Every year, more than a million millennials become parents for the first time. This means that there are currently around 13 million millennial parents in the U.S. who have school-aged children. In order to engage this market, private schools need to understand the unique values of the millennial generation. The way that Christian school marketing reaches millennials matters, and insights into this generation make effective inbound marketing possible.
Millennials use social media as a parenting resource
A recent study found that 93% of millennial dads and 97% of millennial moms think social media is "somewhat" to "extremely" helpful when they need resources on parenting. Private schools that share useful information on social platforms will build recognition and trust with millennial parents. Millennials also look to influencers to help them make decisions. If private schools engage current parents on social media, this will go a long way in drawing in new families. You might be surprised how often Millennials turn to Youtube for parenting advice - especially dads. You might also be surprised about the risks that schools face if they ignore these realities.
Millennials hold themselves to high parenting standards
Another key aspect of engaging millennials is understanding the pressure they put on themselves as parents. For example, an incredible 80% of millennials believe it's important to be "a perfect mom." Choosing a school is a major decision, and the process is likely to be fraught with anxiety for millennial parents. Private schools can break away from the pack in their marketing by simply assuaging anxiety and helping parents believe they are making a good choice.
Millennials value educational technology
Millennials have never known a world without technology, and they believe technological knowledge is extremely important in their children's education. Therefore, private schools hoping to attract millennial parents should put educational technology front-and-center in their marketing. Millennial parents want children to have tech-savvy teachers and access to technology in the classroom. Private school marketing should send the message that the school will provide the technology millennial parents want.
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Effective Christian School marketing offers Millennials authentic voices they can relate to
Millennials respond to marketing that is honest and feels compatible with their personal experience. Private schools need to remember the "do it all" lifestyle that millennial parents engage in every day. By designing a marketing plan that emphasizes more than just academics--extracurricular opportunities, school social events, or community-school projects--private schools will appeal to millennial parents who want more for their kids. Above all, schools should aim to seem relatable in their marketing. Millennial parents need to imagine integrating the school into their family's everyday life.
All-in-all, private schools should remember that millennials have different values from previous generations. Treating these 13 million parents as a unique group can help Christian school marketing engage millennials and stand apart from their competitors. An inbound marketing approach to Christian school marketing takes the insights you gain and puts them to work in your website, email and social networking.
