4 things charter schools need to know about Branding

I am truly passionate when it comes to BRANDING for Charter Schools, it is my favorite topic of all. When you hear the term Branding, what comes to your mind?  What is Branding?

Many schools struggles when it comes to identifying their brand. Is Branding your charter school simply a logo? Does it only consists of a logo, colors, and a tagline?

Branding is your School Image

Branding your charter school is much more complicated than that, It is your “school’s image”.

Branding is how your charter school is perceived by parents and prospective parents. It is your school reputation. It is the emotional image or connection with how you want families to see your school.

Your School Brand is who you are as a school, it is a description of what makes your school great, and unique. It is a way for a charter school to talk about itself in a way that allow people to understand why they are unique.

It is when a family walks to your charter school to look at  and they instinctually feel that this school is RIGHT for their children.

Before I was doing Branding officially for the Charter Schools I worked for, I was doing it unofficially, I focused so much on  the schools Mission Statement and made sure that all schools that I managed their marketing aspects were branded with the same mission and vision. I placed the schools Mission Statement in every corner of the schools and made sure that they were all aligned with the schools branding colors which were purple and teal at that time ( I will post a blog in how I created and designed our Mission Statements).

Create Marketing Materials that Aligns with your Brand

I made sure that the logo of the school (which is a symbol of the entire identity of the school and its brand) was placed in every publication or piece that I have created, I stayed consistent with our branding colors in all Stationery that I have created like Letterhead, Business Card, Envelopes, etc. I created lots of Marketing materials that aligned with our brand, such as Flyers, Brochures, Postcards, etc. Also I made sure to create promotional marketing material such as Calendars, Pens, Pencils, small size note pads with the logo and school colors, cups, key chains, T. Shirts that are worn by teachers and staff,  etc. I also have created signage for interior and exterior.

 Finding what the community wants and connecting with families is a key for your brand.

Being someone that is obsessed of design and creation, I found myself tailored the communication, the look and the feel of our sites, the colors, fonts, publications to the need, wants and interest of the community and families that the school was part of. I learned to think like them and feed them with the information they want and love to hear. I wasn’t asking them to enroll their children in our schools, I was simply delivering a message in a clear consistent and authentic way, I delivered to them what they wanted to hear, in a way that resonated with them. It is a consistent communication, with a consistent community in a consistent tone .

Branding is not just for Enrollment,

A brand for a charter school is not created just to enroll students, but for Alumni relations, community relations, hiring faculty. It is for the whole school so the entire community speaks in one voice.

 

 

 

 

 

By Mouna | Filed under Favorites, Hello, Thoughts, Uncategorized

Using Facebook to Share your School Story!

Are you using Facebook to share your school story?

Do you know that the percentage of Facebook users that visits the site every day is increasing every year so Facebook has always been the number one social media site that have been used by parents to get the school updates.

People prefer Facebook because they appreciate the pictures and videos and really appreciate the ability to share the post to many people at once. so since Facebook is the primary social media that have been used with parents and prospect parents, it is crucial to give our school Facebook page much attention.

Facebook have many benefits such as telling your school story. Every school has a story to tell and it is important to share this unique story not just with your current parents but with prospect parents that visit your Facebook page or any one that visits your website. I have schools that have asked me I am not sure what is my story, what story should I post, and I tell them ” Every day you have a story to tell and share” Share stories about your students, faculty, parents, alumni, events, rewards, school highlights and more…The best part of telling your school story is that no other school has your story. No one has your unique perspective, it is simply your own, no other school went through exactly in the same way your school did! Just remember, the more you post and tell your story, the more real and emotionally compelling your school will be to the reader and viewer….So bring your Charter School to LIFE online through the stories you tell. Your school own unique story can bring you the parents that make them say “YES” This is the school I want to enroll my son/daughter.

Use your story on your school’s about page, in your school blog, in your emails, in various school’s events, in school’s brochures, flyers or any direct mail you’re sending out. Just remember, where ever you go…your story should be go with you.

With Facebook, your success will only be found in your effort how you tell your story. I know it takes time and effort but it is all worth it at the end, and not to mention it is a free marketing tool and an excellent way to make your school stand out in the crowd and people will remember you for being truly different.

 

Mouna xx

 

 

By admin | Filed under Blog

3 WAYS TO DEFINE YOUR SCHOOL MARKETING MESSAGE

Are You Ready to Have Your School Stand Out?

Effective marketing is all about controlling your message, ask yourself, is this how I want my school to be in public?

