It always feels like school has barely started when it’s time to start thinking about enrollment for next year. Many private schools advertise on Facebook and Instagram. That’s why Facebook ads for private schools can be a good idea. But it’s not as straightforward as it might seem. Here are three things to consider (and pitfalls to avoid) when you’re setting up Facebook and Instagram ads for your private school.
Don’t treat your Facebook ads like a billboard ad.
There’s nothing wrong with a good billboard. But the truth is, a good Facebook or Instagram campaign can be far more powerful than a billboard. A lot of schools will simply put together a pretty Facebook post, and then hit the Facebook “boost” button. When you hit a boost button, you are telling Facebook that you want people to like, comment on or share your Facebook post. Maybe you’re telling Facebook that you want people to visit your website. This is the billboard approach. It’s fine. But if it’s all you’re doing, you are missing out and not getting your money’s worth on Facebook.
Wouldn’t you rather have people come for a tour or an admissions event? You can set up your ads to tell Facebook to show your ad to people who actually want to sign up for a tour and not just to people who are free with the “like” button on Facebook. Then you can track which people sign up, and which people don’t. Both you and Facebook can then use that information to get even better at finding people who want to sign up for tours. Not just people who are going to put a heart on a post or write a nice comment.
Taking advantage of the power of Facebook’s Ad Manager platform and its smart algorithm lets you get far more bang for your advertising buck.
Get Your Targeting Right
Most people don’t realize how powerful Facebook targeting can be.
At first glance, Facebook targeting seems pretty self-explanatory. You type in some “interests” that seem like they might match the parents of your students and then you set the ads up to run in a fifty-mile radius of your school’s location. Easy! But the truth is, there is so much more you can do to help Facebook locate your ideal student.
Here are some things you can try that most people don’t know about:
- Ask Facebook to find people who look like people who are already enrolled in your school.
- Ask Facebook to find people who look like people who have visited your website.
- Show different ads to people who have already visited your website and might be more interested in your school and closer to enrolling.
- Set income levels on your ads so that you know the people who are seeing them are more likely to be able to afford your school’s tuition.
Have a Strategic Approach
A lot of schools will take a “one & done” approach to their Facebook advertising. They’ll create one ad with a few images and call it good. But if you take the time to create a strategy that connects with people more than once, in a variety of ways, you’re going to get more people walking through your doors to learn about your amazing school.
We have a framework for our ad campaigns at Karen Nelson Digital. Our campaigns are designed to meet families at all stages of their private school journey.
- Stage 1: We have engagement campaigns that are designed to catch the attention of people who might never have heard of your school before and entice them to learn more.
- Stage 2: We have lead generation campaigns that are designed to get qualified families through the door and into the admissions office so that they can learn about your programs.
- Stage 3: We have retargeting campaigns that are designed to encourage people who have started exploring your school, but haven’t scheduled a tour or enrolled yet.
Each campaign type has a different structure and optimization in Facebook, along with different messaging. This helps prospective families really get to know and trust your school.
Have more questions about Facebook advertising for private schools? Are you trying to DIY your Facebook ads for your private school and need some quick help? Check out our Facebook Ads SOS! calls. Quick calls to double-check your setup and make sure you’re on the right track.
Think you need more than just one hour of help? Facebook Ads In One Day Workshop can help you get an entire campaign set up that could take you into admissions season.