If You Had One Thousand Dollars. . .

 . . .to use in marketing your school, how would you use it this week?

The most common answers I receive to this “possibility question” are:The most common answers I receive to this “possibility question” are:

Print up a brochure and hang it on the doorknob of every house in the school’s neighborhood where it looks like the family may have children.

Buy advertising in the Community Action Pages of the town newspaper.

Use it as tuition scholarships for needy students.

But take a look at the “return” on each of those common approaches:

Of the families who get the doorknob brochure, a maximum of 1% to 2% may inquire about the school.

Newspaper advertising may raise awareness, but seldom brings students.

A thousand dollars invested in meaningful scholarships may help 2-5 students.

Here are some of the more creative responses I’ve seen implemented with “windfall” marketing money:

Purchase a FLIP VIDEO (the new HD ULTRA is the best for your use and is only about $180) and give it to a team of three upper-grade students to use in making 3x/wk updates to your school website. By keeping the website current – with buckets of pictures of the kids and their smiles – you will increase web traffic (all the parents will want to see Johnny’s photo sliding into first base) while also increasing student buy-in to the school program. 

(By the way, next week’s newsletter is all about your school’s website…and your personal Facebook page.)

Buy and plant Winter Pansies beside the sidewalks, in window boxes, along the road, and anywhere else where color will improve the look of campus. By the way, colorful flowers, well cared for, improve attitudes of students, teachers, parents and neighbors.

Set up an open account at McDonalds (or whatever fast food restaurant your students enjoy most) and then hang out there a couple times each week. Buy frosties, fries, and other inexpensive food and share conversations with student friends. It’s the best way to hear what’s really happening at school and learn where to apply grease.

Paint the door jambs, the window sills, and the bathrooms. These are the places dirt accumulates fastest – and where a little paint makes the brightest statement.

Buy a box of big picture books from your local bookstore– the ones that show photos of Scottish castles, smiling pooches, or American Muscle Cars, and are on sale for $7.98. Get books for all ages and make a BIG DEAL about adding them to the library where kids can enjoy ‘em. If your local bookstore doesn’t have the books you’d like, go to Borders.com or Daedalusbooks.com.

Laminate Photo-ID library cards for the parents of each student. Hold a library Open House for parents and give them check-out privileges for double the amount of books you allow students to take home. Make them educational partners with books (and relationships) as the glue.

Have you spent the money yet???

Give a “flash drive” containing photos and contact information of each student to each staff member. Ask them to put the information in their cell phone and then begin addressing each student by name in the classroom, in the hallway, in the lunchroom, on the playground, and at Safeway. Knowing that the teachers know my name makes all relationships easier and friendlier.

Money for advertising at this time of year is OK, if you have lots of money. However, if the money is short…drop the advertising and put all of your resources into improving the school in ways that will quickly pay the highest return.

One other thing. Assign an English class to write a newspaper article on the Photo-ID cards for parents. The newspaper will probably print the article and then send a reporter out to see what other newsworthy things you have going on!

Have a great week!

Dick Duerksen, Editor

Grow My School

To ask questions or comment on anything in the GROW MY SCHOOL NEWSLETTER, or for more information on Marketing Adventist Schools, please send an e-mail to Dick Duerksen at  HYPERLINK "mailto:rduerksen@mac.com" rduerksen@mac.com

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