Your Marketing Message focuses on WHAT great and unique activities take place in your school , WHO you help and WHY families should enroll their kids in your school. Use your school purpose to create a powerful marketing message

But there is another kind of message you also have to create for your Charter School. As a matter of fact, it’s at the heart of your school.

I’m talking about your Core Message.

Your core message is the heart and soul of your school, It is the foundation of your school

Your Core Message isn’t WHAT you do, but WHY you do it. What you need to communicate to your parents and prospect families. What do want people to remember your school for… one clear message. Your core message is what creates your school own and unique voice and what really differentiate you from other schools in the neighborhood,

Get through the noise, if you sound like everyone else… you will never stand out, also be authentic. if you try to copy another school in the community of their ideas and what they do,

Why you need a core message

Imagine a bicycle wheel, and steming out from the bicycle wheel is all the ways that you can bring this message out for your school, so technically it is all the things that you do

How to figure  out your core message

1- If you are up on stage and you have 30 seconds to tell your prospect family about your school , and convence them that your school is the best for them, so whatever  tighed corely to your

By Mouna | Filed under Chat, Fashion, Favorites, Hello, Images, Thoughts, Uncategorized

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING PLAN

Cotton candy jelly jujubes chocolate ice cream. Cheesecake cupcake sweet roll chocolate apple pie. Donut jelly-o chocolate candy gingerbread icing cheesecake bear claw gingerbread. Gummi bears gingerbread muffin apple pie dragée soufflé. Gummies jujubes jujubes muffin tootsie roll sugar plum chocolate bar muffin chocolate cake. Apple pie gingerbread sesame snaps icing. Brownie danish sweet dessert chocolate tiramisu. Icing applicake bear claw. Jujubes danish dessert caramels jelly. Pie toffee applicake marzipan jelly. Cookie cheesecake powder chocolate. Tiramisu wafer gingerbread tiramisu pie pudding bear claw powder dessert. Marzipan chocolate bar tiramisu tootsie roll jelly-o macaroon dessert toffee tart. Fruitcake candy donut biscuit donut unerdwear.com carrot cake cheesecake.

Gummi bears chocolate carrot cake dragée gingerbread tart sugar plum muffin chupa chups. Jelly candy canes applicake jelly beans fruitcake topping. Chupa chups oat cake fruitcake dessert. Bear claw pie tootsie roll biscuit sweet roll caramels powder muffin jelly beans. Fruitcake tart applicake croissant danish donut tootsie roll carrot cake donut. Sweet oat cake unerdwear.com sweet roll marzipan applicake bear claw brownie biscuit. Croissant dessert dragée bear claw. Fruitcake halvah apple pie gummi bears carrot cake. Gummi bears chocolate gummies sugar

By Mouna | Filed under Chat, Fashion, Favorites, Hello, Images, Thoughts, Uncategorized

3 Steps to define your Charter School Message

Effective marketing is all about controlling your message, ask yourself, is this how I want my school to be in public?

Your Marketing Message focuses on WHAT great and unique activities take place in your school , WHO you help and WHY families should enroll their kids in your school. Your Marketing message needs to make people feel the answer, just like how skin care products makes women feel great, or how throwing pillows on an old couch transform a room ..etc. So use your academy’s purpose to create a powerful marketing message. When you can start talking about your school in terms of the benefit that it provides to the public , then you will be well on your way to a great marketing message.

 

one clear message. Your core message is what creates your school own and unique voice and what really differentiate you from other schools in the neighborhood,

Get through the noise, if you sound like everyone else… you will never stand out, also be authentic, believable and natural and bring your brand to life.

Bring your brand to life. Create messages that sound authentic, natural, and believable, and are easy to say and understand.

if you try to copy another school in the community of their ideas and what they do,

HOW TO DEFINE YOUR MESSAGE

The first step is to take a look at your school Mission statement, your vision and goal, your charter contract, school improvement plan , summarize all of these into few points, points that appeal and resonate with the parents and students, these points will be the foundation of your message.

For example: If your goals and mission include:

  • Building strong Character Traits,
  • Promoting Cultural Diversity

Why you need a core message

Imagine a bicycle wheel, and steming out from the bicycle wheel is all the ways that you can bring this message out for your school, so technically it is all the things that you do

How to figure  out your core message

1- If you are up on stage and you have 30 seconds to tell your prospect family about your school , and convence them that your school is the best for them, so whatever  tighed corely to your

 

By Mouna | Filed under Fashion, Hello, Images, Uncategorized