Digital marketing strategies for private schools

You can take guesswork and stress out of your school's marketing and improve your enrolment by implementing a SMART target every session.
See how I did it for a school
Most people make the decision of which school their child should attend based on informal discussions they have in places that are far from a school's marketing and distribution channels - hangouts with friends and family, at restaurants, markets, or in salons, on Whatsapp groups and other online forums.

Flyers and billboards will not swing opinion in your school's favour in such places. That is why you need an all-inclusive digital strategy to win in today’s complex, digital-driven culture.

Two approaches to school marketing

The 'fishing' approach

"How do I market my school to parents? where, when, and how?" 

This approach is easy to implement - print posters, buy SMS lines and email addresses, put up billboards, place adverts etc but it is unpredictable and difficult to replicate results. A method that works this year may not work next year. It is like fishing, sometimes you catch some, other times you catch none.

I consider this approach an outdated one, especially now that there is a better and predictable approach.

The 'magnetic' approach

The right question should be "how do I attract ideal parents to my school". This is a huge paradigm shift that forces you to align all internal activities with the school's cooperate and business objectives. 

It is more difficult to implement but the advantage of this approach is that you can replicate - and even scale up or down - the result. It is like a magnet, it will always attract any metal within its magnetic field.

I consider this the right approach to school marketing in the information age. 

How implementing digital strategies help

You may be wondering how digital strategies help you attract ideal parents to your school. Most schools are on the road sharing flyers when the parent they want to target is online searching for 'the best school' in the neighbourhood. Digital marketing strategies help you to precisely target your online audience.

Why you should adopt the magnetic approach  

Influence of the digital culture is growing and there is a generational shift in parenting that schools are yet to grapple with. Today's parents rely a lot on digital ecosystem to make decisions.
You will know and optimise what is working and discard what is not. This gives you a marketing strategy you can repeat and scale according to your strategic business objectives.
The rules guiding the digital landscape change every now and then without notice or permission. Keeping up with this pace requires access to a constantly-updated, expertly managed digital marketing strategy.
Such digital marketing strategy as described above will help your school attract parents that can pay for the standard/quality you offer. This will reduce the rate of withdrawals and increase payment compliance.
A parent that is attracted to your school is already satisfied with the school's standard and you do not need to do too much to impress them.
Such parent is not likely to owe because they are paying for something that they have concluded in their minds brings them satisfaction. 
Such parent will even readily overlook/forgive some costly errors.
Such parent is your school's best ambassador, ready to help promote the school
Such a parent will give you honest and constructive feedback about your service delivery.

Do you need to advertise?

This may be considered controversial but I believe that private education institutions do not need to advertise. This is because parents/guardians are actively searching for them.
In such situation where there are active searchers for a service, the digital strategies that are available for free are usually enough for any service provider to get clients.
The big question is “what schools are parents searching for?” If you, as a school owner, can crack that code, you may not need to spend on advertisement - whether digital or traditional.

A case study of a school in Lagos State

I have tested this with a school in Lagos State. For two reasons, I won't disclose the school's name. First, digital strategies are 'open secret' and could be reverse-engineered. Second, some go beyond copying the strategies to actually counteract the strategies.

At the beginning of the engagement last year, the management asked about digital paid advert. I said I will let them know when an advert is needed.

Till today, I have run no digital advert for the school. At the review meeting we had in January, I heard a statement that gladdens my heart - that there is no day the school does not receive enquiry calls because of what people see online. See  screenshots of the school's Google Business Profile's analytics, which corroborates this claim..
The school has grown from zero in terms of effective digital strategies to a comfortable position where a significant percentage of their enrolment comes from online.  

The school still employs other conventional means like a billboard, and I have told the management how to use QR code to measure the effectiveness of all their marketing strategies. 

I am convinced that schools should focus on digital marketing first before complementing it with other conventional means.

So, what digital strategy did I implement for the school? It is a combination of SEO, content marketing, social listening, and social media management and others. 

