We are now at a crucial point in the 2022 high school enrollment campaign. Enrollment campaigns for current and new students are expected to continue through the end of January and into the first few days of February of next year.

The pandemic has brought new and significant developments to the experiences of our “students,” following two challenging years for our schools, both academically and in terms of student recruitment and retention.

It’s worth noting that—whether online or in person—we have a key advantage over other market segments because our actual end customers spend most of their time within our spaces. They experience our services every day, which allows us to take advantage of that to demonstrate all our strengths in practice.

We know that small details—whether educational, structural, or related to relationships—can trigger a public relations crisis that takes on “tsunami-like” proportions in the digital world. Those infamous WhatsApp groups are everyone’s worst nightmare right now, aren’t they?

At the same time, we are in the process of attracting new students and retaining our current ones, and we need to find new solutions, work around budget constraints, and face market challenges and competition. Amid all of this, we must ensure our message reaches all audiences.

There’s a lot of talk about how today’s campaigns should be digital, and how we should reach our target audience through digital media. That’s a fact. The metrics provided by new digital media allow us to evaluate our investments and go far beyond simply “hitting the bullseye.” With these new channels, we can hit the very center of the bullseye—that is, select exactly who we want to reach and deliver our campaign in a much more targeted way.

But I’d like to suggest something that spans both the digital and physical worlds—what we affectionately call the “Figital World” (Physical and Digital).

What I'm presenting isn't exactly new, but it has taken on new meaning in the world of technology.

The famous word-of-mouth campaign has always existed and remains just as important in the digital world. What we have now are new formats and new ways of implementing it. When I give a presentation at a school and suggest working with referral marketing, this is what I’m referring to—but on new platforms.

Let’s keep in mind that before your school considers referral marketing, there are a few things it needs to take care of first, such as:

• How is your brand positioning?
• What is your school's NPS (Net Promoter Score)?
• What is the current level of engagement between your social media channels and your academic community?

 

These questions highlight many of the opportunities that referral marketing can bring to your enrollment campaign. After all, without a strong, authentic brand, without a high NPS—which reflects how likely your customers are to refer you—and without high engagement on social media, any campaign could fail.

Think about this with me: What do you usually do when you need to choose a school for your child for the next school year? Or let’s put it even more simply: How do you decide whether to buy a new product?

The most common answer to the questions above is that you, like me, should first search online—on good old Google—and then ask friends and family for recommendations. These recommendations from friends and family are very valuable to us, as they reinforce a key aspect of that new school you may be interested in. Do you understand the importance of excellent customer service in your school’s day-to-day operations?

A bad experience had by a family can serve as a cautionary example, discouraging them from making recommendations to their social circle. We must, therefore, keep in mind that when we talk about the importance of the brand, we’re not referring solely to its outward appearance, but to everything families perceive about their school’s brand. For example, the quality of classes, cleanliness, safety, the speed at which problems are resolved, communication with families, the care provided to students, and even the school’s exterior. All of this makes your brand even stronger. Imagine a negative comment in the WhatsApp group?

A strong brand is undoubtedly one that we recommend and suggest to our contacts, whether in the digital or physical world. Think about it: Which brand do you currently recommend?

When we talk about the NPS, we’re referring precisely to this concept, which measures how likely your current students and their families are to recommend your school. No one is better suited than they are to share their best experiences with friends and family.

In this sense, we need to inspire and make our community passionate about what we do in our schools’ daily routines. Turn a simple parent-teacher meeting into an unforgettable moment. Think of every class as an achievement. Start each school day as if it were the school’s opening day. I often say that in schools, there isn’t just a “new day”—every day is THAT BIG DAY! I even joke around with #Monday! After all, the best day to be the best of all days is the first day of the week. Let’s have a great #Monday.

And if all of this is important for us to organize referral processes, it’s even more so in the digital world. Our social media channels should engage the entire school community. We need to have a well-defined “persona” and speak the language of the audience we want to reach. It’s not enough to just post on your Instagram feed and think you’ve taken care of your digital media. We have to be truly present. Comment, like, share with our audience—in other words, engage with them. Here in the digital world, just like in the real, physical world, we need to delight our audience. Be creative, and more than that, be present.

Well, after all that homework, we're finally ready.

Plan a referral program in which those who refer others will receive a clear benefit. It doesn't have to be solely financial, although that is what attracts the most participation.

Think about discounts—for example, offer cashback on the purchase of uniforms for the next school year. If your school has a cafeteria that uses a card system, how about offering cashback that can be used in the cafeteria?

A successful referral campaign is one that keeps the pool of referrals very well organized. Because even if enrollment isn’t finalized for the next school year, your school can still keep that prospective student on its mailing list, sharing news and unique features.

Happy Enrollment!

Learn more about the author:

Alcino Ricoy Jr. is a professional journalist with a bachelor’s degree from PUC-Campinas, a specialization in marketing from FACAMP, and a master’s degree in Languages, Media, and Art, also from PUC-Campinas. He served as marketing manager for the full-time education system in Campinas for 10 years, marketing coordinator at PUC-Campinas for 11 years, and is currently the university’s new business manager. He is a specialist in educational marketing and coordinator of the Communication and Marketing Working Group at ANEC. 

 

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