Schools and colleges attract admissions online by answering parents’ and students’ questions clearly — fees, admission process, curriculum, results, facilities, transport — on a fast website, being visible in search and on Google Maps, and running targeted campaigns during admission season. Parents compare several institutions before deciding, so trust and transparency matter more than slogans.
Key takeaways
- Publish fees, dates, eligibility and process clearly.
- Start campaigns weeks before admissions open.
- Reply to every enquiry within the day and invite families to visit.
- Only state results and affiliations you can prove.
Start with your website
- Admissions page with dates, eligibility, documents and step-by-step process
- Fee structure or fee range, scholarships and payment options
- Curriculum and programme pages with outcomes
- Faculty profiles and qualifications
- Facilities, transport routes and safety information
- Results, recognitions and affiliations you can verify
- A WhatsApp button and an enquiry form with campus selection
Be found locally
A Google Business Profile for every campus with photos, hours, and reviews from parents and alumni. Parents often search “best school near me” or “O Level school in [area]”.
Plan around the admission calendar
- Before admissions open: awareness — open-day announcements, campus tour videos, student achievements.
- During admissions: search ads for programme and area keywords, social lead ads, WhatsApp follow-up.
- After admissions: share student life and results to build reputation for next year.
Content that builds trust
Student and parent testimonials (with consent), teacher introductions, day-in-the-life videos, and guides such as “How to choose between Matric and O Levels”.
Handle enquiries properly
Respond quickly, invite families to a campus visit or open day, and follow up. Record which campaign each enquiry came from and which enrolled.
Be careful with claims
Only state recognitions, affiliations and results you can prove, and get consent before featuring students.
See our education marketing services.
An admission-season plan
- Eight weeks before admissions: update admissions and fees pages; film a campus tour; plan an open day.
- Six weeks before: start awareness posts with student life and results; build an email or WhatsApp list of interested families with consent.
- Admissions open: run search ads for programme and area keywords, social lead ads to parents in your catchment area, and announce the open day.
- During admissions: reply to every enquiry within the day, invite families to visit, and follow up after visits.
- After admissions: review cost per enrolment by channel and record what to repeat next year.
Common mistakes
- Outdated fees or dates left on the website from last year
- Stock photos instead of your real campus and students
- Enquiries collected but not followed up
Budgeting for admission campaigns
Work backwards from seats: if you have 60 seats to fill, roughly how many enquiries do you usually need per enrolment? If one in five enquiries enrols, you need around 300 enquiries. Your cost per enquiry from previous campaigns (or a small test) then tells you the budget needed. Spending most of it in the weeks just before and during admissions — rather than evenly across the year — usually gives the best results.
Frequently asked questions
When should schools start admission campaigns?
Several weeks before admissions open, with awareness content, then search and lead ads once applications start.
Should schools publish fees online?
Publishing fees or a fee range reduces unsuitable enquiries and builds trust with parents.
Which platform reaches parents best?
Facebook and Google search reach most parents; Instagram and TikTok are better for reaching older students directly.
Sources and further reading
- Google Business Profile Help: How to improve your local ranking on Google
- Google Search Central: Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content
- Meta Transparency Center: Advertising Standards
