Where to advertise new biz to teachers?

debbie_debt

Hi Everyone,

I'm looking for a bit of advice around advertising - both online and offline please!

I'm a new start-up company providing health promotion services by qualified nurses to schools/private schools for learning and behavioural difficulties/independent schools/nurseries etc. Think along the lines of providing their sexual health/drugs/alcohol/puberty etc education as an independent contractor.

Anyway, my question is - does anyone work in the establishments I'm looking to target? If so, which is the most popular trade rag? Is there one of the many conferences you'd suggest exhibiting at? Where's best to leave leaflets, pens and business cards lying about?

Thanks!:money:

Debbie

Joannag_2

The TES website has a forum, look at 'marketplace' there are lots of companies selling stuff there. Good luck, schools don't have much cash like everyone else at the moment!

ali-t

I don't think there is any point in targetting teachers as they don't hold the purse strings. the ones that are more likely to have input and enable something to be rolled out across a whole area rather than just implemented in one school are people like quality improvement officers (although they are probably called something different in each area). They are the ones who deal with the design of the curriculum and are more likely to come across resources that can be used across the board.

I don't know of any schools who take services from trade mags or professional journals. IME, you would have better success offering your service for a reduced price or even free to an area with the view that they would take part in an extensive evaluation and this is what you would use to sell it to other areas.

Lots of schools in my area use the voluntary sector to provide the services you mention. The voluntary sector have been funded from elsewhere to provide particular services and the uptake for schools is free.

Good luck

L-Jay

I'd try the education show, extremely busy but word of warning teachers love a good freebie. Last time I went your name badge also had your job title which will give you a pretty good indication of if the person you're talking to has control of a budget.

http://www.education-show.com/education/website/StandEnquiryForm.aspx

Good Luck

debbie_debt

Thanks for the advice everyone!

Ali-t - I was more thinking of targeting independent schools, particularly those specialising in children with emotional and behavioural disorders. They're run independently like any private schools and have a lot of funds to effect a change to these children. But thanks for the advice!

L-Jay, thanks for the tip, I'm looking into it as we speak :-)

Debbie

paulwf

Sounds like there are several different avenues to go down, it might be a case of trying several different approaches in the first year and seeing what works. The key thing will be to build in a way of tracking responses, then you can find what works and really focus your marketing/promo activities in the second year.

You could use different email addresses or phone numbers or give a slightly different offer or just ask customers how they heard about you or include a code with each advert. However you do it make sure you track how customers find you, that way you might be able to halve or quarter your marketing efforts and still reach 90% of the influential people.

Caroline_a

Remember that you will need CRBs for anyone speaking to pupils..