Get Your Students Hired
We have created publicity cards for the last three months:
Purpose: To create more referral leads to our school.
Contact: Contact the students who already like the programs we offer-our students.
Cards: The cards are created in-house on the computer. A piece of bubble gum is attached and and handed out to the students as they leave class. We used the following saying:
February: Be a Sweetheart! Refer a friend to XXXX.
March: Don't count on Luck for your career success enroll at XXXX.
April Hop on over and start your new career today!
Each card has the name and phone number of the school.
Laurie,
Sometimes a great offer or incentive even works for employers or would be employers.
Dr. Susan Schulz
Laurie,
Healthy alternatives are a great idea. It's all about getting attention and being remembered. Bubble gum does have sticking power!! Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
Hi, we have similar incentive for our workshop leaders. I like the idea of extending it to students. I think I will take that up with our budget department. Laurie
Hi Arlene, Thanks for the idea. We are a healing school, so I don't think bubblegum will work for us. But I like the concept. I'll have to think of a small healthy alternative. Laurie
Hi Gheorghe
Yes, money always gets attention. It sounds like the way you've structured the incentive it is sort of a graduation present! We strongly believe in referrals as a way to bring in solid enrollments. In fact, many schools count almost entirely on word of mouth. Referral business does take effort. Like implementing techniques you have. Plus staying in touch with grads on an on-going basis. The more they know about your school the more likely they will remember to talk about you to friends and family. It's interesting that referral students tend to stay and graduate. One reason is because they are sold on your school and training programs even before they arrive. Good luck, Susan
At our school we go one step further. In addition to giving our students and graduating students publicity cards, students or graduates who refer new student to us receive a check for one hunderd dollars as soon as the new student has completed his or her first month of training.
This is a real incentive for students and graduates to spread the word.
Hi Jhonson and Arlene, You brought up a very good point re marketing. Measure, measure, measure results. Cards are certainly very effective to reach students and leads. Sometimes handwritten addresses get attention and help prevent the card from being thrown away. Measuring the response and then enrollment results is a way to know if the cards or any other strategy are working. Thanks, Susan
Hey Arlene,
I am new to the business of school. I was looking for ways to get the word out for my school now I think I find one great one. I will start printing some cards soon. I wonder, have you gotten any result yet? any referrals?
Jessica and Arlene
Some schools depend entirely on referrals. This is another great idea for how to implement use this very cost effective marketing strategy.
Thanks, Susan
Hello Arlene, I really like this idea. At our institution we have relied a lot on word of mouth and student referals. This is an innovative strategy. At the university I used to work before we used to send enrolled students a postcard during valentines week encouraging them to refer a friend or a loved one to the institution.
Also when they graduated, we sent them a postcard to congratulate them and encouraging them to share the same opportunity with someone they knew.
But this is a different approach and since the campus where I work now is smaller, we can hand out the cards to our students personally. I will definitely include it in my owrk plan. Thanks for sharing it!
Another winning idea.
Not only is the student rewarded, but now he or she is wearing something around town with your school name. Might include your website too!
Best wishes
Susan
Hello
Using holidays for publicity and marketing events is generally a great way to get attention or create a bit of news. Have to think creatively. Great ideas.
Susan
Another thing we do to increase student referals is a "booster club". If a student refers a friend who starts school, the refering student gets a cool club jacket and other "booster club benefits.
We have a Guerilla marketing team and we were just discussing ideas to increase our leads for our March start in yesterday's meeting. This is a great idea, especially for valentine's day.
Hi Jon
We believe it's important to maximize your marketing dollars to reach your target market and keep your students and their friends and relatives coming to your school. So what ever appropropriate strategies you use that work are great. Referral cards, discounted treatments, etc. are all great ways. The goal is to find out what works for your school. And to measure so when the results aren't good you can make changes.
Best wishes
Susan
This is a creative idea. What is the feedback from the students? Have you developed strong leads with this idea? We also use referral cards for discounted treatments in our intern clinic, but the bubble gum idea in pretty neat!
Hi Marci
Enrollment and retention have some relationship. If you enroll students who are likely to succeed then they will be likely to stay in school and complete. It's about caring and creating a positive student environment.
Best wishes
Susan
I'm new to a school and we're looking at ways of helping boost not only enrollment but retention...I really like this idea since it is easy to implement and can be done at the campus level. Reputation gives us our highest conversion rate month over month.
Marci Hosier
Hi Theresa
Lots of strategies with referrals. The bottom line is to develop a school that offers great programs and exceptional student services. Like many great schools, you will find that most of your enrollments will eventually come from referrals.
Best wishes
Susan