Using your school's USP to attract students

Why should prospective parents and students choose your school? What makes your school stand out from your competitors? Identifying your school’s USP and pushing this through your marketing will help to generate interest and build a respected brand.

Knowing your school’s USP is vital in order to make a successful marketing campaign. It should underpin all marketing tactics and answer the question of why parents should choose your school above other options.

What is a USP?

USP stands for Unique Selling Point, it is a term often used in business. It’s the thing that distinguishes your school from competitors and attracts prospects to choose you.

A great example is Coca Cola, launching in the 19th Century, they were the ‘original soft drinks company’. This became their USP and inspired a successful marketing campaign where customers were able to make named drink cans of their own. As well as encouraging customers to feel included, they reminded audiences that they are the ‘original’ - a successful campaign, that inspired other companies to follow in Coca Cola’s footsteps.

How do we identify a school's USP?

Here are 5 simple steps that will break down what is special about your school and compare it against what your target audience wants from a school:

• MAKE A LIST - write down a list of all the special aspects of your school and services you are proud of. This could be a subject specialism, class sizes, after school clubs, your heritage… Continue with this list until you are satisfied that you have selected all the important qualities that are the building blocks of the school as a whole.
• MAKE ANOTHER LIST - write a list of your target audience demographics (or personas) and what they are looking for in a school. For example, it could be that your school is in a busy location with many working families. Therefore, parents will want after school and co-curricular clubs to provide wrap-around care.
• MAKE A MATCH - compare these lists, identifying what your target audience needs and what you provide. Use these matches to form your campaigns, order them in a hierarchal system by priority or time of year.
• SELECT THE USP - now you have identified what is special about your school and what is important to prospective parents, it is time to promote this in your marketing. Form a simple sentence designed to show your audience that you are the right school for them. Share this with an elevator pitch given to parents on open days. Remember to state who you are, why you are special and how this will benefit students and parents.
• MARKET YOUR USP - now it is time to show off what makes you special! When forming your marketing plan and strategy it is important to keep your USP in mind at all times. This is what will attract your target audience and generate school enrolments. Think about how to display your standout quality in a way that will make it clear for parents to understand. Our inbound marketing toolkit can provide you with strategies to kick start your campaign and plan your content.

To Summarise...

A USP is at the heart of a successful marketing campaign, it will help build a respected reputation for your school. The summer break is a great time to reflect on your current marketing strategies and focus on celebrating what is special about your school.