It can deliver the same result for you also.
The biggest threat to the survival of any private school in today's digital society is not competition from other private schools - there are not even enough good schools yet - it is a lack of appropriate digital marketing strategy.
Digital marketing strategy knows no company size or budget. If you implement it properly as part of a good business development strategy, it will reward you appropriately.
Even when you're not working officially, digital strategy is working for you.

Overview of the digital strategies

Marketing your school shouldn't be a guesswork or stressful endeavour. If these strategies are properly implemented, your enrolment will become measurable and predictable.
Brand communication, assets and touch points
A research by Google found that "customers reported to being nearly 60 percent through the sales process before engaging a sales rep." Before talking to you, they have made up their minds to buy or not. This is why you need a strong and compelling online brand presence to give you a winning edge.
Digital Analytics
Install analytics tools that will tell us what is working and what is not.
Local SEO
This will ensure that your ideal parents can find you whenever they are searching for a school like yours.
Social Listening
We need to know what people are saying online about your school in your absence. This is a great feedback mechanism to improve.
Content Marketing
In collaboration with your content team, we will create contents that are targeted at your ideal parents
Social Media Management
We'll take over the management of your website and social media channels for promotional posts. Don't worry, you're still in control.
Testimonial/Review
Testimonial is a crucial part of online sales strategy that will have a huge impact on your conversion rates. It helps to persuade potential clients by displaying positive feedback from customers
how it works

Start improving your enrolment in 4 simple steps

Trial and error can be costly and frustrating…what if you could get someone to guide and help you achieve better results?
1
Onboarding
Fill the form below. If your school passes the 'non-compete' policy, then we set up a 15-min video call to ascertain the suitability of this offer for your objectives after which you can make payment and get the ball rolling.
2
Set up your content team
A team of in-house staff that will feed me with necessary content - pictures, videos etc. I have a guideline informed by my experience on this.
3
Leave the rest to my team and I
While this offer is essentially a remote/virtual work, I will visit the school when necessary.
4
Monthly review
We will review progress every month by submitting actionable reports on what you should be doing.
READY TO TAKE ACTION?

Affordable and flexible plans

Please read the FAQ section below before signing up
Annual Premium

N141,000

You don't want to miss the opportunity to get a customised digital strategy for just N11,750/month
ONLY 25 slots available
Apply here
Annual Platinum

N285,000

You don't want to miss the opportunity to get a customised digital strategy for just N23,750/month
ONLY 6 slots available
Filled up. Entry closed for now
Apply here
More values
Free wordpress hosting worth N25k
Free website maintenance worth N80k
(Platinum only)Access to available premium plugins and tools worth N150k
See FAQ for T&C

Available promos and payment plan

Price may change but you get to keep your discounts for as long as you remain a subscriber.
Referral: If any school subscribes to any plan through you, you will get 10% of the school's invoice as a discount on your own invoice for as long as you and the school remain subscribers.

You'll be informed if you qualify for any of the discounts. Please note that you have 24 hours to redeem any discount, after which it will be passed to the next subscriber. 

Start here

Kindly fill and submit this form to enable us determine if your school's location meet our T&C. Please ensure you submit a functional email and respond to the opt-in email to get a reply from us. 
Click to learn more

By submitting this form, you agree with our privacy policy. We keep your data private and share your data only with third parties that make this service possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Important T&C
I cannot take two schools that are within the same geographic/service coverage areas. I have a non-compete policy and cannot have two clients as competitors. If two schools from the same area apply, the first to pay gets the slot.

Free website maintenance covers:
* Automatic updates
* Backups
* Uptime Monitoring
* Security Optimization
* Malware Scanning
* Website Content update/edits (not more than 10 page edit requests per year)
* Image Optimization

