  Creating a Marketing Plan
Most charter organizations have very small marketing budgets, so it’s important to make the most of the funds you do have. Use these tips and ideas to help your team get the word out about your school.
Branding: Logo/Color Scheme
Create a logo for your school that is memorable, easily reproduced, and uncluttered. When designing your logo, imagine how it will look on a website, letterhead, brochures, billboards, even t shirts. If possible, get professional help from an experienced graphic artist who can create different versions. Getting feedback from others who are not part of the design process can help the decision-making process. |
|
 |
Mission Statement
A mission statement serves two purposes. First, it serves as the main message to the community, parents, potential donors, and the media. Second, your mission statement serves as the basis for decision-making as your school transforms from an idea into a successful, mature, educational entity. Writing a mission statement can be challenging, but you can research other organizations’ sites and literature to get a sense of the length or type of language to use. Once you have a clear message, ask people who are unfamiliar with your school to read it. Get them to restate your message in their own words to gauge how effectively you have communicated your school’s mission.
Contacts
When you first thought about starting a charter school, you probably emailed a group of like-minded people to share your ideas. That was your first marketing effort, and that group was your first target audience. As part of your daily activities, gather contact information. As you are out in public talking about your school, exchange business cards, and ask meeting attendees to provide their home and their email address. Retain these contacts in a database or spreadsheet and commit to updating them weekly. |
Website and Facebook
 Even if you have just one static page posted on the web that contains your mission statement and contact information, an Internet presence is vital. Study the websites of other schools and decide what you do and do not like about their sites. Try to think like a potential donor or applicant family and imagine the information or images that would appeal to them. Use your contacts to get recommendations for companies or individuals who could design a website, and ask for estimates. Make sure the design includes the ability for visitors to sign up for email alerts or more information. If you just aren’t ready for a website, consider starting a Facebook page about your school. Facebook provides a cost-free method of communicating and connecting with large numbers of people. You can use the site to update your followers about fundraisers, meetings, and news.
|
Brochure
Creating an effective brochure requires well-written content in an attractive design. Don’t overwhelm the reader with a great deal of text or a busy layout. Use headlines, subheads, and bullet points as shorthand for communicating your message. A simple brochure can be created using most word processing programs, like Microsoft Word. More creative designs or formats might receive greater notice but can be more expensive to print. Be sure your website, Facebook, and contact information are on the brochure.
Slide Show
Not every speech you make will benefit from a slide show presentation, but adding visual interest while the audience listens to you will help keep their attention. Under NO circumstances should you put all the information on the slides and read it to your audience. Instead, on each slide, use one to three main ideas as talking points. Break up your text with photos, quotes, statistics, charts, and other images. | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|