Education Public Relations
What's the Definition of Education PR?
Education PR is the promotion of any brand related to learning—from test prep companies to supplemental educational programs—through outlets like broadcast, print, and online. Though it’s important for education PR firms to pitch journalists on a national level, local media outreach is increasingly important—especially for education centers that might only have a couple of local locations.
How Education Public Relations Works
It helps a wide range of companies
Education PR isn't just for test prep companies. It can serve high schools, colleges, suppliers, after-school education programs, and even more.
Both parents and students are targeted
PR professionals craft pitches for publications that students read. However, they're also sure to target the family decision-makers in niche publications like parenting magazines. Each pitch has a different tone—the parental pitch is serious while the pitch targeted toward students is much more irreverent.
Thought leadership is crucial
Education companies have to be seen as experts in their field before parents trust them—and pay them to enlighten their children. Therefore, more emphasis is placed on stories that build brand credibility. This ranges from providing expert commentary on a trending education story to even taking about best practices in an industry publication.
Education Public Relations Best Practices
Give a teaser of your company's services
If you're promoting companies that offer supplemental education (like test prep companies), focus on sending out pitches that offer helpful tips on preparing for a certain type of test. Readers will know that they can expect to receive similar education if they sign up, and that makes them more likely to convert. Reporters also love tips pitches, as they can be posted almost as-is.
Think out of the box to capitalize on timely news
School breaks aren't the only time trigger you can use to infuse your pitch with a sense of urgency. You can also reference an upcoming SAT test, for example, or a quirky holiday that only the people in a local town celebrate. Keep an eye on both the academic and cultural calendars for maximum opportunities to insert your brand into the news cycle.
Create news at local scale
Don't just target national publications—sometimes a broadcast hit in a local outlet can lead to 2X more conversions than a national hit. This is because many education companies are tied to local communities. Your pitch is more likely to be picked up by a local outlet if it's customized to the state or city. So, for example, create a state ranking of "The Most Prepared States for Test Season" and send a slightly personalized version to each state for maximum pickup across America.