Schools may have had to shut their doors, for now, but that doesn’t mean engagement with your current and prospective families can come to a standstill.

Current families still want to be kept up-to-date with the latest information and good news; new families starting in September still want to be reassured that their child’s transition to your school will be as seamless as possible; and don’t forget about those prospective families who will be part of the recruitment cycle for September 2021. They will still want to explore your school and will have more time than ever do so now.

With that in mind, here are some top tips on how to improve engagement with these families online.

1. Tell your stories on social media

Right now, more people are spending more time on social media. Showcase your staff and student successes in home learning regularly. If content is limited, why not re-use some old stories for #ThrowbackThursday or #FlashbackFriday. Connect with your feeder schools to set creative challenges as part of the transition process for new students. Highlight your school’s key messages and USPs, identifying your competitive edge, by strategically directing new families to your website.

2. Showcase a stand-out website

With your school closed and reception staff unavailable to take calls, your website takes centre stage. Now is the best time to ensure your website design reflects your brand identity and captures visitors’ attention straightaway; your content is up to date and Ofsted compliant; you’re communicating your vision, values and unique selling points; and your students experience is brought to life through lots of examples, student profiles or quotes and high quality photography. You have just 40 seconds to make an impression!

3. Go virtual

Keep parents and students up to date with virtual assemblies; continue home learning whilst providing an insight into student life for new and prospective families through virtual workshops; and engage with new families starting in September through welcome videos and online Q&As.