How to Market Your School: A Guide to Marketing, Communication, and Public Relations for School Administrators

266 Pages·2010·1.96 MB·English

by  Johanna M. Lockhart

How to Market Your School

How to Market
Your School
A Guide to Marketing,
Communication, and
Public Relations for
School Administrators
Johanna Lockhart
Published in partnership with
National School Public Relations Association
ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD EDUCATION
A division of
ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD PUBLISHERS, INC.
Lanham• New York • Toronto • Plymouth, UK
Published in partnership with National School Public Relations Association
Published by Rowman & Littlefield Education
A division of Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
A wholly owned subsidiary of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706
http://www.rowmaneducation.com
Estover Road
Plymouth PL6 7PY
United Kingdom
Copyright © 2011 by Johanna Lockhart
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any
electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems,
without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote
passages in a review.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Lockhart, Johanna, 1971–
How to market your school : a guide to marketing, communication, and public
relations for school administrators / Johanna Lockhart.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-1-60709-768-6 (cloth : alk. paper)—ISBN 978-1-60709-769-3 (pbk.: alk.
paper)—ISBN 978-1-60709-770-9 (electronic)
1. Schools—United States—Marketing I. Title.
LB2847.L64 2010
659.2'9371—dc22 2010030010
(cid:1)
™
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American
National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library
Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.
Printed in the United States of America
Contents
Acknowledgments xi
Preface xiii
Introduction xv
Chapter 1 School Marketing: What It Is and Why It Matters 1
What School Marketing Is and What It Is Not 1
Why Is Marketing Your School Important? 5
Chapter 2 Getting Started 9
Develop the Best Product of Service You Can 10
Building a Winning Marketing Team 10
Goals, Objectives, and Strategies 12
SMART Goals 13
Know Thyself 16
Who Is Your Competition? 26
Being Different Makes a Difference 27
Take a Position 27
What’s Your Mission? 29
Words to Live By 29
Always Have a Plan 30
Case Study: Riverside High School 31
Success Story: John J. Herrera Elementary:
Marketing Makes a Difference 43
v
vi Contents
Chapter 3 Marketing Research and Database Marketing 49
Who Are Your Constituencies and
What Are They Thinking? 49
Setting Research Objectives 51
What You Need May be a Click Away 52
Use Interviews and Focus Groups for Depth
and Discovery 52
Use Surveys to Reach Larger Groups 55
Ask the Right Questions in the Right Way 60
Creating Good Instruments 64
Pre-survey Communication 66
Timing May Not be Everything, But It Is Important 66
Is It Legal? 67
Survey Warnings 67
When to Get Help 68
Data-driven Marketing 69
Chapter 4 Marketing Communication 73
Understanding the Communication Process 74
Choose Your Words Carefully 76
It’s All about the Receiver 77
Effective Communication Is Two-way 79
The Ostrich Syndrome 80
Mixed Messages, Mixed Results 81
The Value of One-on-One Communication 82
Clearing the Hurdles to Effective Communication 83
Logos—Pathos—Ethos 85
Let Your Audience Fill in the Blanks 88
Making an Impression 90
Something Is Not Always Better than Nothing 91
Tempt Readers to Look Inside 93
WIFM? 94
Keep the Reader Moving 96
Give Audiences a Reason to Take Action,
Then Tell Them How 98
Imagery Creates Interest 99
Contents vii
The Language of Color 102
Repetition Creates Unity 106
Contrast Creates Interest 106
Repeat Your Message in Multiple Ways 107
Collect the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly 107
Taglines and Slogans 108
Creating a Logo 109
Annual Reports 110
Testimonials Are Marketing Gold 111
Fax More than Just a Cover Sheet 112
Newsletters Should be Newsy 113
Are You Sure They Are Reading It? 114
Be “Presentable” in the Community 115
Dispelling Public School Myths 120
All Points of Contact Should be Positive 121
Key Communicators Are Key Channels 122
Chapter 5 Electronic Communication:
An Effective Marketing Tool 125
Internet Benefits to Communication Strategy 125
Using the Internet in the Communication Process 126
Building a Website to Improve Two-way Communication 127
Steps to Building a Website 129
Useful Website Tools 137
Promoting the School Website 138
Using E-mail to Inform and Respond 138
Using E-mail Effectively 139
Building a User List 140
Permission-Based Communication 140
Designing an E-mail Message 141
Integrating E-mail with Offline Communications 142
FAQs can Reduce Redundant E-mail 142
Promote Interest Group Subscriptions 143
Electronic Newsletters 143
Online Surveys and Polls 143
Social Media 143
viii Contents
Success Story: C olorado Springs School District 11:
Electronic Dialogue— A Means to Greater
Community Loyalty 151
Chapter 6 Media Relations 155
Getting the News Out 155
Get to Know the Neighborhood Newspaper 157
Utilize Your District Communication Office 159
Press Releases 159
Use Key Communicators to Dispel Unfair
Press Coverage 160
Crisis Situations Require a Plan 161
Effective Crisis Communication is Critical 162
Giving an Interview 164
Chapter 7 Building Community Partnerships 167
What Makes a Good Partnership? 168
Making Your First Meeting a Success 172
Your Partners Deserve Accountability 173
Time Is Money 173
Can You Make a Commitment? 174
Never Stop Saying Thank You 175
Making Your Partners Feel Special 177
Do Not Prejudge 177
Case Study: Lincoln Middle School 178
Success Story: C ommunity Connections for All Students:
Arts Education Matters 195
Chapter 8 Public Relations: Inside and Out 201
Got Curb Appeal? 202
Supportive Alumni Speak Volumes 203
Celebrate Cultural Diversity 204
Welcome All 207
Reach Out to New Parents 208
Visitor Parking Says “Welcome” 208
When a Note from the Principal’s Office
Is a Good Thing 208
Doughnuts, Coffee, and a “Good Morning” 209
Contents ix
Videos for Fun and Promotion 209
Videos for Absent Parents 210
Collaborating to Maximize Your Marketing Effort 211
A Bookmark can do More than Mark a Book 211
Spend Some Time at the Mall 213
Remember that Everyone Is in Marketing 213
If the School Culture is Toxic, Detox 214
How’s Your Customer Service? 215
Twenty-four-hour Response Time for
Telephone Calls or E-mails 216
Dealing with Difficult People Diplomatically 216
Goodwill Begins within the School 218
The Butterfly Effect 221
School Tours 221
VIPs 222
Volunteering is Two-way 223
Placemats as Promotion 223
Making Sure Everyone Gets the Picture 224
Making Your Appreciation Public 224
Be Entertaining 225
Putting Hold Time to Good Use 225
Cost-free Consulting 226
Set Out the Welcome Mat for Community Groups 226
Good Friends to Have 227
Recognizing Special Dates 227
A Daily Reminder 228
Night School 228
Making the Most of Community Events 229
Chapter 9 Fund-raising 231
Naming Rights and Corporate Sponsorships 232
Advertising 234
Summary 241
Notes 243
About the Author 245