Dr. Susan Schulz

Discussion Comment

Good idea to understand the costs for all marketing endeavors. But more important is to always measure what is working. Internet marketing is usually the least expensive and many schools count on the internet and their website for students. School Advisory Boards can be a great source of all kinds of information. The key is to choose the right participants and keep in touch with them regularly. Thanks, Susan

Dr. Susan Schulz

Discussion Comment

Marketing Resources

Posting a catalog does provide the prospective student a lot of information. There are pros and cons to doing that. The right advertising is effective and not expensive. But it takes a lot of work to measure quantity and quality of leads that are generated. But well worth it. Thanks, Susan

Dr. Susan Schulz

Discussion Comment

Getting the Word Out

That's great Wanda. Along with these strategies it is very important to measure results. How many people responded? Did they meet admissions requirements? How many enrolled? How many responded immediately and how many responded over time? What's working and what is not and where are you getting the best value for qualified students? Once you measure results it is important to issue a report to people at your school who can give you good feedback for improvement. Lots to do. Thanks, Susan

Dr. Susan Schulz

Discussion Comment

The Employer "Short" List

Hi Bonnie, You have outlined all the problems that face schools. And did a great job. Some solutions take time. LIke you need working grads to introduce you to their companies. In the meantime, you might want to schedule your time so that you are out of the office and meeting with employers at least 80% of your time. This requires creating a list, emailing them, phoning for an appointment, and then visiting with a brief and informative presentation about your school. Plus time to find out about their needs. Create a relationship and then develop and maintain it. It's… >>>

Dr. Susan Schulz

Discussion Comment

Your School’s Publicity and Public Relations

Very interesting and creative. How are you using craigslist? Susan

Dr. Susan Schulz

Discussion Comment

Marketing Resources

Hi Robert, TV and radio is expensive and might not be the best way to market. We focus on internet and website marketing. Lots of value. Sounds like you are using your Advisory Board effectively. We find it is important to meet face to face and then have frequent phone conference calls and emailing to keep everyone involved and keep their advise flowing. Thanks, Susna

Dr. Susan Schulz

Discussion Comment

Your top plans...

Good plans, Robert. A five year plan is essential for school development. It needs to be worked on by everyone at the school and agreed to. And then reviewed every 6 months or so to see if you are on track and if goals are still relevant. Knowing your ideal students is essential when planning marketing efforts. Of course budget is important because you need money to fund your plans. Thanks, Susan

Dr. Susan Schulz

Discussion Comment

Who Does What? The Employee Job Description

Hi Robert, Good thinking about job descriptions. You might want to add the kind of results you are expecting. Also who the person relates to or works with at the school. Once you do this you might want to also look at the job responsibilities of everyone else on the team. Is there overlap? Duplication? Can anything be eliminated? It is always interesting when looking at org charts and job descriptions. thanks, Susan

Dr. Susan Schulz

Discussion Comment

Your School’s Publicity and Public Relations

HI Robert, Advertising is good and there are many many ways to spend your marketing dollars. We suggest that whenever you pay for an ad you look carefully at the results and keep track. Some ads will bring quantity. Others quality. It is important to know what you are getting for your dollars. Advertising in high schools is limited to the number of students and possibly their parents. You might look to other markets amoung your adult population and figure out what they look at and read. Thanks, Susan

Dr. Susan Schulz

Discussion Comment

Getting the Word Out

HI Robert, Paid advertising is good and usually measurable. That's the key. Look at the quantity and quality of leads from each source. Of course it is nice to get good press (which costs a bit less). A website, in our opinion, is essential. Many schools get all their students from their websites. You might want to put that on the top of your list. Thanks, Susan