By Adam

Are you struggling to connect with potential students and stakeholders? Does your educational institution’s outreach feel like shouting into the void? You’re not alone. Many schools face challenges in cutting through the noise and reaching their target audiences effectively.

But schools like Delphian School, a private K-12 institution in Sheridan, Oregon, have mastered community outreach. They’ve learned how to effectively communicate with current and prospective students, their families, alumni, and other stakeholders. Here are four strategies successful schools use to enhance their outreach efforts and build meaningful connections. And you can, too.

1. Know Your Audience Inside and Out

Understanding who you’re trying to reach is the cornerstone of effective outreach. Your audience isn’t a monolith — it’s a diverse group with varying needs and interests.

Start by identifying key demographics:

• Prospective students
• Parents
• Alumni
• Community members

Each group has unique concerns. Prospective students might prioritize career outcomes and campus life, while parents often focus on academic quality and safety. Community members may be more interested in local impact and collaboration opportunities.

Use data to refine your understanding. Analyze website traffic, social media engagement, and event attendance. This information can reveal patterns in behavior and preferences, allowing you to tailor your approach.

2. Leverage Digital Platforms

Likely you’ve set up a variety of online platforms for your school, ranging from Facebook to your own website. Each platform offers unique advantages. The key is to use them correctly and consistently.

Twitter: Share quick updates and engage in real-time conversations. For example, despite its relatively small size, Delphian School’s Twitter account boasts nearly 2,500 followers. It draws people in — and keeps them engaged — through a mixture of student success stories, alumni updates, information for prospective students, student and campus photos, and more.

Facebook: This platform is ideal for longer-form content and community building. The University of Michigan’s Facebook page, for example, engages nearly 800,000 followers with a blend of academic achievements and alumni success stories.

Instagram: Showcase visual content like campus life and student achievements. Need some inspiration? Take a look at UCLA’s Instagram account, which has over 440,000 followers. Note how it mixes up its content to include popular football photos alongside short audio takes from commencement speakers like Sean Astin.

LinkedIn: Network professionally and highlight alumni success. Stanford University’s LinkedIn page connects over 1 million followers with job opportunities, research breakthroughs, and industry insights.

Your website and blog also serve as central hubs for engaging content. Share student success stories, highlight alumni achievements, and feature current projects. Personal narratives and testimonials can be particularly powerful.

And yes, email is still relevant, and can be very effective when done right. In fact, A survey by Carnegie Higher Ed found that 57.8% of students want to receive emails from a single institution either once a week or once every two weeks.

3. Maintain Consistent Communication

Building relationships requires ongoing effort. Regular updates keep your institution top-of-mind and demonstrate ongoing value.

Adopt a multichannel approach:

• Email newsletters: These are perfect for delivering detailed updates and stories straight to …read more

  Source:: Social Media Explorer

        

  

  Author: Aaron