Every school has a mission, but sometimes it can feel like you need to be part school marketer, part ninja, part secret agent to stay ahead and save the world.

Competition between private schools can be brutal, and while it's important to focus on what works best for your school, knowing what school marketing strategies other schools are using can be just as valuable.

You don’t need high-tech gadgets, hacks, or cheesy disguises to quietly keep tabs on your competition—just a few strategic moves to spot trends, uncover opportunities, and refine your own approach.

This doesn't mean copying their every move, either; rather, it means being more aware of their digital presence. Analyzing search engine rankings, monitoring social media activity, and reviewing their ad campaigns can help identify gaps in their marketing and highlight opportunities for improvement.

Ready to begin your mission? Let’s go.

1. Uncover their SEO Strategy with Free Tools

By analyzing the search engine optimization (SEO) strategies of other schools, you can get a better idea of what works and what doesn’t. Fortunately, there are tools available to help you gather useful data without having to guess.

Start by using SEO tools to track your competitor's website traffic and the keywords they're ranking for. For example, if parents are searching for "best private school for learning differences in [city]," schools that use those keywords in their content are more likely to appear in search results.

Tools like Google Search Console and paid tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs can show you a list of the keywords that other schools rank for, how much traffic those keywords bring in, and the sources of their backlinks (links from other sites to theirs).

SEMRush’s report on Metairie Park Country Day School’s site gives ideas about some of the organic search terms they’ve ranked for recently.

Once you know what your competitors are ranking for, you can take the next step of identifying the keywords they aren’t targeting. This is your chance to focus on areas that might be less competitive but still important to your audience. Sneaky...

2. Track their Social Media Presence

Understanding how your competitors use different social media platforms helps you stay aware of trends and find new ways to reach your audience.

Figure out which social media platforms your competitors are using most frequently. Some schools may focus heavily on Instagram, while others put more effort into Facebook or TikTok.

Each platform attracts different types of users, so it’s important to see where they’re spending their time. So, if a competing school is more active on Instagram, they might be targeting a younger audience, while frequent Facebook posts or LinkedIn use might signal a focus on parents or alumni.

However, the insight comes from observing how people interact with the content. Engagement metrics, like comments and shares, show that people are interested and actively participating in the conversation.

Keep Reading: Social Listening for Schools

Pay close attention to how they’re engaging with their followers:

• Are they responding to comments?
• How often do they post?
• Do they ever go live or use Stories to share updates?

Tracking their social media can bring you inspiration to create fun content you wouldn't have otherwise, and monitoring likes, comments, and shares can help you figure out what types of posts resonate with your audience, too. You don’t have to track everything manually, though; there are some tools available to make this process easier.

Sprout Social and Hootsuite are popular listening tools that help track and compare social media performance across platforms. These tools allow you to monitor keywords and accounts of competitors to see what they’re posting and sharing, so you can understand the public’s perception.

3. Observe their Use of Video Content

Video brings life to a school’s story in a way that text and images can’t quite capture. Learn where and how other schools are using video content.

Are they focusing their efforts on platforms like YouTube or Vimeo, or are they mainly embedding videos on their website? Look at the types of videos they are producing.

You don’t need to rely solely on guesswork to figure out which videos are doing well. YouTube’s analytics can provide valuable information about a competitor’s video performance. Simply visit their channel, and you’ll be able to see how many views each video has received, how many likes or dislikes it has, and how many comments have been made.

Some tools, like VidIQ or TubeBuddy, can also give you more detailed insights into video performance and additional metrics like watch time, video ranking in search results, and even competitor comparisons.

One of the biggest benefits of tracking video content is discovering what topics are grabbing people’s attention. Videos that receive a lot of views, likes, or comments are a strong indicator of what prospective families and the school community value. On the other hand, if videos about school life are more popular, it might suggest that families are looking for a well-rounded experience.

4. Keep Tabs on their Advertising Strategies

One of the most effective ways to track your competitors’ ads is to use tools that show you where and how they’re advertising online. Schools often use Google Ads and Facebook Ads to reach potential families because these platforms offer highly targeted advertising options. 

