“Everyone at your school is a marketer.” As a Head, it’s a statement that can either fill you with fear, or confidence. They may not realise it, but every single interaction your staff have with each other, with students and with both current and prospective families contributes to the overall brand impression of your school. And the hard part is, most of them are accidental marketers and you can’t speak for them.
A child’s education can be the most important purchase decision parents ever make. On school tours, parents are seeking an answer to the momentous question of “Should my child go here?” They’ll inevitably notice more than what their tour guide is pointing out: they’ll overhear conversations between leadership, staff and students, and they’ll see beyond the allure of your nice campus.
A strong culture of brand advocacy within your school can be your greatest marketing asset. Schools create the best impression when everyone sings the same song – in unison. Your staff should understand your brand better than anyone and are equipped with lived examples to influence prospective parents to believe it’s the right purchase decision. Schools with a strong culture of brand advocacy often resonate on a deeper level with prospects and create emotional, meaningful connections at every high-value touchpoint throughout the customer journey.
By following these three simple steps, you can be confident (not fearful) knowing that everyone at your school is a marketer:
- Developing clear, simple and repeatable language empowers quality brand advocacy. Harness your unique brand story, promote your Key Messages and roll out your Value Proposition repeatedly with conviction. Oftentimes, your staff will know what they would like to say, but not necessarily how to say it. By equipping them with the necessary tools, every member of your staff can easily find the key phrases to use.
- Create a framework for employee engagement and education. By involving your team, they can begin to have ownership of the school brand and advocate passionately on its behalf. Staff need to understand why these messages are important, as well as how to use them, in order to deliver the key points with confidence.
- By speaking this language yourself with authority, confidence and clarity you will inspire people to do the same. It encourages ‘buy-in’ among staff, which creates a flow-on effect through senior leadership to teachers and beyond. “Do as I say, not as I do” is the enemy of Heads; it’s crucial to lead by example.
Everyone at your school is a marketer; from the groundskeeper to the enrolments officer, from the head prefect to heads of department. Where there is a touchpoint, that touch leaves an impression in the minds of prospective parents. Whether that is a positive experience, whether it is aligned with what you want people to think of your school, whether it is confident and clear – is up to you and your school’s culture of brand advocacy.
