It may only be February, but the end of the 2021-2022 school year is as little as three or four months away. And with the end of the school year comes the scramble by districts, schools, and even individual teachers to spend down their budgets. Whether this “use it or lose it” scenario includes millions of dollars at larger districts or a couple of hundred dollars left in a teacher’s classroom budget, no one wants to leave that money on the table. This presents a prime opportunity for companies to help their education customers use that money in a meaningful way. Here are some tips for helping educators think creatively about spending those year-end dollars:
- Consider 2022-2023 school year needs. What better way to spend down end-of-year funds than to invest them in the next school year? Develop marketing campaigns that help your education customers think about what they might need to hit the ground running in the fall. This could mean everything from renewing licenses on educational software products to teachers buying disinfectant wipes for their classrooms. If your customer has a product that is up for renewal, think creatively about how you can price the renewal and the expiration date so that they get the most for their money.
- Think summer school. States and districts around the country have seen an influx of millions—in some cases billions—of dollars in federal COVID-19 relief funds with the goal of using much of it to help mitigate learning loss brought on by the disruption in classroom learning. Many states and districts plan to use that money to invest more deeply in summer school or tutoring services. How can your products and services help support those efforts? Does it make sense for them to use year-end funds to supplement ESSER funds and extend their summer learning opportunities even further? How can you help them do that and achieve their learning goals?
- Provide customers with ways to invest in teachers. With studies reporting that upwards of 50 percent of K-12 teachers are considering leaving the profession, how can you help your education customers think of ways to invest end-of-year funds in their extremely valuable teacher workforce? What services or products does your company offer that schools can provide to their teachers to help them feel more valued and stay in the profession? After a school year where they have been worrying about having enough bus drivers and COVID-19 protocols, school leaders might welcome a campaign with ready-made ideas for using funds that remain in their budgets to help teachers cope with the unprecedented stresses of the past few years and start the 2022-2023 school refreshed and revitalized.
These are just a few ideas of the ways that you can help educators decide how to invest the funds that remain in their budgets as the school year winds to a close. At MDR, we are here to help you brainstorm strategies for reaching educators at this time of year through targeted, multichannel marketing campaigns to reach the right customer, at the right time, with the right message. Connect with us at mdrinfo@dnb.com.
