Despite the growing uncertainty within school systems amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, this is the time to push forward with K12 education marketing. There is a lot of uncertainty, but there is also an opportunity to step into the limelight. 

Summer is one of the most important times of the year for educators and school administrators. This is when decisions are made about the upcoming academic year, budget, and so on. For K12 education companies, now is the time to take action. Since more schools are adopting greater social distancing and technology efforts than ever before, there’s a high demand for innovative products and services.

Though it’s understandable to be a bit intimidated by the changes ahead, it’s time to use the summer of COVID-19 to your full advantage. If you’re a K12 education company, here’s why it’s time to make contact with K12 educators and leaders plus the best strategies for getting noticed.

 

Why Is the Summer of COVID19 Important?

Many businesses are facing hard times because of the pandemic. They’re seeing slowed profits, and they’re not sure how to adapt to face market changes. This is understandable, but it’s also not the right time to stand still. Why exactly is the summer of COVID19 such a good time to take action?

 

Understanding the School Buying Cycle

Timing is everything when you’re selling. With the school year running from August to June, when you market your product matters just as much as what you’re selling. 

June, in particular, is when the school year comes to an end and K12 systems are finalizing their budgets. The school purchasing cycle emphasizes buying in the summertime in preparation for the school year ahead. Summer is an essential time both pre and post-COVID.

 

Schools Are Looking for Innovation

With COVID19 in full swing, districts are scrambling for innovation. They need products and services that fit this new normal. Things like online classrooms, limited seating, cleaning and hygiene, tech tools, and digital solutions have never been more important. Schools have money to spend on this type of innovation, and they’re spending it this summer. 

If your product or service suits any of these new needs, now is the time to go strong with your marketing. If not, look for ways to adjust. The brands that pivot their brand strategy in times of crisis are the ones that thrive long-term. 

 

Limited In-Person Selling Opportunities

While in-person selling opportunities used to be the norm in K12 circles, the pandemic changes everything. There will be no industry conferences, meetings, or conventions. Everything is going digital, and it’s time for your K12 brand to have a strategy to match. 

Things move fast nowadays. Just one look at the news reveals that there’s no time to stand still. Because in-person selling events are now a thing of the past, create a digital strategy that works into the future. This means relying on email marketing and virtual meetings more than ever before.

 

How to Sell to Schools During COVID19

Now that you know why it pays to sell to schools during this pandemic, let’s talk about how to do it effectively. It all comes down to reaching school administrators where they are already. Don’t wait for them to come to you. 

While schools are looking for innovative solutions, they don’t always know what works best for them. Putting in this work so they don’t have to will make their lives easier. This all starts with the first contact

 

Selling to schools digitally:

• Use email: Email open rates are up over 20% during the pandemic. Because this is the new way school leaders communicate, they’re more likely to open your email than ever before. An accurate, targeted email list should be at the foundation of your marketing efforts.

• Schedule a digital meeting: Because in-person meetings are a thing of the past, offer digital meetings, webinars, or new forms of virtual interactions. 

• Create a pandemic-focused campaign: Email is a cheap, effective way to share your message with your ideal target audience. However, you’ll need to adjust your strategy with a pandemic-focused campaign. Focus on what your product and service do for them or their school amidst COVID19. 
• Be understanding: Last but not least, be sympathetic. This is a hard time for administrators and educators. They’re facing more changes than any other industry, so be understanding of these new challenges. 

The better you understand the needs and pain points of your target audience, the better. Schools are scrambling to adjust to this new normal just like the rest of us. If you’re able to meet them where it matters most, they’ll see the value in what you offer. 

 

Adjusting Your Strategy for a Pandemic

Just because we’re in a global pandemic doesn’t mean it’s time to hit pause on your marketing. While some forms of in-person marketing and selling no longer work today, it’s never been a better time to invest in email and other digital communications. 

With the right, targeted email list and a thoughtful campaign, you could make a real impact. This summer is when school leaders are making big changes. They’re looking for the best products and services for this new normal—are you ready to meet this challenge head-on?

 

School Districts Purchasing Cycle

Though the budget crisis for school districts frequently makes the headlines, nationally each district spends about $12,000.00 per student annually.  Knowing money is always an issue, if you want to be the vendor who secures the contract, it is imperative you understand the purchasing schedule of the district or districts to which you are marketing your products. Schools are organized chaos because their clients are so varied, but within the chaos, an organizational infrastructure keeps them moving along. Knowing this organizational infrastructure for purchasing will be your best marketing tool.

First it is important to remember that no school wants to hear from you at the beginning of the school year or at the end of the school year. Budgets have been spent by July so schools are ready in September. Knowing this, the next important marketing tool you need is to understand the purchasing cycle of the district you want to procure as a client. In general purchasing cycles have five parts: assessing needs, setting goals, gathering information, doing research and purchasing decisions.

 

Needs assessment: May – August

Beginning in May and continuing over the summer, administrators start looking at the year, assessing how it went.  Each school district is an entity unto itself with its own unique needs, so assessments of what works and what doesn’t work are particular to each district as well as each school within that district. One program may be working wonderfully for the high school but the same program in the middle school may need to be reevaluated. In this step data is gathered and analyzed, and it is this analysis that provides the platform for setting goals for the following school year. The needs assessment covers staff, programs, materials, technology, etc.

 

Goal setting: June – October

Goal setting starts in the beginning of the summer and continues through early fall. It is the result of the needs assessment. Since schools are involved in data driven decision-making, the end result of a datum analysis is a goal or goals.  Usually a committee made up administrators, staff, parents and community members meets over the summer to analyze the data gathered and decide what will drive the school district to success during the next school year.

 

Gathering information:  Nov – Feb

Once the needs assessment and goal setting phases are complete, information has to be gathered.  Just getting the information on vendors who are credible can take weeks. Competition is fierce and many companies have wonderful options. It is getting this information together, having weeded out those that do meet school standards that takes time. The process begins in late October or early November.

 

Research: Feb – Apr

Once the information is gathered, then researching begins on each company, its strengths and weaknesses, its options, materials, etc.  During this time, school districts will take an in depth look at the vendors and why one is better than another. This process continues through March or April.

 

Purchasing: May – July

After all the steps of the purchasing cycle are completed, it is time to decide which materials, programs, technology, etc. to buy.  Purchasing usually takes place in the summer, so it is ready for use at the beginning of the school year.

 

Vendors What to do when Summer

Introductions need to be made before the purchasing cycle begins. Since school districts work on relationships and most are long term, going with the familiar that can be trusted, you will want to lead with your strengths and get to know the purchasing agent in the district. You will be working for the next school year purchases, so be sure you know what is being purchased for the current  year. Do your homework and go prepared to meet district officials. Call to make a summer appointment. Offer to be a resource. Get in touch with the school board and come to a meeting. Be a presenter at a Parent/Teacher Organization meeting. Get your face our there and become known.

 

Fall, excluding the first two weeks of school

Schools will be assessing needs and setting goals and you need to know what is going on. Administrators will have an idea of staffing, materials and initiatives for the next year based on the comparison of baseline data to the current school year data. Know what materials are not working, what initiative falls short or what technology is needed. Every school district has a website. Visit it and be sure you know successes and where things need to improve. Make an appointment to see the purchasing administrator. Meet building principals.

 

November to April

During the information gathering and research stages, you will want to be very visual.  Offer yourself as a support, offer tools that might help, provide answers to questions, and build your rapport. You have to build trust.

 

April through the end of school

Building principals will send in their preliminary budgets and their needs to the district in late April or early May. You want to be one step ahead, with principals supporting your product because you have spent the school year building relationships and trust. You have met teachers, talked with parents, school board members and community members. You have demonstrated your product, shown its competitive edge and led with your strengths.

 

July through August

Teachers will become familiar with the products. They will ask questions about the products and you will need to be available to answer those questions. Though administrators buy the materials, the teachers use them and you need to meet their needs and work with them.

 

Summary

The purchasing cycle is not set in stone, but it is a guide for the vendor to follow. Stages overlap, materials need to be purchased during the year, and supplements to materials may be needed. Regardless, as a successful vendor, you need to know the schedule, know when to introduce yourself, when to sell your products, when to be a resource and when to be a friend.  As the old saying goes, timing is everything!

