Why Schools Can’t Afford to Ignore Digital Marketing This Year

Parents are researching schools months — sometimes years — before they’re ready to apply. In fact, more than 60% of U.S. parents of school-aged children considered switching their child’s school in the past year, according to a 2025 School Choice Awareness report.

That’s why Metro Parent and Chicago Parent — sister companies of Zoe Marketing & Communications — created the Best Schools Guide. With these trusted local resources in metro Detroit and Chicago, schools connect with high-intent families through trusted platforms, strategic targeting and compelling content that drives engagement.

And, in today’s competitive enrollment landscape, that kind of visibility is critical.

Campaigns that deliver measurable results

A tailored local marketing campaign like Best Schools Guide reaches your best nearby prospects. Paired with authentic storytelling, it brings results. For instance: 

• A private K-8 school in Chicago launched an enrollment push that brought in 2,600+ clicks in just three weeks, using retargeting ads and targeted emails
• A Michigan school for neurodiverse learners saw a 2.33% click-through rate (CTR) from a single eblast to 50,000 households — outperforming education industry standards
• A gifted school in Illinois saw record open house attendance after targeted emails earned a 2.37% CTR
• A boarding school in Wisconsin reached over 370,000 impressions in one campaign and drove qualified traffic to a branded landing page
• A public district in Michigan logged more than 185,000 impressions on digital ads, plus another 181,000 via connected TV — boosting downloads of its enrollment form

These aren’t passive metrics. They represent real clicks, real impressions and real families moving closer to enrolling.

How strategic content makes schools stand out

Every part of a Best Schools Guide campaign is built to do one thing: Get your school in front of the right families, in a way that builds trust. At its core:

• Sponsored content: Custom-written articles highlight what makes a school shine — from academics and student life to leadership and your unique mission
• Social media posts and reels: Paid campaigns, including vertical video, help families see your school’s personality
• Email marketing: Eblasts go straight to the inboxes of parents most likely to engage, based on ZIP code, child age, interests and more
• Display ads: Targeted placements across parent-focused platforms, plus retargeting to keep you top of mind
• Online tools: Interactive maps and story hubs on Metro Parent and Chicago Parent make it easy to explore and compare schools
• Additional reach options: Boost visibility and performance with tactics like digital display ads, retargeting, connected TV, branded landing pages and custom audience targeting — all available to layer onto your campaign if needed.

And it’s efficient. Content marketing generates three times more leads than outbound marketing — at 62% lower cost. For schools with limited marketing resources, that’s a game-changer.

A trusted local voice with a national-level approach

Parents trust the content they see on Metro Parent and Chicago Parent — community brands for over 40 years. And that trust transfers to the schools featured there.

“I’ve partnered with Metro Parent for the past nine years,” says Stephanie Ritter, marketing director at Aim High School in metro Detroit. “(My strategist) is professional, knowledgeable, truly interested, and has become someone I trust to have our best interest in mind.”

She adds that their team “provides needed marketing elements — content pieces, digital ads, print ads, e-newsletters — and expands their offerings when they find something that would benefit their clients.”

That long-standing partnership is exactly what sets these campaigns apart. Schools get a high-performing, audience-savvy team behind them — and local credibility.

Now is the time to reach future families

With the Best Schools Guide, your school’s message meets parents right when they’re looking. Want to see how this could work for your enrollment goals?

Let’s talk: