Email marketing is an effective way to reach prospective, current and past parents and alumni of your school. With the right CRM (Customer relationship management platform), you should be able to identify these groups specifically, and then send them the most relevant emails, those which relate to their relationship with the school. Through email capture forms on your website, such as a ‘Sign up here for a prospectus’ prompt, you can collect the email addresses of prospective parents and then model email campaigns around their needs. We will discuss how differentiation, and identifying what your audience needs can help you create email campaigns which generate better returns. Looking at different types of campaigns, we will explore essential and targeted email marketing campaign ideas. 

Essential Email Marketing Concepts

It’s likely that you are already familiar with basic email marketing campaigns such as newsletters and weekly round-ups. These sorts of year-round campaigns are great for keeping current parents in the loop around school events and daily life, which could be part of a larger effort to boost student retention. Incorporating prospective parents into these, or creating a bespoke yearly newsletter which introduces the biggest events of the school year and the opportunities on offer could be a more targeted approach. You could also try condensing event reminders into a weekly, or bi-weekly roundup, so that parents’ inboxes aren’t overwhelmed with school mail, and they’ll be more likely to open the valuable emails that you do send. 

Consider ‘Back-to-School’ campaigns, which work for returning and new student families, to welcome families back to the school. This is a great opportunity to promote any new offerings you’ve worked on over the summer, school trips from the break and welcome new staff. This will help to suggest to parents that the school is a vibrant community, and you could even collaborate with the PTA to promote sign-ups. 

Targeted Email Marketing Campaigns

To run targeted email campaigns, you’ll need lists of contact details for the groups you’ll want to reach. For schools, differentiating these contacts based on whether they are prospective, current or past parents for students at the school is the most common approach. Once you’ve done this, it’s easy to design targeted email campaigns for these groups. 

For prospective parents, short email campaigns which are informative and helpful could include:

• Welcome: This campaign is to greet new students and their families, provide an introduction to the school community, and offer essential information to help them get started. Aim to make new members feel valued, and inform them about key resources, contacts, and initial steps.
• Scholarship and Funding: This email campaign aims to inform students and their families about available financial aid options, scholarships, and funding opportunities. It provides details on eligibility, application processes, deadlines, and tips for securing financial support, helping to remove financial barriers to education.
• School Site Visit: The School Visit campaign invites prospective students and their families to visit the school. It highlights the benefits of an in-person visit, such as experiencing the campus environment, meeting faculty and current students, and getting a feel for the school’s culture. It often includes logistical details, schedules, and registration information.
• Interview preparation: This email campaign is designed to assist students in preparing for admissions interviews. It provides guidance on what to expect, common interview questions, tips for effective communication, and advice on presenting oneself confidently. The goal is to help students feel prepared and increase their chances of success in the interview process and can be combined with informational emails such as interview date and time for a complete funnel. 

For current parents, time-sensitive campaigns and information which keeps parents informed should be a priority. Finding ways to boost engagement between parents and school activities can lead to better re-enrollment, so consider:

• • Save-the-date reminders/School event invites: These emails notify and remind students, parents, and staff about upcoming important events. This campaign ensures that recipients mark their calendars for significant dates such as open days, parents evenings, school fairs, or special performances, and provides essential details about the events.
• • Deadline reminders: Keep students and parents informed about approaching deadlines for various academic and administrative tasks. This includes application submissions, scholarship applications, enrollment confirmations, and assignment due dates. The goal is to help recipients stay on track and avoid missing important deadlines.
• • Blog promotion: This campaign is designed to drive traffic to the school’s blog by highlighting recent posts, articles, or updates. This campaign aims to engage the school community with relevant content that could include student achievements, educational tips, school news, and events. It encourages readers to visit the blog regularly and stay informed about school activities and educational insights.

For past parents, alumni-focused content and information about ongoing school projects, especially charity or donation events, are useful emails which won’t seem like spam. The most important thing with this group is to make sure any emails are relevant and useful for recipients. 

Capsule’s Top Tips for Email Marketing

1. Use email management software: streamline your communication by segmenting your audience. This allows you to send targeted messages to specific groups, such as prospective students, current students, parents, and alumni. Personalising content for each segment enhances engagement and ensures that each group receives relevant information, improving overall efficiency. 
2. Use A/B testing: Optimise your email campaigns by experimenting with different subject lines, content, and call-to-action buttons. Start with small, controlled tests to compare variations and analyse which version performs better. This data-driven approach helps you understand what resonates most with your audience, leading to higher open rates, click-through rates, and overall campaign effectiveness.
3. Try a Lead Magnet: Leverage a lead magnet, such as a free eBook, checklist, or webinar, to attract and capture potential leads’ contact information. Ensure your lead magnet offers high value and addresses a specific need or interest of your target audience. By providing valuable content in exchange for their email addresses, you can grow your mailing list and nurture these leads through targeted follow-up emails, ultimately converting them into engaged members of your school community.

Reach out to Capsule today to collaborate with a versatile team of talented professionals.