Every form of marketing done these days is tailored toward getting the attention of the millennial generation. Being able to understand their perspective has become the vision of all industries. This is understandable considering the fact that millennials constitute 23% of the world population. However, when it comes to the education sector of the country, millennials are tagged as young. But the truth is, are they really young? Take time out to look at the majority of the parents that have their children enrolled in your schools, they are probably in their early or late 30s – those are the millennial generation. We believe that the time has finally come for your school marketing strategies to change if you want to attract these Millennial Parents.
Why Should You Change Your Marketing Strategies for Millennial Parents?
Millennials are often stereotyped as lazy and addicted to their phone screens. But the truth is this, whether you believe in the labeling or not, you cannot ignore the fact that millennial parents are different. They hold different values, wishes, and aspirations than the previous generation. Their outlook toward life is different, and so are their parenting styles.
But this shouldn’t come as a surprise. As a generation that grew up with technology and the internet, they are better educated, well informed, and acutely aware of what the world has to offer them and their children. And most importantly, they know they have options to explore.
We can talk about how millennial parents are different, but you will get the bigger picture when you continue this article. The point we are trying to make here is that you need to revamp your marketing plan because this generation of parents sees things differently from the previous generation.
How You Can Revamp Your School Marketing Model to Speak the Millennial Parent Language
Establish an Online Presence
Does your school have a website?
When was the last time you updated it?
How long does it take for a page to load on your website?
Some years ago this didn’t matter. But now, having a parent-oriented and user-friendly website is the smallest when it comes to establishing an online presence. The first thing millennials do when they want any information about anything is Googling about it.
To establish credibility in the eyes of millennial parents, you need to start focusing on your school’s ratings and reviews.
Increase Social Media Engagement
There is no way you will talk about millennials and not mention social media. The majority of the information today is shared via posts, tweets, snap, DMs, and the likes. Having an active social media presence is extremely important for your school’s marketing strategy. You need it to create social proof – that you exist!
READ MORE: 5 Ways to Use Social Media to Market Your School
Do not Neglect Extra-curricular Activities.
It is good that you use your academic excellence as a marketing strategy. As much as parents seek this, millennial parents are much more interested in a wholesome education experience. This means while their children get the best academic experience, their extra-curricular activities are not lacking. Millennial parents look for a school and a curriculum that allows their children to get the best of both worlds and build a strong college-ready profile by the time they are ready to seek admission.
Tap into the Power of Influencer Culture
School owners often forget that those that can best market their schools are the Alumni. Every year you have hundreds of students that graduate from your school and enter into any part of their lives. Each one of them has a story to share and those stories are your most valuable assets for school marketing. Your alumni have been there, have seen it all, and do it all. They are the most trusted source whose words millennial parents will value the most. So if you don’t have it already, build your alumni network, engage with them, and leverage their influence to promote your school’s brand.
Proper Career Counselling and Guidance
Our generation grew up basically with three career options, law, medicine, and engineering. Most even ended up working in fields they didn’t study. This is the major reason why millennial parents value proper career counseling and guidance.
As parents, they celebrate the uniqueness of their children and encourage creative and non-conventional learning styles. So if you don’t offer a career counseling service in your school, you need to start now.
Conclusion
The honest truth is that the entire educational system is transforming and this is because it is welcoming a new generation of parents and students who hold different values and are bringing newer and brighter ideas to the table. Shifting your school marketing strategy to engage millennial parents is just the beginning.
