2024 Back-to-School Marketing Guide

2024 Back-to-School Marketing Guide

Introduction

This guide will provide you with strategies and tactics you can use for your Back to School marketing. As summer comes to an end, be prepared to take advantage of the increase in demand for tutoring support. It’s essential to plan your marketing activities so you can fully execute that marketing plan the weeks before students return to school.

Back-to-school season provides several opportunities for franchisees to connect with families who are gearing up to return to school. This guide provides recommendations on the types of marketing activities and campaigns to help you be present and visible in your communities. Now is the time to position Tutor Doctor as your community's educational leader and go-to resource! 


Existing Customers and Re-Enrollment

It’s crucial to remember that while generating new leads is important, your most loyal customers are already within your reach. By shifting your focus to them, you can foster stronger relationships and drive significant business growth. 

Your best customers are your existing customers. You’ve already won them over with your services, so it’s easier to convince them to re-enroll. The longer they stay with you, the greater their lifetime value becomes.

In addition, once you’ve built a solid relationship with your existing customers, they’ll refer Tutor Doctor to their friends and neighbors. So, they’ll become powerful advocates who can bring new customers your way.

Re-enrollment Top Tips:

  1. Call your existing customers and inform them about any Back-to-School promotions for re-enrollment/referrals.  
  2. Reach out to lapsed customers to offer a short-term session package.
  3. Ask tutors to leave behind flyers that outline further opportunities such as X-Skills such as Test Prep.
  4. Follow up with those who had a consultation but declined to purchase to see if the student is getting help. This shows that you are a business that genuinely cares about the students, not just the sales.
  5. Collect emails to include in monthly e-newsletters to keep the brand top of mind.
  6. Ask your customers to share their stories and company information with family and friends. Then, create a referral program that offers incentives. 

We strongly recommend creating a Re-enrollment Campaign targeting your current and past customers and prospects. Check out the following campaign guides and exclusive Q&A with Tejal Mali, where she shared her best tips and strategies for a successful re-enrollment campaign:


Visiting Schools - Building Relationships

Part of our service is that we support the work that schools do, and by building long-lasting relationships with them you will have one of the most trusted and powerful referrals for your business, as well as opportunities to recruit tutors.

Timing is Important
Alison Parker, in Panama City, Florida, suggests a gentle approach at the start of the school year. “Leave them alone the first couple of weeks because they are swamped! We really feel it is best to keep your distance a bit during those first days of school when things are crazy.” Another great tip is to paper cars during parent-teacher nights. Parents go in, maybe get some not so great reports, and when they come out there’s a helpful flyer on their windshield. She also provides select back-to-school breakfasts for some of her local schools, with munchies in baggies that also include referral information.

Work With Schools to Get Referrals
Tutor Doctor Katy points out that school administrators can be a huge help in getting referrals. “I request to be on the school tutor list,” she says. “They like having resources for their families. I try to do it as early in the year as possible, because parents ask about tutoring right from the start, as soon as registration.” She insists this approach is incredibly valuable, as early marketing efforts might reach parents at a time when they think their children don’t need tutoring. “Parents think the first couple of weeks their kids are doing great, but after the first 3 weeks, the review is over and it gets faster, harder and more complex. Then they call the school asking for the tutor list. Individual tutors/teachers are too busy but we are ready for them! I get a lot of school referrals.”

Don’t Forget Charter Schools and Private Schools
Michelle Thompson, of Seminole, Florida makes a point of building relationships with her local charter schools. “I landed a great opportunity at a charter school where TD will provide after school tutoring in small groups and/or one-to-one tutoring. The info went out in the schools newsletter to the parents this past Monday and I received several one to one tutoring consultation requests.”

Teacher/Tutor Appreciation Day Gift Baskets - October 5th 2024 
Celebrate the educators who shape the future with Tutor Doctor's Gift Basket Campaign for tutors and teachers on Teacher Appreciation Day, on October 5th. This initiative demonstrates our heartfelt appreciation and support, fostering tutor retention and recruitment for Tutor Doctor franchisees. By recognizing their dedication, the campaign strengthens the bond between tutors, teachers, and the Tutor Doctor community, while showcasing our commitment to education and the positive impact of our tutors.


Ramp Up Your Recruitment Marketing

As parents start getting back into the ‘school’ mind-set, they will also be thinking about whether their kids need tutoring services. Enrollments will start coming in quickly once Back to School begins – make sure you have a good tutor roster to be prepared! You should be ramping up your recruitment marketing 1 month before schools start.


In order to build up touch points with potential tutors and increase your pool of potential tutors, you should be utilizing all of these buckets for your recruitment marketing. 

Click below to take a look at the Recruitment Marketing Guides:

You can also take advantage and revisit learnings from our 3 part Tutor Series from our weekly Global Team Calls January 17th- January 31st 2023 to ramp up your recruitment marketing efforts.

Back to School Teacher Facebook Contest

Back to School is a stressful time for parents and teachers. Teachers often spend their own personal money on their classrooms - show your appreciation to teachers by running this Facebook contest to give them a gift card to help towards classroom costs. The best way to run this contest is as a prize draw – all names submitted get put into a ‘hat’ and you choose winners from that.



Stock the Fridge Campaign Guide

This Facebook campaign is a wonderful way to form genuine connections with schools and teachers. Although this campaign has the potential to generate leads and aid in tutor recruitment, its driver is simply doing something good. It encompasses the idea of ‘paying it forward’ and showing genuine appreciation for schools and teachers. 

Executing this campaign is as simple as stocking the fridge in the teacher’s lounge/staff room with drinks and snacks. It's a small gesture that can make a big difference in building those genuine connections we're aiming for.


Other Things to Consider

  1. Partner with local businesses such as Staples or Office Depot’s to try and set up a table for back to school time
  2. Flyering or leafleting at school pick up and drop offs
  3. Slow Down Sign Campaign- this campaign is a great way to build brand awareness in your community as well as give back. These types of signs are popular in many communities to help protect children that are playing in the streets. 
  4. PTA / PTO connections and getting involved with any events at the start of the school year


Marketing Resources & Files

Below is a list of materials that are available to you in the Resource Library:
  1. Social Graphics
  2. Social Media Cover Photos
  3. Email Headers
  4. Email Templates
  5. Promo Videos
  6. Postcards and Flyers
You can find the links to download the aforementioned materials HERE.


    • Related Articles

    • Back to School Teacher Facebook Contest Guide

      Back to School is a stressful time for parents and teachers. Teachers often spend their own personal money on their classrooms - show your appreciation to teachers by running this Facebook contest to give them a gift card to help towards classroom ...

    • Reenrollment Campaign Guide

      The re-enrollment & referral direct marketing campaign is a low cost, time-sensitive promotion that you should be running just before Back to School. This type of sales promotion targets your current and past customers and prospects – it allows you ...

    • Summer Marketing Guide 2024

      Introduction This marketing guide will provide you with strategies and tactics you can use for your summer marketing. It’s important to plan your summer marketing activity so you can fully execute on that marketing plan over the summer. Parents are ...

    • Stock the Fridge Campaign Guide

      This Facebook campaign is a wonderful way to form real connections with schools and teachers. It was successfully implemented by franchisees Alison and Lacey from Tutor Doctor Emerald Coast. Just a little kindness and appreciation goes a long way and ...

    • Community Marketing: School Visits & School Relationships

      The school market is a key revenue stream for your business if you continue to invest in the relationships over time. School visits should be included in your regular community activity plan. We are an education organization, and therefore it is ...