08 Jun 5 Tips for Planning Your 2020 Back-To-School Marketing Strategy
The time has come to begin planning your brands’ annual back-to-school marketing strategy, but with the unpredictability of 2020, where do you begin?
At Ignite Social Media, it’s our job to plan ahead and build our client’s social media strategies with safeguards that make it easy to pivot when things like COVID-19 upend the plan. So, in preparation for what is likely going to be a very unique school year, our team compiled 5 tips to help you approach your back-to-school marketing strategy.
Tips for Post-COVID-19 Back-To-School Marketing Plans
Tip #1: Plan for a return to school in traditional school buildings but invest your money in plans that can be flexible in case that changes. Your tactics should be able to maneuver almost effortlessly with messaging that can be quickly adapted. Both influencer marketing and social media marketing can easily adhere to this, but TV spots and print ads pose challenges.
Tip #2: Don’t assume it’s business as usual. Parents, your core audience, are uncertain and will likely be afraid to pull the trigger on investments until they know for certain what’s coming. So keep the frivolous items to a minimum and instead focus on clever uses for essential needs. For example, you could group multiple items together for purchase, kit style.
Tip #3: Throw out the traditional back-to-school playbook in light of one that truly helps educators and parents navigate the new normal. Be sensitive and plan content to create and promote messaging that helps audiences transition through these new circumstances.
Tip #4: Have your content focus on bridging the gap between the classroom and online learning at home. Consider answering questions such as, “What does a child need to be successful?”
Tip #5: Consider what hasn’t changed. Parents will still want their children equipped with good school supplies, healthy snacks, etc. It’s easy (and important) to focus on what is different, but there could also be gold in what’s not.
If you’re struggling with your back-to-school social media marketing plan, or looking for advice on how to navigate social media during a crisis, we invite you to contact us using the form below. We’re here to help.
