Elevating enrolment experiences for long-term success

A delirious new dad paces the hospital car park. Through bleary eyes, he submits his firstborn’s enrolment application to secure a Year 7 place at the school of their dreams. Your school. What happens next determines if your school remains their dream.

A month later, the family receives a letter of offer and a beautifully presented enrolment pack. They are elated to have secured a place and excited by the opportunities and experiences that lie ahead.

Fast forward, and up to a decade might pass before they hear from the school again. By then, the family will have re-evaluated their aspirations for their child’s education many times and been exposed to a myriad of opinions from countless other parents – and will likely have submitted applications to two alternative schools.[1]

The school of their dreams wasn’t so dreamy after all.

This is a surprisingly common experience, yet so simple to avoid.

As a school Head, you understand the importance of creating a sense of belonging for your students. In reality, a family’s journey begins long before the student steps foot in the classroom, and it is these early days of engagement that are often overlooked. Crafting a unique customer journey for prospective families not only sets your school apart from your competition and strengthens your brand, but it also presents a transformative opportunity for the enrolment health of your school and sets the tone for the culture of your community.

By refining your school’s customer journey, you can create a lasting connection that ensures families don’t drift towards other options.

Impressions that inspire confidence
The initial interactions a family has with your school can significantly influence their decision-making process. A well-crafted email response, professional telephone manner and warm welcome to a school tour all reflect your school’s mission, vision and values and begin to build trust in your brand. On the other hand, a generic response, abrupt answer to a well-meaning question and fragmented and disjointed application process can all plant doubt in the minds of parents that your school can be trusted to deliver on your promises. A shared understanding of your customer’s journey provides a clear roadmap to help teams make that all important positive first impression.

Build memorable moments to outpace competitors
Staying ahead of your competition has never been more important. A unique customer journey can be a key differentiator. Creating opportunities to genuinely delight families during the enrolment experience demonstrates your school understands each family’s wants and needs and demonstrates how your school is the best fit for their child.

Activate word of mouth
A well-crafted customer journey not only attracts new families who want to find out more about your school, it also keeps families more deeply engaged throughout the enrolment process. This engagement helps build a stronger sense of connection and loyalty to your brand and activates that all-powerful tool in every school’s marketing toolkit – word of mouth referrals.

So, you are convinced of the benefits. But where to begin? How do you go about crafting a unique customer journey for your school?

1. Deep audience insights drive enrolment success
   Start by understanding the needs, preferences and pain points of your prospective families. Where do they live? What do they do and where do they work? Do they have existing knowledge or perceptions of your school? It can be helpful to create personas to represent different segments of your audience. These can be used to inform your communication strategies and ensure your messaging resonates with each group.
2. Lay the foundation by mapping the journey
   Identify the key stages in your existing customer journey, from awareness building and consideration through to decision points and enrolment.
   Plot the timeline associated with each of these stages. The enrolment process can span several years from awareness and initial enquiry through to enrolment and it’s not uncommon for enrolled families to choose another school at the eleventh hour.
   Next, list the various touchpoints where prospective families interact with your school along the journey currently. These could include your website, social media, open days, school tours, your application process, enrolment interviews, offer of place documentation and follow-up communications.

3. Break the mould: Reimagine the customer experience
   Then, reimagine and reshape the journey to suit your school’s context and help you stand out from the crowd. Do not be restricted to the traditional touchpoints – get creative! Why not send your Pre-Primary to Kindergarten families a school readiness kit, including a height chart, colouring pencils and a letter from a Year 6 buddy; or send your Year 7 families a ‘countdown to high school’ checklist with a welcome video message from their child’s House captain.
   The number of touchpoints is infinite, so it is important to be clear on the objectives (event attendance, document return, increased enrolment to commencement rate, etc.) for each interaction and measure their effectiveness.

4. Use storytelling to forge emotional connections
   Develop relevant content, that is both informative and inspirational, tailored to each touchpoint. Use storytelling techniques to articulate your brand story and create an emotional connection. Include a variety of different formats to keep families interested and engaged along the way. For example, consider sending families an introductory video at an early touchpoint to give them an engaging insight into your mission, vision and values and encourage them to register for a school tour. Invite them to attend your community events and keep them connected using termly email updates to celebrate and share highlights and successes that use vibrant imagery and descriptive text.
5. Use technology to deliver a seamless journey
   Delivering a unique customer journey takes time and resources and can be difficult to execute consistently at scale, no matter how large or dedicated the marketing and enrolments teams. Consider investing in a Customer Relationship Management system (CRM) to track interaction, build automations and manage relationships. If you already use a CRM or enrolment management package, are you maximising its potential and if not, what are the barriers limiting success? If a CRM is not an option for your school, be realistic about what can be consistently delivered well with the resources available to your team.
6. Personalise the experience
   To further build connection, personalise your communication at each touchpoint wherever possible. Address families by name, reference their specific interests and provide relevant rather than generic information. As you get to the know the interests of your incoming families, invite them to key events that are relevant and engaging. For families interested in the arts, ensure they are invited to the school musical.
   Small acts like acknowledging a child’s birthday before they have commenced as a student sends an impactful message to the family – you matter to us. Automations are an effective way of integrating personalised communications into the journey without creating an unsustainable administrative burden on your team.

As you map out your unique customer journey, remember, this is not just an enrolment tactic – it’s your mission made tangible. Make every interaction count, and ensure families see your school as the only destination that truly fits their child. It is one of the few opportunities available to bring prospective families into your school community earlier – establishing a partnership that leaves little room for the consideration of other schools. Remember, for prospective families the journey is as important as the destination. Make it memorable.

Checklist: Crafting a unique customer journey

 Know your families

1. Survey or interview prospective families.
2. Build personas for different segments.

Map their journey

1. Identify key touchpoints from enquiry to enrolment.
2. Highlight gaps or weak points in the current process.

Personalise interactions

1. Tailor communications to family interests.
2. Use personalised invitations for key events.
3. Acknowledge milestones like birthdays.

Create memorable moments

1. Add personal touches i.e., welcome videos or handwritten notes.
2. Surprise families with unique gifts or experiences (i.e., readiness kits).

Leverage technology

1. Use a CRM to track and automate interactions.
2. Regularly update and review automations for relevance.

Use storytelling

1. Share real stories from students and parents.
2. Mix text, video and images to keep families engaged.

Maintain engagement post-enrolment

1. Keep families informed with regular updates.
2. Invite them to participate in school events before term starts.

Monitor and adjust

1. Track conversion rates and family feedback.
2. Refine touchpoints based on what works.

insight applied

• First impressions shape long-term perceptions of your school.
• A unique customer journey differentiates you from competitors.
• Mapping the journey clarifies key stages and touchpoints.
• Personalisation builds deeper family connections and loyalty.
  
  

[1] On average, parents submit enrolment applications to 2.8 schools. Source: MMG Education.