Coming from the world of higher ed, we learned the importance of family engagement and the many ways it affects school and student outcomes.
For prospective students and families, we all know that engagement drives enrollment. It’s Marketing 101. Driving awareness of everything a school has to offer, showcasing outcomes, and making it easy for families to explore a school’s offerings are all critical pieces to engaging families and driving enrollment.
And for current families, it’s equally important to drive awareness of a school’s benefits and offerings. Families (like any customer) need to be reminded why they chose your school in the first place and everything it has to offer.
In the world of K-12, engaging families is often complicated. Schools have been searching for the perfect formula for decades. However, many families do not feel ‘vested’ in the relationship with their child’s school. This is especially the case for public schools. But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are ways to improve family connectedness to the school and to other families – and today, technology plays an important role.
School families are customers, and they thrive when they feel more connected to your school (brand) and other families within the school. So, give them the tools to help them do that. Start treating families like customers and watch your engagement grow.