Do parents in your district yawn every time the same old
newsletter hits their inbox? What do they truly crave?
For the second year in a row at the annual NSPRA conference,
I heard experts in the field of school public relations say the most important
thing to parents is that they feel they
made a confident decision in the educational choice for their child. They want justification that they are good
parents.
It is our job to convince them they have made the best
decision choosing our district and choosing public education. They need our help.
The content Marketing
Institute defines Content Marketing as:
“Content
marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and
distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a
clearly-defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer
action.”
3 Ideas to Get Started with Content Marketing
1. Start a Blog
Don’t write about the cool things
happening in your district. You can do that in other places. In the Content
Marketing World, a blog ‘s purpose is to help, not advertise the bake sale.
Create a blog that helps your parents
and students. Have a blog post that
offers reading strategies for kindergarteners.
Or maybe give your parents the 20 indicators of a gifted child.
The point is, you need to be
useful. Give your parents content they
will want to read. Give them content they will want to share.
2. Produce How-To Videos
Lowe’s does an awesome job with their
how-to series on home design and remolding. You can do the same thing with
education.
Create a video called How-To Teach Your
Child Simple Algebra. You could also
create a video series for pre-school parents on How-To Prepare Their Child
Kindergarten.
The possibilities are endless. Figure out what your parents want or need
help with, and give it to them in the form of a video.
3. Start a Podcast
Podcasts are making a comeback. Your
parents need something to listen to when they are driving to work.
You can create a podcast where you
interview teachers. They can give advice on how to navigate the elementary to
middle school transition. You could also
have a podcast featuring high school counselors focusing on the college
admission process.
Think of your
audience’s pain points, and then help them with their problems.
What's the Point?
There are hundreds of ideas you can create. Jump on the Content Marketing bandwagon and start helping.
Do you have other ideas? Leave them in the comment section below.
