Planning an open day for your independent school? You need to use all the marketing channels at your disposal to encourage prospective parents to come and check you out.
If you’re already using social media to advertise your school, paid social media ads can be a great way to engage with existing followers and find brand-new students.
Want to know what paid social media marketing for schools is all about? This short guide will show you the benefits of social media ads and how to get the right people to click on them!
How can social media advertising help me boost open day attendance?
When you’re an independent school marketing department on a tight budget, you may think that promoting your social media day on social media is enough.
Just set up an event, create a post and wait for people to come to you… right?!
However, paid social media ads can give you the advantage. Here’s why:
Everyone is on social media
Eight out of ten people in the UK regularly use at least one social media channel. To compare and contrast, only one out of four people read a newspaper every day!
This means that social media advertising is one of the most efficient and cost-effective ways to reach out to an active audience of prospective customers.
The key to success is to identify the right social media platform for your needs, which we’ll talk about in a little more detail later.
You can target the right people
The great thing about social media advertising is that you can set your campaigns up so they show to people who fit specific criteria.
For example, let’s say you run an independent secondary school in London. Instead of showing your ad to everyone, crossing your fingers and hoping for the best, you can target an audience likely to show interest in what you do.
You can target prospective parents who live in a specific area, are of a certain age, and already engage with your social media profiles.
You can even be super-sneaky and target people that like your rival’s school on social media!
Social media ads start working straight away
SEO is fantastic for raising brand awareness and driving lots of organic traffic to your school’s website. However, it takes time to work. With paid social advertising, you can start promoting your open day straight away.
Paid social and paid search advertising is ideal when you’ve got something to promote in a short window of time.
Still not convinced? Here are some more reasons why you should be investing in paid ads.
How can I measure the success of my social media ad campaigns?
It’s essential to regularly check your paid ad metrics – ideally daily if you’re running a short-term ad campaign. This helps you check that your adverts are targeting the right people and driving conversions.
What metrics should you be monitoring when it comes to social media marketing for schools?
- Reach. This is the number of unique users that see your ad. If it’s high compared to the number of people clicking or engaging with your ad, it might be that you’re targeting too many people or an audience that isn’t interested
- Click-through rate. This is the number of people that clicked your ad after seeing it. If lots of people are seeing your ad, but they’re not clicking, think about what you can do to make your ad appeal to them
- Cost per click. This is how much you’re paying when people click on your ad. Your cost per click will depend on how competitive your sector is. For example, if other schools in your area are advertising open days at the same time as you, this will drive up the cost. Keep an eye on your cost per click to see if the price rapidly spikes
- Conversion rate. This shows how many people carried out a desired action on your website after clicking your ad, for example, filling in an open day attendance form. If your conversion rate is low, you might want to review your landing page – more on that in a bit
Our top tips for using paid social media marketing for schools
So now you know why you should use paid social media marketing for your school, but how do you use it?
If you’re new to the world of social ads, there can be a lot to get your head around. The key is planning. When you know who you want to target, the message you want to convey, and what your end goal is, you’ve got a great starting point.
(And remember, if you want open day sign-ups without the hassle, we’re here to help!)
1. Choose the right platform
It’s highly likely that you use a wide range of social media platforms to promote your school. Twitter for urgent school updates, Instagram for showing off all those photos you take and TikTok… well, you’ve got to impress the kids in class!
While it might be tempting to advertise on all the platforms you use, it’s best to focus on one or two. Think about where your target audience is most likely to be and where you already get the most engagement.
We always say Facebook is a good all-rounder as it’s the most popular social network, the targeting options are on point, and you can also use it to advertise on Instagram too. LinkedIn can also be a solid option – students aren’t likely to be on it, but their parents will be!
The good news is that we specialise in LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram social ads. This means if you’re considering paid social media marketing for your school, you’ll be able to get all the help and support you need!
2. Use retargeted ads
When it comes to paid social media marketing for schools, it’s perfectly fine to choose the path of least resistance. If people have already visited your website, why not use that to your advantage?
Retargeted social media ads are ones that you show to people that have recently been to your website, social media page, or app if you have one. As they’ve already checked you out, it’s highly likely that they’re interested in your school; it’s just a case of giving them one final nudge in the right direction.
Plus, as you’re connecting with ‘warm’ customers that are already aware of your school, your conversion rate will be higher, and your cost-per-click will be lower. That’s a win right there!
3. Try different ad types and styles
Let’s be honest; people are a fickle bunch. For example, some people hate cat memes, other people can’t get enough of them. It’s hard to tell just by looking at someone!
How does this apply to paid social media marketing for schools? Experimenting and seeing what your target audience responds best to is essential. Rather than just sticking with one ad type and design, try different variations and see what leads to the most clicks and conversions.
Why not try A/B testing with your social media advertisements?
Create two identical ads, ad A and ad B. Keep ad A as it is and change one small thing on ad B, for example, a different image or an alternative call-to-action. Let both ads run and see which people prefer. Keep the winning ad and repeat the process. Purr-fect!
Looking for more ways to spice up your social media ads? Here are some great ways to boost your click-through rate!
4. Consider the entire journey
You’ve got people to click on your ad! Get the party hats out and cut the cake; the hard work is done… isn’t it?
Put the cake back; you’re not done yet. It’s vital to ensure the landing page you’re directing prospective parents entices them to enrol on your open day. Otherwise, you’ve wasted a click.
Create engaging copy to sell the benefits of your open day – what’s in it for the parents and students?
Photos and videos are perfect for showcasing all your school has to offer, and don’t forget a solid call to action that encourages them to sign-up!
Social media advertising for independent schools? Tick ✅
Many schools are put off by paid social media marketing as they don’t think they will get the right results. Choose the right platform for your audience, use filtering to get your ads in front of the right people, and monitor your stats. You’ll be a paid advertising pro in no time!
Not got the time or expertise to look after paid social media marketing for your school?
We hear you. At Bubblegum Search, we specialise in creating, managing, and monitoring social media ad campaigns and implementing SEO practices for educational institutions. Leave the hard work to our team of experts and wait for the attendance day RVSPs to start rolling in!
Get in touch for your free marketing plan today. We’ll assess your current marketing and recommend the right social networks to get started on – it’s completely no obligation, so you have nothing to lose.