Promoting Your School

Promoting Your School

(This handout is available at BBCSEagles.com/promotions.html) Michelle Jarrell Bible Baptist Christian School 2780 Mt. Carmel Rd Hampton, GA 30228 BBCSEagles.com 770.946.4700

Why?

Where?

List every possible place you can advertise. Include contact details (name, address, phone number, website) and passcodes. You may need a separate email address just for promotions.  Newspapers – submit announcements, stories and photos; inserts work but cost

 Radio  TV

- local channels

- channels from major cities nearby

 Online

- school blog - school website

- social media – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter , Google+ - maps – Google, Bing, Yahoo maps

- newspaper sites (self-posting) - school review sites

GreatSchools.org LocalSchoolDirectory.com PrivateSchoolReview.com  Bulletin boards/windows - flea market - laundry mats - gas stations - waiting rooms - grocery store

- employee work rooms  Counter tops - daycares - waiting rooms - doctor's offices - hotels  Community venues

What will appear in the background of people's

photos?  Yard signs

- use distance legibility charts

- avoid the "Looks good to me!" syndrome  In house

- over water fountain - doors

- bathroom stalls – magnetic holder - weekly newsletter – print, email, online

- hall bulletin board

- monthly or quarterly newspaper - email signature/tagline

- footers – n/a/p/w on everything! - backgrounds wherever people will take pictures

- podium banner

- programs – use programs to promote other programs (see sidebar)

- back/roof of buildings

- "Welcome to Our Class" letters from each teacher to prospective students listing highlights of the year

- Treasure Hunt of 10 of your best features to look for as prospects tour your facilities

What?

Remember: part of your purpose is to promote the event; part is to show that great things are happening at your school. The media may not come every time. But they know there is activity at your place.

Keep a running list of every possible point of interest that you can promote. Think about these in advance and maintain a list from year to year. Here's some ideas to get you started:

 100th day of school  college choices  concerts  drama  field day  field trip  graduation

 Grandparents' day program or activity Program Checklist  Is there anything to sell?  Is there anything to display? insect collection, art  Who will open the

doors 1.5 hours before program?  Are greeters ready

to distribute the playbills; not chat with each other?

 Have teachers been

reminded to be friendly and work the crowd?  Can we invite

daycares, senior centers, etc., to the dress rehearsal?  Have we sent a news

release 4 weeks in advance?  Have we sent a reminder news release 1 week in advance?

 Who will take the offering? They must say what it is going for and ask well.  Does the playbill list

upcoming events?  Is a PowerPoint of

of pictures and announcements ready to show before and after the program?

 Have we

sent/posted a photo to our mediaoutlets?

Bible Baptist Christian School 2nd grader Gunnar Griffin poses with his award-winning essay on what he would do if he had an extra $100.

 guest speakers – invite the public

 honor roll each quarter  honor roll end of the year  honor society induction  missions conference  open house

 orientation/back-to-school activities

 perfect attendance each quarter

 perfect attendance end of the year

 reading contest participation  reading contest winners  recitals

 reenrollment opening  results of academic testing  results of fine arts competitions  results of sports games

 September 11 activities  service activity

 special honor for a teacher  speech by salutatorian  speech by valedictorian  spirit week

 staged events – open things to the public; inschool

competition (e.g., $100 typing challenge)

 student project – dissecting, learning a new letter, letter writing

 summer ministry follow-up for students or teachers

 summer ministry plans for students or teachers  teacher training  Thanksgiving dinner  __________________________  __________________________  __________________________ __________________________

How?

A. Develop stock wording. Copy news releases from other schools. Save your releases from year to year. Here are the statements we use as needed.

Bible Baptist Christian School, located at 2780 Mt. Carmel Road in Hampton, offers a preK through 12th grade education to students from Henry, Clayton, Spalding, and Fayette counties. The school's athletic program includes many sports options for both boys and girls, producing teams that reach at least state play-offs each year.

The school's fine arts program consistently produces award-winning bands, choirs, pianists, music and speech groups, as well as instrumental, piano, speech, and academic placements in national competitions.

BBCS is fully accredited by the Georgia Association of Christian Schools (GACS) and Georgia Private School Accreditation Council (GAPSAC).

