media efforts are still delivering value to prospects, customers and internal stakeholders? No doubt Marketing teams have a lot on their plate in such a dynamic environment. But it is essential to review your direction, alignment with audience needs and effectiveness in delivering results so any time and effort invested in social is worth your while.

As we continue to wrestle with the future education pathways for our one-year-old daughter, schools too must wrestle with the role and value of social media to engage new audiences and deeply understand their needs to ensure their marketing efforts deliver returns. With a truly unique school year coming to an end, now is the time to explore the huge opportunity social media presents to help schools reinvent the way they understand and engage with prospective parents.