 

When it comes to selling, timing is everything. This is especially important when you’re trying to sell to schools and school systems. As you know, the school year runs from August to June. This means there’s a certain time of year when decisions are being made about budgeting. If you’re tuned into this calendar, you can make smart choices about when to contact the right people about your products or services.

When is this magical time of year? Believe it or not, it’s June. June is when the school year comes to an end and budgets for the next year are finalized. Keep reading to make the most of this time of year.

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What Happens to School Budgets in June?

School budgets work on a “use it or lose it” basis. This means that once the school year formally ends on June 30th, schools don’t get to keep any money they have left over. This prompts increased spending at the end of the school year, making it the perfect time to pitch your products or services.

In addition to June being when school budgets need to be used up, it’s also when the budgets for the next fall are finalized. Schools are on the lookout for products that will be implemented in the upcoming year. Even if your product or service can’t be purchased for that remaining school year, can still be purchased for the coming budget year.

We’re currently in a K-12 spending rush. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, K-12 revenue is up 3.2% between the fiscal year 2016 – 2017, and it’s climbing rapidly. Schools are currently posed to spend the most right now. This spending rush combined with the upcoming budgets makes this the most effective time to sell to schools.

Historically there is a huge spike in spending from April to June. The following chart shows that from July 2019 to March 2020, districts spent 8.1 percent of their non-personnel budget, and a significant amount of unused money is available.

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What If You Miss the June Rush?

What happens if you miss the June rush to pitch your product? While it’s true you’ll miss out on the chance to get a place in the upcoming budget, you still have options. In fact, there’s something to be said for selling in summer.

Because schools are on break in the summertime, both teachers and school officials have more time. If you’re hoping to talk to administrators, this is the best time to schedule calls and meetings. In addition, if you’re working from a bottom-up model by contacting teachers first, summer is the best time to make contact.

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How Can You Take Advantage of June and Summer?

First, make sure you’ve honed in on your strategy. This isn’t the time to be wishy-washy with your goals. If you’re targeting the June 30 deadline, you don’t have any time to waste.

Start by using a list of the best contacts. K12 Prospects can help you reach the most influential administrators and personnel without the hassle. Our lists of highly-accurate data will ensure you reach more schools faster, and this speed is important when the clock is ticking.

The fastest way to reach the right leads is through email marketing. School administrators are busy at this time of year, and they’re unlikely to have the time to answer your sales calls. Emailing relevant information in a straightforward way will yield better results.

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Act Now: June is Passing Quickly

Now is the best time to sell to schools. If you’ve been waiting for a sign to get started, this is it. With school budgets on a “use it or lose it” basis, it’s time to make your move if you want to be noticed.

However, if you do miss this June window, don’t wait for fall to come around. Summer is a great time to contact schools when they’re much less busy and you have time for a longer strategy. As we said before, timing really is everything.

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School systems are constantly being customized and upgraded to be able to provide the best environment for their students. Throughout the past couple of years, the number of public schools in the country has ranged consistently from 98,000 to 99,000. Although the number of total schools has stayed relatively stable, some schools have been opened and some have been shut down.

Based on statistics, in 2019-2020, 500 more schools were closed compared to 2000-2001. In 2001 there were 1193 school closings. In 2020, the schools that were closed had about 274,000 students enrolled. The number of closed schools during this time period does not indicate how many buildings were shut down. This is due to the fact that some schools might have multiple building or share a building with another school.

The schools that have closed were categorized as:

• 1,179 regular schools
• 90 special education schools
• 320 vocational schools
• 448 alternative schools

However, in 2019, we see schools are merging together and being consolidated. In 2019, there were 873 school closings and 293 school openings. There is an undeniably immense gap between the new schools opened and the schools closed.

Research demonstrates that school principals’ emails are constantly changing. On average, 35-65% of their emails change. The reasoning behind the change of email is due to:

• Expired contracts
• Change in domains
• Change of existing email due to high volume of emails

Changes in school personnel happens every single day. Many school contracts are signed for only one to two years. Even if principals and superintendents are still in the same position, their emails frequently change due to high volume of emails or marital status change. School domains are constantly changing as they move to new email systems.

