Habit in Independent School Marketing: Friend or Foe? Part II
See part I of this "Habit" piece for the definitions of "friend" and "foe" habits and much more!
How Habits Change
Despite their powerful grip, it is a fact that habits change. People start exercising more, reading more, going to church more – or they spend even more time on their various screens or eating at Taco Bell. The “why’s” are far beyond the scope of this piece, as they include countless subjective and objective factors. But this doesn’t mean analysis is fruitless. In fact, we can sometimes trace the effects of certain changes in habits to a single or limited number of causes. Take smoking, the most commonly cited (bad) habit among Americans. Smoking among all Americans has declined markedly since the 1960s, from over 40% of Americans smoking regularly to less than 20% today. While myriad factors are credited for this positive change, one stands out: the 1964 issuance of the now-legendary Surgeon General’s warning that smoking causes cancer. This raises the question: how often is habit changed by external factors versus intentional decisions by a person or organization?
Private education in 2018 is being roiled by the factors noted in the first paragraph: demographic, financial, sociological, and technological. These trends have driven, and in many respects, spawned, increased external competition from homeschooling, micro schools, and charter schools. Some of these forces are causing a reassessment of broader habits and traditions at schools and colleges that are increasingly out of step in today’s often-sensitized environment.
In marketing and communications, several distinct shifts may be subverting previously positive habits: fewer words and more pictures, especially via video; less formal, shorthand writing; “stealth” applicants; the evolution in the consumption of information; millennial parents’ (and other groups’) desire for personalized experiences; less control of your message and a less captive audience; a world increasingly fixated on rankings and data-driven results; the growth of personas and micro-targeting; and of course the now-entrenched shift from print to digital.Are you concerned that your school’s communications and marketing efforts may be hampering your progress rather than advancing it? Are some of your significant marketing habits that were once “friends” turning into “foes”? Below are 10 actionable tips for school marketers. Perhaps less obvious are the ideas for school leaders – why is that important, you ask? Heads, assistant heads, directors of admissions and advancement, and some business officers may be even more critical in this reassessment, because they shape the culture, create the broad strategies, define the priorities, and, oh yes, allocate the budgets.
10 Habit-Changing Tips for School MarCom Directors
1. If you haven’t written a marketing plan, get started! Focus first on strategies, not tactics; your audience definition, the message that resonates with them, what marketing channels are the most effective for each segment, and the like; do not simply create a listing of your events and newsletters. Note: before starting your plan, it is critical to listen to the views not only of your current constituents, but also those you want to attract (inquirers, visitors, matriculants, and new donors). Often internal and external perceptions vary and it is crucial that your marketing plan address both perspectives, not just what “we” think about “ourselves.”
2. Use basic data-driven practices to guide your decision-making. These do NOT have to be highly complex or time-intensive; think of analyzing your parent newsletter to see what topics get the most clicks, or web stats to see the most-visited pages, how long visitors spend on them, and trends compared with the same period last year. Note: data does not necessarily replace your instincts and past tactics; it augments them. Think of data as “your guide, not your boss.”
3. Reassess your content marketing on all your channels to ensure you are speaking in a language and form that resonates with that audience; on your website, consider adding “read more” buttons on your longer web pages. The latter presents a less intimidating first appearance to readers, especially on mobile, and gives you a much better sense of actual interest in that topic.
4. Similarly, on parent newsletters, keep the headlines and copy brief and link to one of your web pages for the full story.
5. Begin segmenting your messages and gradually even your marketing channels and cadence (which includes frequency and relevance). As a practical example, it’s now recognized that millennial parents are different from the previous generation; they want to be communicated with more often, they want more control and choice for their children, and they’re very media-savvy. Perhaps they need two newsletters a week, or more active use of communications alerts that they can control.