Wordpress hosting plan: unlimited storage, unlimited bandwidth, wildcard SSL, unlimited email accounts (each mailbox comes with 10gb storage), no Inode limit, global CDN, free optimisation plugin, free malware scanner, regular off-site back up etc, 
Please note that it is still your responsibility to pay for your annual domain name renewal.
What this service is not
Most Nigerian private schools perceive digital marketing to be a magic wand or silver bullet, as a result of the promises made by so-called digital marketers. This is will not fix your enrolment problems overnight. It will however help reveal the issues that need to be fixed to improve it in a sustainable and scalable manner.
What does a SMART target mean?
We all know that SMART is an acronym for setting realistic goals. It stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-based. A smart analysis of your brand, digital touch points and assets will reveal and realistic target by which you can expect your enrolment to increase.
What does the payment cover?
The payment covers only professional charges. It does not cover payment for any third party service that may be needed e.g photoshoot, video services, etc
Why not monthly payment since this is a year-long service?
Subscriptions to premium tools/services needed have to be made in advance as this keeps the cost low and guarantees stable service. We are also constantly adding better tools as they emerge.
Who is this for?
This offer is for schools that want to

1. Improve their enrolment using digital strategies 

2. Increase the number of payment-compliant parents, 

3. Improve their brand perception

In terms of affordability, we think this offer suits you if you need any of the above and not more than two students' tuition will pay for the offer.
Will the price stay as advertised?
No. This is an introductory price. The price is subject to exchange rate parity. But for those who you join now, we have worked out a guarantee that locks the price for you for the next three years, at least. If you drop out and want to join at a later time, you will pay whatever is the new price.
How long before you start seeing result?
Benchmark is between six to nine months. But we acknowledge that some may start seeing result earlier, while some may see it later. Result could start showing after the first month, it depends on several factors. We will provide monthly evaluation and analysis of your school’s digital profile and how to improve it.
I don't have a website and I'm interested 
I have a surprise for you. Just chat with me and let's see if it's suitable for you.
Do you have a refund policy?
Unfortunately, I cannot offer a refund at this stage. The price is already great enough for the value it delivers.
Since there's no refund policy, what protection is there for subscribers?
Payment is through a processor, not directly to our bank account and you can always file for chargeback in case this service turns out to be a scam. lol. Please note that chargeback covers only a situation where this service does not deliver on its terms, not when you are not satisfied with the result you get. However, as much as things depend on us - as many factors as we are allowed to control - we are certain of delivering satisfactory result.
Is there a guarantee that this works as advertised?
The answer is both a 'yes' and a 'no'. Yes, this service will help you find your ideal parents online and put your school before them in a most convincing approach. However, whether the prospective parent enrols their children or not  is beyond what anyone can guarantee. But be rest assured that this service will help you investigate low conversions so that you can improve on it.
Does Chrestvalue have any history?
Yes. We started as a three-man team several years ago with printing services. Our operations have been largely project-based - not full time. We did the photobook for the 75th birthday celebration of H.E Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR. We did an outdoor publicity project for Splash FM, Ibadan. For schools, we have done a number of printing jobs for Supreme Education Foundation (SEF) Schools (about three projects), Bridge House College (about four projects), etc.

We later added content creation to our services and created, designed and printed prospectus for Mictec International Schools and the entire content, design and printing of SEF's 25th anniversary brochure.

We then started adding digital services like wordpress website development and digital marketing services. Now, we are on full-time operation and have switched to providing digital strategy services.

We have also pivoted and in partnership with others started BXV Consulting (now an 8-man team) to offer customised consulting services while Chrestvalue focuses on offering generalised services. 

What's the difference between Chrestvalue and BXV? Well, if you have a sizeable budget and want results faster, BXV offers customised brand strategy and marketing.
Do you have more questions? chat with me on whatsapp.
About me? I'm on Linkedin
Alternative offers

Other ways you can grow your business with me

01
Read my blog
Using the ONE THING approach, the Fast Late To Profit blog will help you grow your business with zero budget. This offer is good for you if:
You don't have a budget
You have some time to invest
You're just starting out and like to get your hands dirty
02
Subscribe to weekly discount offers
Please note that members of the private community will be considered first. You will be able to enjoy very generous discount offers available slots are not fully utilised by members of the WDDS private community.
No more excuse

Stop competing with other schools, start attracting ideal parents that will help you grow your school

Subscribe Now
Privacy Policy
Cookies Policy
Contact
© 2026 Copyright.
arrow-right