Lord, Give Me a Sign

     How many times have we said this when we don't know what we should do?

     How many times have prospective parents driven by your school not knowing it was there?

     You need signage.

     It needs to be attractive signage - not those light up boxes that you put black or red letters on with the flashing arrow on top.  You are not a gas station having a sale on brake service.  Remember that letters can fall off...or scheming children can take them, rearranging the letters to display messages you would never display.

     Remember that everything you do reflects the "brand" of your school.  A quality sign is reflective of a quality school.

     Also remember that the sign does not fulfill its purpose if it isn't seen.  I've heard people say, "Well, we don't want to make it too big," so they end up with a plaque by the school's front door - as if someone is supposed to be able to see that from the road.

     If you don't have a sign, it might be the first step you need to take in marketing your school...even more than a Web site.  If you're not a cyberschool, prospective parents need to know where you are.  If you don't want to announce your location because you are afraid of what people might say about your school from its appearance, you've taken the first step in finding out what you really need to do to grow your enrollment.

© Michael V. Ziemski, SchoolAdvancement, 2009 (Original Publication Date: 20091005)

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