Creating Vibrant Catholic Schools: Marketing Planning, Execution & Evaluation

Creating Vibrant Catholic Schools:Marketing Planning, Execution & Evaluation

Goals for Today • Solid understanding of the marketing process • Tools to develop and implement the right marketing strategy for your school Creating Vibrant Catholic Schools

What is Marketing? Creating Vibrant Catholic Schools

What is Marketing • Marketing is a Process • Marketing should Educate and Inform • Marketing is about Efficiency Creating Vibrant Catholic Schools

4-Step Process • Research • Plan • Execute • Evaluate Creating Vibrant Catholic Schools

Developing a Marketing Plan 4 Areas of Marketing: • Product – Programs & Services • Pricing – Tuition Strategy • “Placement” – Location & Transportation • Promotion – Communications Creating Vibrant Catholic Schools

Developing a Marketing Plan Programs & Services • Unique Characteristics • Differentiate • Preference • Sustainable • Your School’s Brand Creating Vibrant Catholic Schools

Developing a Marketing Plan Tuition Strategy: • Do you know what other providers are charging? • Are you educating about financial aid options? • Your School’s Brand Creating Vibrant Catholic Schools

Developing a Marketing Plan Location & Transportation • How convenient is your location? • How far are families willing to travel? • Your School’s Brand Creating Vibrant Catholic Schools

Developing a Marketing Plan Promotion & Communications: • Advertising (print, outdoor, internet, etc,) direct mail, brochures, newsletters, web sites, eNewsletters, DVDs, events and open houses, public relations and social media…and more. Creating Vibrant Catholic Schools

Executing Your Marketing Plan Enrollment Management Funnel: • General Marketing • Target Marketing • Recruitment • Application • Acceptance • Enrollment • Retention Creating Vibrant Catholic Schools

Executing Your Marketing Plan General Marketing: Awareness • Advertising – Internet (Google, Facebook, etc.), print, outdoor • Event/Open House Marketing – Posters or flyers throughout your target area • Signage – school sign, lawn signs Creating Vibrant Catholic Schools

Executing Your Marketing Plan Diocesan Support • Advertising – radio and outdoor campaign during January • Print advertising – Business First Guide to WNY Schools • Internet advertising • Template for individual school print ads and media information Creating Vibrant Catholic Schools

Executing Your Marketing Plan Target Marketing: Affinity • School Communications – • On-line: website, social media • Traditional: brochures, folder, flyer, postcards, letterhead, business cards, slides • Address, phone number, website URL Creating Vibrant Catholic Schools

Executing Your Marketing Plan Target Marketing: Affinity • Communicate to target audiences – • Parish bulletins • Direct mail – parents of 2-4 year olds • Cards – parents of baptized children • Information packets in community Creating Vibrant Catholic Schools

Executing Your Marketing Plan Target Marketing: Affinity • Communicate to target audiences – • Alumni events and communications • Alumni/student talks at Masses • Alumni profiles in local media • Presence at community family events Creating Vibrant Catholic Schools

Executing Your Marketing Plan Diocesan Support • Template for open house flyers • Template for post card • Use of Catholic Schools star logo Creating Vibrant Catholic Schools

Executing Your Marketing Plan Recruitment: Relationship • Invitations – • Open Houses/Catholic School Week events • School Tours - scripts • Shadow, sibling, experience kindergarten events • Special Masses for Pre-K, K families Creating Vibrant Catholic Schools

Executing Your Marketing Plan Recruitment: Relationship • Referral programs and incentives • Parent Ambassadors • Follow up – calls, thank you notes, Christmas/Easter cards, school newsletter/enewsletter Creating Vibrant Catholic Schools

Executing Your Marketing Plan Application: Interest • Invitations • Follow up • Parent ambassadors Creating Vibrant Catholic Schools

Executing Your Marketing Plan Acceptance: Welcome • Integrate into school community – • Acceptance letter – parents and child • Enrollment package – timelines • Parent ambassadors Creating Vibrant Catholic Schools

Executing Your Marketing Plan Enrollment: Commitment • Integrate into school community – • Picnic for new families • Parent ambassadors • School newsletter, emails, web passwords, etc. • Financial aid applications, assistance • New student orientation Creating Vibrant Catholic Schools

Executing Your Marketing Plan Retention: Fulfillment • Integrate into school community – • School newsletters, emails, other communications • Christmas and Easter cards • Social events • Mentoring programs • Tuition assistance, modified payment plans, scholarships Creating Vibrant Catholic Schools

Executing Your Marketing Plan Retention: Fulfillment • Continue to integrate into school community • Identify reasons for attrition and develop strategies Creating Vibrant Catholic Schools

Executing Your Marketing Plan Graduation: A lifetime relationship Creating Vibrant Catholic Schools

Evaluating Your Marketing Plan Audit and Analyze – Useful Metrics: • Determine assessment method for each program element • Establish benchmark measurements • Measure efforts • Evaluate and refine strategy Creating Vibrant Catholic Schools

Evaluating Your Marketing Plan Some Useful Metrics • Phone inquiries (source) • Web hits • Leads from wnycatholicschools.org • Event attendance • Response rates • Applications Creating Vibrant Catholic Schools

What’s Next? • Identify marketing resource for your school – part-time, intern • Find school’s advancement binder • Commit necessary resources Creating Vibrant Catholic Schools

Thank You! • Susan Lankes • Director of Marketing • Diocese of Buffalo • (716) 847-8384 • slankes@buffalodiocese.org Creating Vibrant Catholic Schools

Creating Vibrant Catholic Schools: Marketing Planning, Execution & Evaluation