Despite all its innumerable challenges, COVID has also presented many independent schools with certain opportunities, especially in terms of enrollment. The right messages delivered in the right ways right now can help those schools make the most of the moment.

When our staff members at Kelsh Wilson talk with friends and colleagues at independent schools these days, we sense that most have pivoted so many times since the COVID crisis hit that they now feel dizzy—also tired. It’s been a long time to struggle with so much uncertainty and to work so hard.

Yet these times have not been all bad. Many private schools have, in fact, seen a surge in enrollment from families seeking a more robust experience during the pandemic. In this respect, our clients span a range.

Those who have seen growth in interest from new families, but found that balanced out by attrition among current families who are financially stressed.

Those that have seen increasing applications, but were forced to cap enrollment to maintain safe distancing (How frustrating!)

Those lucky enough to have grown total enrollment to a meaningful degree, at least temporarily.

Clearly, circumstances have treated some of these institutions better than others, but all are in the position of welcoming new families who would likely not have applied if not for COVID. And all face a critically important challenge: to retain these new families.

In some ways, this is the opportunity admissions teams have always dreamed of. Many have said that if only they could get families to try independent education, those families would never go back. For all those wishers, this is the moment of truth. Can their schools satisfy these new and somewhat atypical clients? Can the admissions and communications teams do their part to seal the deal?

If this is a challenge you now face, we would like to share a few points of advice we believe will help.

1. Take a page from the development playbook.

   Specifically, follow the example fundraisers set in their commitment to stewardship. Every development staffer, whether in annual fund or major gifts, can tell you that retaining a loyal donor is easier and far more cost-efficient than acquiring a new one. That’s why sustaining and deepening connections with current donors have evolved into an art. How can you steal lessons from that art? To start, you may want to consider some branded bling to welcome new families. People never seem to get tired of hats and mugs. But the real heart of the effort needs to be personal outreach. Every family needs a check-in call from the most senior person on your campus you can persuade to make that call. And every one of them needs a follow-up note. At minimum. Families must know that you care and are listening, and you have to prove it by being responsive to the concerns they raise, whenever possible.

   
   

2. Expand your definition of multichannel marketing.

   To many, the term “multichannel marketing” means print, digital and social media in various combinations. When your goal is retention, these are all important to consider, but so are parent-to-parent word of mouth, carefully crafted surveys, and focus grouping. “Surveys and focus grouping?” you ask. Yes, we say. Asking people about the best part of their experience helps focus them on how positive that experience has been. Asking them to confirm your belief that your faculty’s commitment is inspiring helps them realize just how inspiring it is. And bringing them together in a (virtual) focus group gives them the chance to articulate their feelings and have those feelings validated. Of course, if genuine customer satisfaction issues arise, you will have the advantage of being alerted early.

   
   

3. Paint a picture of life in a normal year.

   The good news for independent schools is that the pandemic has pushed new customers to try their product. The bad news is that this is at best a strange year when it comes to product quality. Field trips are missed, assemblies curtailed, art shows virtual, sports a giant disappointment. The sense of a warm and welcoming community new parents would normally experience is present but attenuated. These disappointments can’t be allowed to dominate the conversation, but a bit of explanation is in order. This can come in the form of casual remarks worked into those check-in calls. (I just wanted to let you know that this is the time of year when we usually are in the middle of our whole-school celebration of homecoming, and you wouldn’t believe the energy …). Or you could consider an informative, even illustrated, letter cataloging some of the highlight experiences families can hope to share in the future.

One key to success in all these efforts is a clear, shared sense of your school’s message and marketable strengths. When you check in with a new family on how their year is going, you want to know the one or two takeaways you’d like to leave them with if the discussion gives you an opening. The same is true if you are guiding a focus group, prepping a group of parent hosts, etc.

So revisit your brand guide and make sure your colleagues do as well. Too often, solid communication strategies are left in binders on shelves. And think about whether you need to update your message. You will likely find that some chapters in your school’s story are as fresh as ever, but others may need reshaping to hit home in this strange, stressful time.