admissions – Jessica Schindhelm Design

Creating authentic connection in the age of algorithms is indeed possible.

The attention economy seems to be holding all of the marketing cards these days. With algorithms training on our every click and glance, what we pay attention to online is becoming more tailored and curated with every scroll. So how do we, as marketing professionals, connect on a meaningful level when everything we consume seems to be designed to trick us into paying attention? Add to that, how do we get through to the most digitally savvy, discerning generation?

Being on the receiving end of marketing these days is like going on a first date with someone who has talked to everyone you know before you even meet face to face. It feels very one-sided and suspicious, if not a little creepy.

Let’s remember that though the algorithm decides what we see, it doesn’t create the content. We do.

I was tasked with finding ways to stir up more social media engagement for a small, all-girls independent high school so as to attract prospective students. The old inclination would be to tout the school’s college acceptance stats or financial aid awards, its excellent faculty and course offerings. Yawn. Keep scrolling.

In order to convince high school students (who have more say in their school choice than, say, a kindergartner might), we needed to connect on an emotional level. We need to address what is holding them back from applying versus what is pushing them forward. The forward stuff is easy. Their parents probably won’t shut up about the benefits. But who is addressing the girls’ concerns?

Enter social media. The prospects are on it. We have the tools to find them. Now, how do we engage them in a meaningful way?

To create an authentic experience, put yourself in the mindset of the person consuming the content. This might seem like a no-brainer, but what we adults may be proud to share as institutions may not resonate with the young person we want to reach.

Great. One small problem: I was 13 when phones still had cords.

So, I solicited a wide range of current students and asked them to create some short-form videos answering a range of questions that an incoming student may have which ultimately address the bigger question: “Can I see myself here?” I called it “show and tell,” and let the students direct where and how they would create their answers. I cast a very wide net so as not to insert my own opinions or goals into the conversation. Here are a few of the questions the students were asked to answer:

What would you tell a prospective student who might be worried about attending an all-girls school?
What surprised you most about your experience so far?
When you leave what do you think you’ll miss the most?
If you are fluent in a language besides English, what would you say to a girl who also speaks that language about what you love about [school]? Please provide an English translation at the end of the video or English subtitles.

The goal was not to have them spit back a manufactured list of bullet points in order to sell the school, but to show the school’s authentic self: a collection of smart, confident young women with ideas who are eager to share them, who are varied in their backgrounds and achievements, and who represent a wide spectrum of students so as to attract only the prospective students who can and want to see themselves there.

So, don’t be scared of the algorithm. That’s just one part of the equation. It shows you where the door is, you are in charge of the truth that is revealed when your audience opens it. If what they see rings true and honest, chances are you’ll rise above the fray and connect. Why? Because it came from a real, human experience, not a fact sheet. The goal is to go to the source. That’s where the truth lives.

You got the students. Now how do you keep them?
A three-pronged prescription for private school retention post-pandemic

[ I write this hoping that the words “post-pandemic” will actually be a thing someday. I always like to focus on the positive, so we’ll go with it for now. ]

According to a recent article in EdWeek, generally speaking, private schools saw an increase in student populations in the fall of 2020. After many failed online learning experiments, disgruntled and exhausted parents frantically looked for a way to keep their children on a path to educational success.

“In a survey released Aug. 3 by the University of Southern California Dornsife Center for Economic and Social Research, 22 percent of respondents with K-12 students said they would change schools for the 2020-21 school year… of those who reported a school switch, 28 percent said the change is ‘somewhat’ or ‘very much’ influenced by experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“Public Schools Catch Parents’ Eye as Public School Buildings Stay Shut” by Evie Blad, EdWeek, August 6, 2020

Suddenly, schools that had not enjoyed the comfort of a waiting list for years were suddenly bursting at the seams with new admissions while simultaneously working feverishly to create a hybrid learning environment for the coming school year that would put parents’ and teachers’ expectations at ease. These expectations included small class sizes (hard to accomplish when you have full classes), individualized learning plans (even harder for teachers who have one-third more students in their class and can only come within 4 feet of them), and options that would fulfill online and in-person learning outcomes with equal rigor and consideration.

For some families, this fall became the first time, outside of daycare, they paid “extra” for educating their children. The value of a stretched dollar now has even more importance tied to it, and families are eagerly awaiting to see if the product they’re paying for—that private schools have always insisted is better—is worth it. No pressure. Here are 3 tips to make their enrollments last.

1Remember: experience, does not always mean expertise.

It’s a precarious balancing act. How do you keep improving a relatively new style of hybrid education with thoughtful intention while also making sure parents know that you’re nailing it? (Or, at least doing better than your competitors.) During my three years as Marketing Director for an independent school, I realized the school’s greatest referral audience is its current families, and its greatest advertisers are its classrooms. Not the rooms, per se, but what happens inside of them.

With much of the employed nation still working from home, they are taking their due breaks from the onslaught of Zoom meetings. During this time, social media has amplified its role as a quick and easy brain break. Use that to your advantage and get your teachers to help. Though they are juggling additional students and an in-person as well as an online persona, much of the work their students will be doing will be independent. Remind teachers that when they can’t sit next to little Tamira, they can at least take a picture of her working. Make it easy. Create a Google Drive folder with the week as its name, and subfolders with grades or divisions, share it with your entire faculty/coach/student council community, and ask that they share at least one photo a week. If, in my experience, you only get 20 percent contributing, you’ll still have enough to work with and remind parents of the unique and innovative program their children are enjoying while in your school’s experienced hands. Bonus: Some prospective families, already fatigued by public school challenges, will be trolling your social media accounts to see what the alternatives are doing.

2 Saying “no” doesn’t mean the client will never approach you again.

Become a thought leader. Encourage your head of school and/or Board Chair to write editorials for the local newspapers. Get the Parents’ Association to partner with local child-development authorities to offer webinars to help families navigate their children’s futures and mental health during these times. Think social workers, pediatricians, learning development experts—all can offer useful knowledge to your families that will increase the value of what their student is already receiving in the classroom. Plus, the businesses get exposure to potential customers in return. Use your social media channels to spread useful advice from the experts. One parent told me an article I had posted from the New York Times when the pandemic hit that advised families on how to keep a routine for their children during online school was instrumental to their child’s success and their sanity.

3 Six of one, half a dozen of the other—give or take.

Indexed or discounted tuition is not a new concept for private schools who have struggled for years to maintain financial sustainability. Based on a family’s income, schools may have adopted a model that discounts the tuition in exchange for a bright, willing student to join the ranks and fill the seat. Consider a similar option for enrolled families: A tuition freeze, or a sustainable discount over the course of their enrollment can do wonders fro retainment.

Your families will have enjoyed a year of hands-on, individualized learning for their children. They’ll be proud of their children’s progress, and grateful to the teachers who made it possible. Seal the deal by making it financially palatable.

Now, this may not seem sustainable as cost of living increases keep happening and teachers still appreciate raises, but think about what a full school will do for your brand image in the long run. Suddenly, you are now the school to beat, with excellent academics and programming, and—more important—happy families who see you as the considerate partner in their family’s educational (and financial) wellbeing.

While there’s never a one-size-fits all solution to student retention, for the most part, reminding families that the investment they are making in their children will lay the groundwork for their child’s success in life is an emotionally compelling argument for private schools to make. With the future economy even more uncertain, having a good education will only help this next generation make the smart decisions required for personal and national success.