New 'Word-of-Mouth' Strategy for Schools!

Today, importance of 'word-of-mouth' is well established concept in realm of Schools enrollments. The stakes are high compared to other line of businesses', given the sensitivity involving future of children. Henceforth, construed pivoting point in Schools marketing endeavors, that is achieved by putting-in relentless efforts over period of time to satisfy parents, students, alumnus and even faculty.

For prospective parents, evaluating Schools on pillars of quality of teachers, infrastructure, academic programs, holistic developments and many others is a daunting challenge.

Since, several School weaves similar narrative claiming on outstanding track record on aforestated parameters, confusing the parents in selecting right-fit School for their loved one. Here's, where the word-of-mouth, work wonders in building trust and credibility, helping School stand-out in the crowded marketplace. Therefore, turning parents or alumnus into brand advocates is considered most powerful marketing tactic to build and preserve your Schools reputation.

A report from Kantar Media reveals that 93% of consumers trust friends and family for information about brands and services above all other forms of advertising.

Until last few decades, WOM strategy has been pretty straightforward. Families who loved your school would hype it up to their peers during physical 1:1 interactions, and those conversations would eventually get new families in your school’s door. While some of that still exists today, WOM marketing looks different than it did ten years ago.

As technology adoption across devices and internet matured, the new age parents relied more on online mediums for social interactions and making decisions. The traditional personalized peer interactions were slowly being complimented with other digitized centric channels such as online reviews, alumni engagement applications, promoting testimonials, referral program software, social media marketing and other marketing campaigns.

In fact, some experts believe that 'Reviews' might soon be on cusp of replacing the WOM by 'family and friends'. Reviews are also touted as most effective communication channel today, owing to its reach as compared to traditional WOM. 

While, Schools benefited with reach of WOM from digitization, it also posed a risk of reputation damage vouching to negative sentiments. Therefore, monitoring is critical aspect of WOM marketing strategy.

Having covered some key trends in WOM for Schools. It's now time to move forward in trajectory of innovation. And, yes - all new innovations don't just fly-by AI in education. Some are simpler, but hard hitting, addressing the essence of lost prodigy during transitioning from offline-to-online way of life.

The essence of 1:1 peer interactions lost sight as we transitioned into digitized world. Though, the advantage of broader reach were cherished by Schools, but the impact of the WOM conversation diminished. Trust spelled the foundational objective of WOM, steadily lost ground to noisy and hyped narratives promoted by Schools.

In midst of this transformative landscape, SkoolReady introduced very effective tool for Schools named 'SkoolReady Peer-Connect'. Our tool helps School revive that lost essence experienced during private 1:1 F2F interactions between your brand advocates and prospective parents. 

Peer-Connect is chat widget integrated with your website. The widget allows the prospective parent to become friends and initiate 1:1 informal chats with any of the Schools listed brand advocates. Opening a personal chat channel enables prospective parents to drive conversations that matter to them. Besides, ensuring prospective parents are being connected to most popular brand advocates bringing out the very best of Schools brand. 

SkoolReady Peer-Connect, is an innovative chat platform that connects prospective parents with enrolled parents. It promises the advantages of both the worlds giving privacy of traditional 1:1 F2F interactions and on-another-hand promises the conveniance of access promised by modern online platforms.  Thus, hitting two birds with one stone. 

Adding cherry to the cake is the fact Peer-Connect comes at very optimal cost, optional paid AI add-on features and promise of cost savings on paid WOM marketing tactics.