Prospective parent content playbook: What to send and when to send it.
Prospective families can be your top influencers, as they walk alongside their students through every stage of the enrollment cycle. Our research shows that students with an engaged supporter are 4x more likely to apply and have yield rates up to 9% higher than the average student. And, 88% of prospective families want communication from the institutions their student is considering at least weekly.
We analyzed the articles schools have shared with prospective families — 490,000+ views across 30 colleges — to see what got the most clicks. We wanted to know — what kind of content do prospective parents and families really crave, and when?
So consider this your roadmap to creating the content that will drive prospective families to engage with you each month.
A PSA for our stretched-thin readers:This may seem like a lot of work. It is. But CampusESP can take it off your plate. We handle 90% of content curation for our partners. We take best practices from our roadmap and pair it with unique information from your campus. All you need to do is approve it. Want to learn more?
August
Applications are opening and the future is starting to get real for high school seniors – and their families.These families are ready to learn about your school, the enrollment process, and how they can help support their student. In addition to general information about what sets your campus and programs apart, families are most eager to learn about:
Ways to visit campus
The Common App or other application methods
Guidance on their student’s application process
Tips for helping their student find the right fit
97% of families are involved in their student’s college search. And students with a family member using CampusESP are 4x more likely to apply than average. Drive that action by proactively sharing the information families need to help their student start and submit their application successfully.
You can also measure engagement and, more importantly, likelihood to apply and enroll with the CampusESP Parent Promoter Score™ - a predictive tool to help you gauge which families you and your team should spend the most time and energy on.
September
Application season really gets rolling and not surprisingly, it can be met with nerves from both hopeful students and their families. Now is the time for them to get to know you and your school better. You’ll also want to share important next steps to help them keep their student on track.
Consider sharing:
Information on their admission counselor
Reminders about application dates, especially any deadlines for early decision, early action, and regular admission
Advice on how families can pay for college, including early communication about FAFSA and general Financial Aid & Scholarships information
When sharing information about costs, transparency is key. 68% of families said they ruled out an institution because of sticker price. Help them see how affordable your institution actually is, and highlight the return on their investment they’ll see in just a few short years.
Pro-Tip: Identify families who have registered their account (aka set their password) in CampusESP — because even at this early stage, their student is 11x more likely to enroll. This is a prime group to focus your time and energy on, especially if you have a large pool of prospects, inquiries, and applicants. Continue monitoring these families and send them targeted communications as their student progresses through the enrollment process.
Across the board — and the year — articles about financial aid and paying for college generate some of the highest engagement from parents.
October
While students are still working their way through applications and comparing the schools they’re considering, they and their families are thinking ahead to which campus feels most like “home” — and how they’ll be able to pay for it.
Up until 2023, the most important information to communicate in October was around FAFSA. It may seem too early now, but October is still a great time to keep families informed and prepared to complete the FAFSA as soon as possible once it opens.
Top articles shared in October include:
Open house and campus visit information
Details on additional scholarship opportunities (this is a great evergreen topic — but now is the best time to start sharing this information)
November-January
Application deadlines, and the holidays, are fast approaching. Students are fielding endless questions from extended family members about where they’ll be going to college. Hopefully you are also seeing an increased number of completed applications. Make sure prospective families have their to-do list and check it twice — and encourage them to remind their students a few more times.
Now’s the time to publish content around:
Application deadlines (And a reminder. And another reminder.)
Your institution's financial aid process and important information about any updates to the FAFSA timeline. Take the opportunity to reassure families throughout a stressful and uncertain process. The personal touch will make all the difference.
Advice on how families can coach students through that last semester of high school. Now is the time to remind families that admission to college is not a license for their student to coast through to high school graduation. Final grades will still need to be submitted to the college before the start of their freshman year!
Prospective families say that the quality of communications sent directly to them is the second most important experience in determining where their student will ultimately decide to attend. Read that again. Families really are your partners and influencers. Use this time to deliver critical information, maintain connection, and meet (and exceed) the expectations of your prospective families!
February
Across all 30 portals we analyzed, this article about helping a student select their college major was one of the most clicked.
As more acceptance letters make their way out into the world, every member of the family is (im)patiently waiting for news. Any news. Keep them engaged and ready for what’s next by sharing basics on how to help their student transition from an applicant to a first-year student smoothly.
Help them get prepared by sharing:
Your acceptance timeline
Save the dates for spring admitted student events
Guidance for helping their student choose a major
Need some inspiration? See how this university welcomed their largest first year class ever by scaling family engagement.
March-April
Yield season is in full swing! Getting that confirmed/deposited number up starts with keeping the families of your newly admitted students excited about their future and making sure they know next steps.
In addition to messages welcoming the whole family to your community, be sure to share:
A step by step guide to enrolling — including all the nitty gritty details like submitting transcripts and immunization records or registering for orientation
Tips on how to fully understand financial aid offers
Information on housing & meal plan options, and the selection process
Deposit deadline reminders. Reminders, plural.
Pro-Tip: Leverage popular communication tools to see yield rates 9% higher than average. SMS is the growing preference for Black, Hispanic, first-generation, and low-income families. More than 50% of families in these demographics consider text messages their communication channel of choice. Meet families where they’re at to deliver critical information in order to get in front of them.
Change is hard. Parents and family members resonated deeply with this top article, shared as most students were starting to move onto campus for their first year.
May-July
Warmer temps don’t have to mean summer melt if parents and families are involved. Bring your class home with communication that keeps everyone excited and informed about the fall. Expectations from families are high as they prepare to have their student leave the nest.
Meet those needs by sharing details on:
Orientation information, including how families can sign up and how they can access information covered after they’ve attended - or if they couldn't attend!
Move-in planning, or critical logistical tips like getting their ID card and parking pass
City and campus guides for when they arrive with their new student
Campus resources (health, fitness, academic advising)
Work study/student employment opportunities
Dig deeper with our Summer Toolkit: Your Guide to Decreasing Summer Melt. We know this is a busy season, and it doesn’t always make sense to spend all your time and energy on everyone. Remember, families in the top quartile of engagement (measured by that handy dandy Parent Promoter Score™) are 3x more likely to enroll. While you can be pretty confident these families and their students will show up for Orientation, Move-in, and the first day of class, they still need consistent communication to cross that first of many finish lines. Consider sending a few extra nudges to those middle of the pack families (your second and third quartiles of engagement) to ensure they finish the race too!
August (again)
And we’re back. Another trip around the sun. Another class ready to start the experience of a lifetime. And another group of families who may be facing one of their most challenging experiences.
With the start of the semester speeding toward them, we see high engagement with articles on:
Move-in details
Family Weekend invitations — yes, already! (Work with your campus partners to get the information out to the newest families.)
Welcome Week programming
And don’t forget the warm-and-fuzzies. Families can use a little moral support during this transition, so be sure to share:
How they can “let go” and help their student navigate college
Advice from other families who have “been there”
So how do you tackle this?
Tip #1: Start somewhere. Anywhere. Whether it's two emails or a monthly series, communicate with families with the tools you have.
Tip #2: Get CampusESP’s help on a full family communication strategy. Our team handles 90% of content curation for our partners, taking the best practice topics outlined here and combining that with your campus-specific information. The result is a comprehensive calendar of meaningful information delivered right to your prospective families.
Want to learn more about how engaging parents strategically can influence enrollment?