Just as schools are about to get back to the new normal after a year of uncertainty, the race for applicants has started yet again.
One of the biggest mistakes organizations and educational institutions make during application season is that they focus too much on how many people apply and register, but totally forget that the application and registration numbers are in direct correlation with how many people actually show up at your open house or parlor meeting. Therefore one of the most important things you should focus on is creating a funnel that gets as many people in the door at the beginning of the funnel as possible.
That very beginning of the funnel is actually your invitation to the open house itself. If you don't do your due diligence here, then you have fewer numbers at the event, fewer people who apply, and even fewer registrants. You need to put a big effort here at the beginning of your marketing race so that you'll get a larger pool of people.
What we have been working on - and this is always our suggestion for our clients - is to not just do a simple invitation post card or email, but to kick off the whole recruiting season with a really engaging and teasing film.
And as an example of such a film, I want to show you our latest creation for Magen David Yeshivah High School.
At this stage in the game so early on, we try to make it a creative, short film, no longer than 90 seconds, that conveys a concept. In this case, we juxtapose the kids today with their future selves indicating MDY as they conduit through which they'll make it there.
The second piece of this is that it needs to tease, engage, and create interest in prospective families so that they sign up and come, right?
The mistake we see with others who try invitation films is that they try to squeeze everything into this first film. But the application process as a multi- milestone/multi-film funnel.
So at this stage in the game, you want to do is entice people, make them curious, and intrigue both parents and students so that they'll click on your link and sign up for your Open House. Don't send a promo, or an explainer film here. You can only un-sell your offer doing that - giving away too much up front. You want to get people into the door, to join your event and THEN here you can have bigger (and more comprehensive) guns (films, media content, good food and snacks, friendly faculty and staff, and student ambassadors).
For an invite film, though, riff on one simple idea and package it with a visually interesting concept.
MDY High School's Open House event will be on November 9th at 7:30 PM, at Magen David Yeshivah High School, 7801 Bay Parkway, Brooklyn, NY. Click here to register.