As the competition for students heats up, small schools are turning to inbound marketing strategies to attract and enroll the best and brightest. Inbound marketing is a holistic, data-driven approach that generates awareness, interest, and even advocacy among your target audience.

So, here are the top seven inbound marketing strategies for small schools:

#1: Develop a Compelling Website

Your school’s website is the hub of all your inbound marketing efforts. It’s where prospective students go to learn more about your school and what it offers. And it’s also where you can capture leads with forms and calls-to-action (CTAs).

To develop a compelling website, start by conducting a website audit. This will help you identify any areas of your site that need improvement. Then, create buyer personas for your target students. This will give you a better understanding of their needs and how your school can meet them.

#2: Optimize Your Website for SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing your website to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). This is important because it helps you get found by prospective students who are searching for schools like yours.

When optimizing your website for SEO, start by conducting keyword research. This will help you identify the keywords and phrases your target students use to search for schools. After you do that, use those keywords throughout your website, including in your titles, headers, and meta descriptions.

#3: Create Compelling Content

Content is one of the most important aspects of inbound marketing. It helps you attract new families to your website and convert them into leads. And it also helps you build relationships with your target audience. Create content that is helpful, informative, and relevant to your target students.

Some ideas for content include:

  • Blog posts
  • Whitepapers
  • eBooks
  • Infographics
  • Case studies
  • Webinars

#4: Implement Lead Nurturing Programs

Lead nurturing is the process of developing relationships with prospective students who are not yet ready to enroll. It’s important because it helps you stay top-of-mind with your target audience and build trust.

There are a few different ways you can nurture your leads:

  • Send them helpful information via email
  • Invite them to attend events
  • Connect with them on social media
  • Provide them with exclusive offers

#5: Use Paid Advertising

Paid advertising is a great way to generate awareness and interest in your school. It allows you to reach your target audience while spending their time online. And it gives you the ability to track and measure your results.

Paid advertising sites include:

  • Google Ads
  • Facebook Ads
  • LinkedIn Ads
  • Twitter Ads

#6: Leverage Social Media

Social media is a powerful tool that can help you attract and engage your target audience. It’s also a great way to build relationships with prospective students. Use social media to share your content, answer questions, and connect with your target audience. Of course, you must post regularly and always have interesting content for parents and students to view.

#7: Implement Retargeting Campaigns

Retargeting is a form of online advertising that allows you to show ads to people who have already visited your website. This is important because it helps you stay top-of-mind with your target audience and increases the likelihood of them enrolling in your school.

There are a few different ways you can retarget your website visitors:

  • Show them ads on social media
  • Display ads on other websites they visit
  • Send them emails with special offers
  • Give them a call to follow up

By following these inbound marketing strategies for small schools, you can generate more leads and increase enrollment in your small school. These leads can then be converted into students, which will help you reach your enrollment goals.

SchoolCues is an all-in-one school management system for small schools with limited budgets and resources. Our solutions include admissions and enrollment, online payments, student information system, gradebook, communications, parent engagement, donations and fundraising, alumni management, and more. Schedule a demo with us today.