How Google Ads Helped East Bay Montessori Host Their Most Attended Open House Ever

Key Insights

• An Effective School Website
• Google Ads
  
• Targeting
• Reaching Prospective Families
• Growing Enrollment
• Client Experience

About East Bay Montessori School

In the tradition of Maria Montessori, East Bay Montessori (EBM) in the Bay Area, California wants to reach and teach all children. They value a community that is dynamic and diverse. EBM students learn cooperation, problem-solving, and conflict resolution not because teachers tell them to, but because they learn that they are part of a larger, diverse society in which these skills prove critical to success. They nurture and value each child’s innate desire to contribute to the classroom and the world.  EBM provides a high-quality Montessori education for students aged 4.5 years through to Middle school (grades 7 and 8). 

​EBM alumni consistently move out confidently into the world after tremendous success at both private and public high schools throughout the Bay Area. Many are currently enrolled in, or have graduated from, colleges on both the East and West coasts, including Ivy League colleges and the University of California system.

They partnered with Nido Marketing two years ago in hopes of reaching more prospective families, growing their classrooms, and improving attendance at open house events. We were excited to transform the EBM website and start running campaigns to help them attract families that could live their mission. 

An Effective School Website

The foundation of a school's digital marketing strategy is its school website. It is not wise to start investing in and running Google Ads if your website is not effective and optimized to give visitors a great experience. These are the reasons why worked with EBM to transform their website:

1. First Impression: Your website is often the first interaction prospective parents have with your school. A well-designed and informative website creates a positive first impression, helping to build trust and credibility.

2. Information Hub: A school website serves as a central hub for information about your school, including curriculum, programs, faculty, facilities, and admission procedures. Before investing in Google ads to drive traffic to your site, ensure that it provides comprehensive and accurate information to meet the needs of prospective families.

3. User Experience: A great website offers an intuitive and user-friendly experience, making it easy for visitors to navigate and find the information they need. Google rewards websites that provide a positive user experience with higher search rankings, which can improve the effectiveness of your Google ads.

4. Conversion Optimization: The ultimate goal of running Google ads is to convert visitors into leads or inquiries. A well-optimized website with clear calls to action, such as inquiry forms or contact details, increases the likelihood of conversion. Before launching Google ads, ensure that your website is optimized for conversion to maximize the return on your advertising investment.

5. Brand Image: Your website reflects your school's brand identity and values. A professionally designed website that aligns with your brand image conveys professionalism and credibility to prospective families. It sets the tone for their perception of your school and can influence their decision to inquire or enroll.

Our web team got to work on designing a Website for EBM that was powered by our Montessori CRM. The new website is easy to navigate, full of quality Montessori content, and includes a variety of forms and pop-ups for visitors to engage with and to sign up for open house events and tours. 

EBM organizes a few open-house events throughout the year. To improve attendance, we made sure families and website visitors could easily be directed to register to join. By adding a pop-up with a short sign-up form, EBM is now able to take in leads directly from their website through automations. 

We also made sure that families would be able to sign up for open house events under the admissions page. This means that families can register at any time from their computer, phone, or tablet to join open house events. All of these leads are being funneled through the Montessori CRM so that EBM can track new leads and contacts throughout the entire admissions process. 

We also included a "Schedule a Tour" button that is visible on any page throughout the website so that visitors can easily interact, hand over their information to the school for follow-up, and take the next big step in their enrollment journey. Once we made these updates to the school website, we felt confident that conversions would increase if we started running Google Ads. With an impressive website to lead prospective families to, it was time to start creating campaigns for EBM. 

Google Ads

At Nido Marketing, we have years of experience creating and managing Google ads for Montessori schools. We had meetings with the team at EBM to discuss ad spend, what their goals were, and what kind of campaigns would work best for them. Here are some of the steps we took: 

1. Google Ads Campaigns: Nido Marketing conducted thorough keyword research and crafted compelling Google Ads campaigns targeting parents in the Bay area searching for Montessori education options. Ad content highlighted the unique features and benefits of EBM, emphasizing its child-centered approach, experienced faculty, and nurturing learning environment.

2. Open House Promotion: In preparation for the upcoming open house events, we created targeted ads specifically promoting the event to parents within a certain radius of the school. Ad creatives highlighted the opportunity to tour the facilities, meet the staff, and learn more about the school's curriculum and philosophy.

3. Audience Segmentation: Utilizing audience segmentation techniques, we ensured that ads were tailored to different demographic groups, including parents of preschool-aged children, working professionals, and those interested in alternative education options.

Results:

• Increased RSVPs: The targeted Google Ads campaigns for the open house event resulted in a significant increase in RSVPs compared to previous years. The January Open House event saw a remarkable 118% increase in RSVPs compared to the same event the previous year and an 825% increase from the years before working with Nido Marketing. 
• Record Attendance: The open house event organized with the support of the marketing agency became the most highly attended, with a diverse mix of prospective families visiting the campus.
• Enrollment Growth: The success of the Google Ads campaigns and open house event translated into tangible results, with EBM  experiencing a notable increase in enrollment numbers for the upcoming academic year.

Client Experience

At Nido Marketing we understand that each school is unique and will require support throughout their marketing journey. We make sure to pair all of our schools with a direct Client Manager so they always have a point of contact that they know. Here's what Rachel Kleinman, the Admissions Director at EBM had to say about working with the Nido Marketing team:

"East Bay Montessori has been with Nido Marketing for two years now (and just signed on for a 3rd year) and we could not be happier with the service we have received. They have helped us completely rebuild our website and Nido was instrumental in our recent rebranding campaign. This is when we really started utilizing Nido’s experts to run Google Ad campaigns. With Nido’s Google Ads help, we are able to customize our target audience and where our ads are being shown. For example, when we have an Open House event coming up, we divide our advertising budget to run ads specifically for this event. With Nido’s ad campaign assistance, our most recent event in January was East Bay Montessori’s largest attended Open House ever! We received a 118% increase in RSVPs from our January Open House event just one year prior. This is also an 825% increase from the year before we started using Nido’s services at all!

As an Admissions Director, Nido’s CRM platform has been incredibly helpful for me. We are able to track inquiries and add them to an automated email campaign that I was able to specialize for our school with the message we wanted to provide. The online tour calendar also automatically sends confirmation emails as well as reminder emails, and even an automated follow-up email to those that tour. The entire CRM platform has saved me countless hours of my time, so I can focus on the bigger needs in my job. East Bay Montessori will continue to use Nido’s services. Their support and website services have been fantastic for our school."

The collaboration between Nido Marketing and the EBM exemplifies the power of targeted digital strategies in driving tangible results. By leveraging a great school website and CRM and Google Ads effectively, the EBM not only increased attendance at their open houses but also experienced substantial growth in enrollment. We hope to continue partnering with EBM as they continue to grow their community. 

Thank you to East Bay Montessori School for all that you do for your community and future generations! 

Want to be our next success story? Schedule a FREE marketing consultation today & start your Montessori marketing journey!