b'Changing the Way Schools Think About EnrolmentsIn2019,advertisingyourschoolhasneverengaging with the people in your local area. By doing so, not been easier. You can get your message in frontonly will your school be able to build valuable relationships, ofprospectiveparentsthroughsocialmedia,but it will also establish itself as a supportive and community-search engine marketing, email marketing, TVminded organisation, so its a win-win.advertisements,magazines,billboards,busesHere are just a couple of ways you can build relationships in and even on taxis the list is endless! On theyour community:other hand, driving new enrolments has never been harder. Participating in local business meetingsWereseeingthatschoolsareneedingtobecomemoreReaching out and meeting up with local politicians and innovative in how they market themselves and that theres aother prominent community members or influencerscompetitive nature to enrolments that has never been seenSupporting local fundraising initiativesbefore.Inshort,schoolsmustfighttoacquireeverylast enrolment. Joiningandengagingwithothersonlocalcommunity ItsalsoclearthattherehasbeenafundamentalshiftinFacebook groupsthewayprospectivefamiliesareidentified,nurturedandVolunteering for local causesconverted into enrolments. With all of this in mind, were going to explore why your school needs to change the way you thinkHosting charity events.about enrolments, and how you can keep up with the evolvingGather testimonialslandscape. Understand the customer journey Choosing which school to enrol your child in is a huge decision andlikemostbigdecisions,prospectiveparentstakethe Prospective families dont see one school billboard and enroltimetotalktofriendsandfamilyandlookforinformation their child straight away (although we wish it was as simplefrom similar families on the Internet. Your school can prepare as that). In reality, they will have multiple touchpoints acrossfor this by asking some key families for testimonials. While various channels before making their decision. In fact, recentit can be embarrassing to ask, schools who want to remain research on buying behaviour shows that it can take up tocompetitive will understand the importance of having social eighttouchpointswithacompanybeforeaconsumerisproof or building trust through others reviews.willing to make a purchase. In order to maximise on enrolmentHere are a few ways you can start gathering testimonials:opportunities, its important for schools to understand this path to enrolment (known as the customer journey) so that you1.Asking for reviews on your Google My Business listing or can be sure your school is engaging your prospective parentsFacebook pagewith the right messaging at the right time.2.Reaching out to parents for a review on your website or Think locally marketing materialsSpeakingoftouchpoints,yourlocalcommunityplaysan3.Asking parents to speak at an open day or school event important role in the awareness phase of the customer journey.where prospective parents will attend.For example, when your prospective parents purchased theirUse your Admissions team wiselyhouse,theirrealestateagentlikelytalkedaboutthegreat schools in the area and would have mentioned that they sendYour Admissions team is your most valuable resource when their children to your school. it comes to driving enrolments. Its no secret that nurturing Your school is a part of a local community, so its time to acta prospective family takes time: meetings, phone calls and likeit.Communitymarketingislessaboutenrolmentsandregular follow-ups can quickly eat away at a registrars day. more about giving back to your community by connecting andWhen you throw repetitive administration tasks into the mix, its easy to see why Admissions teams can get overwhelmed. 14 FACE 2 FACE MAGAZINE'