What is the Best Time of Year to Promote My School?

Here are the times it’s most critical to promote your school and how you can build your enrollment marketing strategy around those pivotal moments.

When it comes to marketing your school, timing is everything.

You see, parents don’t always make their intentions known immediately after discovering a school. It can take weeks (or even months) before they reach out to you or express interest in enrollment.

Understanding when parents naturally evaluate schools can give you a significant advantage in capturing their attention and addressing their concerns. By tailoring your messaging to specific topics that are top-of-mind for parents at different times of the year, you can create a strong connection and increase the chances of attracting new families.

In this article, I’ll shed light on the times of year when parents are actively assessing schooling options — and how you can strategically market your school with fresh, relevant messaging during those critical phases.

1. Pre-Application Phase: Silent Research

During the pre-application phase, parents are silently researching and gathering information about potential schools. They may have heard about your school through word-of-mouth, online searches, or community events.

To reach them in this phase:

• Have a strong online presence
• Engage in community outreach activities to increase your visibility
• Nurture interested families along their route to enrollment.

Additionally, you should provide easily accessible information on your website, share student success stories and alumni testimonials, and leverage social media ads to showcase your school’s unique strengths.

2. Seasonal and Event-Based Considerations

Different times of the year bring about specific concerns and aspirations for parents. For example:

• Back-to-School Season: As summer ends, parents focus on selecting the best educational environment for their children. Highlight your academic programs, extracurricular activities, and welcoming community to stand out during this period. If you offer a STEM program, know that prospective STEM families have a list of every other STEM school (and extracurricular program) in the area jotted down. Now is the time to win the final enrollment decision by promoting how your STEM program is better than all other STEM options.
• New Year: The start of a new year often inspires parents to seek positive changes for their children. While facts and figures may have motivated their initial fall decision, it’s during this time families will assess their current school as a good fit for their child against any new options. Showcase your school’s commitment to growth, goal setting, and creating a nurturing environment for students to thrive.
• Graduation Season: As the school year nears its end, parents of younger children start looking ahead to the next academic year. Emphasize your school’s transition programs, readiness for grade-level expectations, and support for a smooth transition.

Should I Market My School Over Summer?

Although summer is one of the most important times to engage with prospective families for the fall enrollment season, it’s also one of the hardest times to get on a family’s radar (for the first time) as a serious option for the upcoming year due to so many schools marketing exclusively over the summer. 

However, summer is also when many parents narrow their list of potential schools. For a family trying to choose just one school in a matter of weeks, adding to the list is counterintuitive.

Your focus on enrollment marketing should last all year. Not just all summer (and only summer).

3. Ongoing Community Engagement

While specific seasons and events bring heightened attention, it’s important to remember that community engagement and enrollment marketing should be a year-round endeavor.

Consistently communicate with parents and address their evolving needs throughout the year. By maintaining open lines of communication, providing regular updates on school activities, and nurturing relationships, you’ll build trust and establish your school as a reliable educational option in your community.

Don’t Overlook the Long-Term Benefits

It’s easy to focus solely on immediate results. However, taking a long-term perspective on marketing and enrollment growth yields more substantial benefits.

Effective enrollment marketing is not about quick wins but rather about building lasting connections that benefit both your school and the families you serve. Embrace the power of timing, and take a proactive approach to marketing your school throughout the year. You’ll reap the benefits of better enrollment and better connections in your community.

Ready to take the first step to improving your enrollment?

Get in touch with one of our enrollment consultants, and let’s work together to implement a new marketing strategy in your school.