The differences between marketing a rural, boarding school vs an urban, day school
I have now been working for eleven years in this sector in three rural coeducational boarding schools across the Midlands and North which has had its challenges. My last school was especially challenging for recruitment as half the catchment was fish (who don’t buy into independent education funnily enough). Furthermore the school is located in a very deprived area, in the North of England, cut off on a peninsula and nowhere near Heathrow airport. I decided that my next challenge had to be very different so I applied for a role in an urban, girl’s-only day school which I have now been enjoying for over four months.
I was asked to write about the difference marketing a rural, boarding school vs an urban, day school, apart from the fish situation. The key difference is that the potential world-wide customer base (in the main) and national customer base is removed, as well as half your local catchment too so the pool is rather smaller than before!
In the city, you cannot move for great schools, so you have to differentiate your marketing messages very clearly. Not only are you competing with schools in a small area but all the other noises and advertising within a busy city. A rural area does not have advert boards and the frequency of buses and transport advertising options that you do in the city.
There is no difference thankfully with digital advertising as all schools are chasing the same spaces and social media plays an important part here; I cannot see any difference in what some schools do and others do not from all across the country. I do see however a similarity with some key schools who are complacent and not using social media whether day or boarding, North or South to its full potential.
I have after a few months come to realise that the key marketing difference is message. Every boarding school has its USP as does day schools, but when you are in a city like Manchester which possibility experiences the most frenetic competition between schools outside of London, message is key.
Your message has to be concise and really represent you and your ethos. You have to differentiate well, clearly and authentically to cut through the noise.
After meeting with parents, I can honestly say that they are same whether boarding or day. They all want the best for their children. Although I think I have been lucky to work in schools where parents are amazing.
Facilities might be tight with space but urban schools really do make the most of the space they have. Community is in evidence but in a different way to a boarding school. I think boarding schools create a specific feel from the boarding side of the school. With day schools, community is there as I have witnessed from the recent Sixth Form leavers breakfast where love and respect for Form Tutors which was just as apparent as it is in boarding schools for House parents.
In the end, the independent sector, whether day, boarding, girls or boys or co-ed, selective or not, is amazing and we have to work hard to get our messages across as there is a school out there for every family looking for our education.