As a nonprofit organization, partnering with educators and school systems can be an effective way to increase awareness about your cause. These are professionals who already know the power of activism and fighting for change, so they’re the perfect foundation for any email campaign.

Yet, crafting the perfect email campaign as a nonprofit isn’t as simple as it sounds. You need to know how to drive real action and results, and that takes the right strategy. Here are 6 proven tips for donation-boosting K-12 marketing email campaigns specifically designed for nonprofits. 

 

1. Educate About Your Mission

With email, you have an opportunity to promote your goals and your projects. When you’re trying to promote your campaigns, it’s important to focus on the ways your email subscribers can become a part of the action. How can their contributions and involvement create a positive impact on your nonprofit organization?

This is exactly where email succeeds. For instance, you might directly share how contributions help the cause. How are their donations used? What does this mean for school or district involvement? Sharing these things will help promote trust in your mission and the work your organization is doing. 

 

2. Use Email to Tell Your Story

People want to feel emotionally connected. As a marketer, you can tap into these feelings by creating a story to share your mission and organization goals. Sending an email that describes a success story featuring your organization as the hero will go a long way towards generating clicks and driving action from education executives. These leaders will want to see their own schools features as part of this positive story. 

If you want to to kick it up a notch, try using alternative forms of media to share your success. Including a video (or a link to a video) within your email campaign can really get your prospects excited to interact with your cause. 

 

3. Use Email to Raise Money

Did you know your emails can directly be used to raise money for your organization? It’s true. Since fundraising is at the core of nonprofit email marketing, you can use email as a platform to actually ask for donations for your cause. 

How do you do this without coming across as pushy, especially to education executives whose budgets are already stretched thin? This is where the above tips really come into play. By sharing your mission and your stories, your users will trust that their donation is going to a good cause. In addition, offer something for your subscribers. Selling promotional items or letting subscribers to donate in someone else’s name is a great way to boost engagement. 

 

4. Call Users to Action

Next, you need to call users to action. Specifically, each email needs to have an action you want your users to take next. This is known as a “call to action” (CTA). Depending on your goals, it might just be to ask users to read a blog posts or check out your latest project. On the other hand, you might want them to donate or make a contribution of some sort. 

This is when it pays to be specific and clear. Using targeted language like “give now,” “help a child,” or “get involved” can help users take that next step. 

 

5. Update Your Subscribers with Newsletters

Newsletters are a great way to keep your users in the know about updates and changes. Sharing your latest success stories also goes a long way towards helping your cause. Your subscribers already know about your mission and goals, now let them watch the action as you achieve them. 

What can you share with your audience in your nonprofit newsletters?

• Case studies – Share stories from the field or how donations are directly helping your cause. 
• Tips for educators and school districts – Show how educators and leaders can bring their schools into the fight for your mission. 
• Donor spotlights – Individuals can make an impact, so why not show just how powerful that can be with individual donor stories?
• Upcoming events – Finally, if there are any local or national events for your organization such as conferences or webinars, bring your subscribers into the loop so they can stay involved. 

 

6. Help Your Email Subscribers Make a Difference

Your email subscribers care about your cause. That’s why they subscribed in the first place! As education executives, they understand the importance of promoting activism and demanding change. They likely are looking for ways to make a difference in their own lives, including within their K-12 schools and districts. 

Your subscribers all want to be a part of something, so why not welcome them right into the change? Whether you send petitions to sign, informative blog posts, or classroom education plans, every step counts. Nonprofit email marketing is about more than just fundraising. It’s also about activism from the ground up. 

 

Stand Out to Educators as a Nonprofit

If you’re a nonprofit organization, targeting education executives with your next campaign could really be a turning point. Using these tips above, you can reach the right users in a way that promotes real change. 

However, your email campaigns are only as good as your marketing list. You need to reach the right audience with an email list designed to convert. Whether you’re marketing to teachers themselves or administrators, make sure your emails are in front of the right eyes.