25 Ways to 7 Marketing Touchpoints

Ways to sow the Montessori marketing seeds that will help you build awareness and boost enrollment by utilizing marketing touchpoints.

When telling someone about your Montessori school, have you ever had them respond in surprise “I didn’t even know there was a Montessori school in our town!”

“The important thing to remember is that prospective customers need to interact with your brand between 6-10 times before they decide to act.”

 

As frustrating as these conversations can be, they are also revelatory- they teach us about our lack of marketing. In marketing, the name of the game is “Touchpoints.” These are the number and quality of interactions someone has with your brand and product. They are like the seeds you sow in your garden. Without the seeds, there is no harvest!

If someone is unaware that you school even exists, then you probably don’t have enough marketing touchpoints out there…you haven’t sown enough seeds!

For example, a newspaper article about you is an obvious touchpoint, as is your website or brochure. But touchpoints can also be less obvious such as the conversations your parents have about you to other potential parents. Or even something as subtle as a T-Shirt one of your students wears in public.

The important thing to remember is that prospective customers need to interact with your brand between 6-10 times before they decide to act.  Most marketeers use the ‘7 Touchpoints’ as a baseline for a campaign. That can add up to a lot of touchpoints!

However, one of the great things about touchpoints is that they can fit into a budget of any size. It doesn’t need to be an expensive campaign. But it does need to be well thought out and when creating touchpoints, your imagination is the limit.

The following is a list of suggestions for marketing touchpoints. Not all of them are right for you, but they do all involve some work and investment on your part. Like the garden, the more seeds you sow–the better your harvest.

Just remember, people need to see, hear about, or interact with your brand 7 times before they have full awareness and understanding that inspires action…and enrollment!

1. Make sure all your kids have T-Shirts and wear them when you go on community outings.
2. Offer a free DVD about your program to new parents and visitors. Include it when you send out press releases.
3. Create a creative Media Package. (i.e. if your school is having a special Movie Night open to the community–print out enlarged fake Movie Tickets, and deliver them to your local newspaper along with a bucket of popcorn)
4. Send out handwritten thank-you cards with your school logo and contact info on them.
5. Offer Supplemental classes from members of the community and then advertise them, i.e. “Afterschool Art class taught by Jane Jameson- renowned local sculptural artist.”
   
6. Make sure all your stationery features your logo, contact info and tagline (if you have one).
7. Handwritten notes go a long way! Send out handwritten thank-you notes to parents– prospective or current, and make sure that the thank-you note features your logo, contact info and tagline.
8. Keep abreast of Montessori Research, and share it! New developments in Montessori Research can be great fodder for a social media post or blog article.
9. Do presentations about the Montessori Method at your local library. Or community center. Make sure it’s an open and well publicized invitation to all members of the community. (And if you bring a snack, you’ll be a hit no matter what.)
10. Put up posters in the windows of shops at your local mall and other stores
11. Your local Post Office is a great place to put up a poster about your school. Make sure it’s eye-catching and piques interest!
12. Create a supportive alumni community- share with them updates on your school and invite them to your events. You never know who they will reach out to on your behalf!
13. Use your parking lot to it’s fullest potential. Put up great School signage around your parking lot. Paint Montessori Quotes in the parking spaces, or plant beautiful flowers- your parking lot is a silent partner in your marketing endeavors.
14. Create a Children’s Book about your school- for kids of prospective parents to share with their kids. Something along the lines of “Alex’s First Day at ABC Montessori.”
    
15. Craft an interesting tagline- and use it everywhere. Offer creative freebies related to your tagline. I.E. “ABC Montessori- Where kids put down roots and grow!” Offered on a plant tag.
16. Utilize your phone system to its best advantage. Your voicemail, on hold music, and greeting when picking up the phone are all important touchpoints.
17. Offer a traveling gallery of your children’s artwork. Have it featured at your local library, or shown in a popular restaurant.
18. Provide local realtors and real estate agents with marketing materials. As they sell or show houses in their area- make sure they have something they can give out to young families such as a glossy brochure, or a well put together folder of essential information.
19. Make and sell calendars filled with fantastic photographs of your program and kids. Or give them away to local businesses urging them to post it on the wall near their cash registers.
20. Access Mommy Groups or Playgroups. Make your Montessori Materials available as a library/check out to Mommy Groups. Be sure to include your brochure & flyers in the exchange!
21. Walk your nearby neighborhoods distributing Door Hangers. Leaving a door hanger on a potential family’s door will really create awareness about your great school that’s right in their neighborhood.
22. Use Buses to your best advantage. Frequently, they sell advertising space within the bus, on the outside of the bus, and at the bus stations/kiosks themselves.
23. Post flyers and posters at the local public swimming pool. It’s a haven for families with kids all summer long.

    

24. Banners on your fencing- put up banners on your fencing facing or school building advertising enrollment or special events.
25. Get Customized Postal Stamps with your logo on them. People will notice!
26. Bonus Idea: Movie theaters often have programs for pre-movie advertising. You frequently have the choice between a static one-page advertisement and a short video to see on the big screen.

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