For more information, call 770-946-4700 or visit BBCSEagles.com. My email Michelle Jarrell

footer: Public Relations

Bible Baptist Christian School 2780 Mt. Carmel Rd

Hampton, GA 30228 BBCSEagles.com 770.946.4700 School 770.846.1433 Cell

4 | Promoting Your School

[Great post I lifted from Facebook to remember to use next year:] The first month of the New Year is almost complete and we thank the Lord for the great work by our faculty and students. I hope that all of you will join me in prayer for the successful training and care for our young people and the blessings of God upon our families.

~~~~~~~

[Another great post I lifted from FB; a school would need to professionalize it if sending it to other media; it's a bit too casual.] Killian Hill had a great day at the GACS Sr High Fine Arts competition on Friday. KH dominated the competition racking up 38 medals out of the 54 categories entered. Listed below are the categories and medals won.

Academics: entered 14 placed in 10. Art: entered 12 placed in 6.

Speech: entered 11 placed in 10.

Music: entered 14 placed in 11. Bible: entered 3 placed in 1.

Congratulations to all our students for their hard work and effort and for our fine arts coaches, parents and all involved in the success of the fine arts program at KHCS. A special

congratulation to Ronda Evens our fine arts coordinator for the success achieved. B. Create a list of keywords/tags that help search engines find you.

athletics baseball basketball Christian school drama education elementary school high school music private school religious religious school soccer softball sports track volleyball C. Create a list of who is who in your school.

Who is the soccer coach? the volleyball coach? The fine arts coordinator? D. Create a list of correct terminology.

Baseball has runs; soccer has goals; basketball has points.  E. Record when and to whom you send/post info.

(By the way, send individual emails, do not use group emails or undisclosed recipients.)

5 | Promoting Your School F. Provide Minimum and Maximum Details

The inverted paragraph still works: get to the point with all details in as few words as possible; then add more. The "more" may be printed or it may be used for the media to add to a story. Consider providing quotes in advance.

Bible Baptist Christian School, located at 2780 Mt. Carmel Road in Hampton, will present its elementary spring program, Thursday, May 12 at 7:30 pm. Entitled "All About Gardening," the evening will showcase student talent complete with costumes, props, music and drama. The free event is open to the public. For details, call 770-946-4700 or visit BBCSEagles.com.

BBCS offers a K4 through 12th grade education to students from Henry, Clayton, Spalding, and Fayette counties.

The school's fine arts program consistently produces award-winning bands, choirs, pianists, music and speech groups, as well as instrumental, piano, speech, and academic placements in national competitions.

BBCS is fully accredited by the Georgia Association of Christian Schools (GACS) and Georgia Private School Accreditation Council (GAPSAC).

G. Send a picture; make it as unique as possible. If you do nothing else, send a picture.

F. Like, like, like! Get your teachers, school board, church members, friends, and foes to LIKE, RETWEET, g+ and comment on any and everything that is published about your school. That helps search engines find you and reward the reporter/site/media outlet that covers your news.

Bible Baptist Christian School elementary students wait for their cue to enter during a dress rehearsal for "All About Gardening" to be presented Thursday, May 12 at 7:30 pm.

Note the interesting pose for reading contest winners Honor Society inductees pose with the petition they signed to uphold the Society's standards.

6 | Promoting Your School

First Impressions

Here are some general tweaks for looking great!

 Text message abbreviations, smileys, and misspelled emails with the footer “sent from my iPhone” are all quick giveaways that your “business” is actually just a one-person project. All your email communication should be well written, using complete sentences, and with a complete email footer including your contact details.

 Have a professional message on your answering machine – not the generic "The number you have reached, 555-5555, is not available at this time. Please call back." Provide directions, school times, office hours, upcoming meeting times, website. Don't make people jump through hoops; don't have the "Oh, they can just call back if they need info" attitude.  Send your mailings on time. There is nothing worse than receiving Open House

announcement after the event.

 Never let the tape show. Put it BEHIND the paper you are posting.

 Include a footer and/or logo on everything that goes out of your school, especially something that might land on the fridge, like newsletters and announcements.

 What?!? You don't have a repositionable footer/logo? Get them quickly. Save them as jpg.  Keep the facilities clean and touched up with paint.

 Poof, poof, poof! You represent a skool!

A Few More Thoughts

 Subscribe to Manta.com marking tip of the day. Fabulous stuff!

 Plan ahead. Start promoting 4-10 weeks prior to an event. It might take you 2 weeks to get the announcement together. Some media outlets only publish weekly or monthly.

 Media outlets in neighboring counties are more open to your news if they know students from their county attend your school.

 Visit media outlets once a year. Give them a popcorn tin at Christmas.

 Push your agenda. If you are part of a gathering where the media might be present,

especially if you are taking a stand for/against something controversial, have a bullet list of your position and pertinent facts; names and positions of prominent people; and quotes that can be used.

 If something negative happens, never repeat the negative part of a reporter's question. Reporter: Why did you leave the child on the playground unsupervised?

You - wrong: We did not leave the child on the playground unsupervised!

You – right: We have guidelines in place that ensure students are well supervised on our playground.