There are three goals of inbound marketing:

1. Attract new prospects to your school. The goal is to attract more of the right parents with relevant content at the right time.
2. Engage with them by presenting insights and solutions that align with their pain points and goals. 
3. Delight them by providing help and support to empower families to find success and fulfillment at your school.

Examples of Inbound Marketing:

• Blogs 
• Social media campaigns 
• Search Engine Optimized (SEO) website text
• Videos
• Web-based seminars (Webinars)

Inbound marketing provides value to consumers who are already actively searching for information about Christian schools. To reach your audience follow these steps:

1. Create a parent persona - research your current parents and those you want to attract to your school.  There are a some different ways to do this:
2. Surveys - "What social media platforms do you use?"  "What time of day do you use them?"
3. Interview a small group of parents to find out what types of online content they find helpful and are likely to share with others.
4. Create and publish content, such as blog articles and social media, that provide value. 
5. Optimize all of this content with an SEO strategy that targets specific keywords and phrases related to your organization, the challenges you solve for families, and the ways you help students. 

Social media can be used to generate new leads as well as retaining existing parents at your school. 

To generate new leads:

• Publish blog content and direct people to your blog on social media platforms. This will drive prospective parents to your school website where they can learn more about what your school offers. Think about what information, tips or advice would parents be searching for. Through a blog they will also learn more about, and become attracted to, your school community. 
• Purchase Social Media advertisements. Since social media platforms are known for changing algorithms regularly it would be wise to hire someone who is dedicated to knowing the ins and outs of social media advertising to do this for you.

To retain current families:

• Share the impact of your school in the lives of students. Connect with parents, tell them stories, show them the value they are getting for their money, and impart a vision of where your school is headed.
• If your school is just getting started with a social media strategy, start out with one or two well-used channels such as Instagram and Facebook.

Need a concise pre-launch checklist to help you plan your strategy? Here it is:

1. Research your Buyer Personas. Become acquainted with each persona’s motivations, questions, preferences, and challenges.
2. Create accounts on social media channels using a school email account (not your personal email account). Record login credentials so you don’t forget them.
3. Apply your school brand to the accounts (logo, colours) Make sure the contact information is correct and include a link to the school website.
4. Assign someone to manage the Social Media accounts. Ideally this should be someone who is familiar with the school’s mission, vision, brand, privacy policies, and is able to maintain the voice of your school.
5. Determine a publishing schedule and start posting!

 Keep in mind that you are selling solutions!

Need help getting started coming up with a social media marketing strategy? Contact us! Our marketing strategies will help you build stronger school communities and reach more parents.