You can learn where they’re investing their resources, what messages they’re pushing, and how they’re targeting their audience.

Start by looking for ads on platforms where your competitors are most likely to advertise. You might see ads on Google when searching for relevant keywords like “private school near me” or “best elementary school in [city].” You can also check Facebook, Instagram, and other social media platforms to see what kind of paid content they’re pushing.

• Are they focusing on their academic programs, faculty, or admission open houses?  
• What kind of images or videos are they using? 

Specific tools help you monitor your competitors’ advertising activity, like Google Ads Transparency Report, which provides details on ads being run through Google, like Far Hills Country Day School’s search and display ads.

Another tool is the Facebook Ad Library, which is a free resource that shows every active ad on Facebook and Instagram. You can search by keyword, ad type, or school name and see what ads they’re currently running, how long they’ve been active, and what audiences they’re targeting. This tool is especially helpful because it offers transparency into the messaging and creative content being used in their marketing efforts.

When you’re tracking your competitors’ ads, pay attention to how they adjust their message depending on the audience they’re trying to reach, just like Far Brook School does. If you notice that a competitor is running ads aimed at younger families during certain times of the year, such as during kindergarten registration season, you might consider doing something similar to stay competitive.

On the other hand, if they’re promoting high school enrollment in the months leading up to application deadlines, that could inform the timing of your own advertising efforts.

5. Study their Content Marketing Strategy

Start exploring the content your competitors produce and pay attention to the topics they cover and the depth of information they provide. If a competitor frequently publishes articles about innovative teaching methods or student success stories, it shows their focus on educational excellence and community engagement.

Notice the format, too. Do they use infographics, case studies, or video content? Understanding these elements can inspire new content ideas that align with your audience's interests.

• Evergreen Content: Topics that are always relevant and do not go out of date. This type of content can help in attracting a consistent audience over time.
• News: Current events or updates related to the school or K-12 education. This content type can position the school as a thought leader and keep the audience informed.
• Personalized Stories: Content that highlights individual experiences or deeper relationships, like student or teacher interviews.

Pomfret’s “Top 5 Reasons to Consider Pomfret” on its admission page features some great, original content. How would those five reasons stack up against yours??

6. Read their Reviews and Profiles

What parents, students, and alumni say about a school can have a huge impact on prospective families considering it. Keeping tabs on your competitors’ reviews can teach you what their community values, what their challenges are, and how they handle feedback.

Start by looking at reviews on platforms where schools are commonly rated. Niche and GreatSchools are some of the top sites where parents, students, and alumni leave feedback about their experiences. Fenn School has some great feedback, including comments about the school’s teachers and staff.

Getting a mix of reviews from different sites can give you a more comprehensive understanding of how your competitors are viewed by their communities. Pay close attention to the themes that come up frequently in the reviews.

• Are parents praising the school’s strong academic programs?
• Are they happy with the level of communication from teachers and administrators? 
• Are there repeated complaints about areas like school facilities or student safety?

Pro Tip: One of the simplest ways to stay updated on reviews is by using Google Alerts. You can set up alerts for your competitors’ names, and whenever they're mentioned in a news piece, you’ll get a notification.

7. Examine their Recruitment & Admissions Strategies

Look at how your competitors handle their admissions and enrollment processes and see how they handle inquiries, applications, and follow-up communications.

Do they offer a simple online form that’s easy to complete, or is the process complicated and time-consuming? A streamlined, user-friendly admissions process is crucial in keeping families engaged.

You can also analyze how they guide families through the application process.

• Are there clear steps laid out on their website?
• Do they provide helpful resources, like FAQs, to make things easier? 
• Do they emphasize certain strengths of their school?
• Are they tailoring their messaging to different types of prospective students, such as athletes, high achievers, or students with specific interests?

Schools that make their process clear and straightforward can make a difference in whether families choose to apply — take a peek at Christ the King Catholic School’s admissions pages, which use Finalsite Enrollment with their school’s website to streamline the entire enrollment process.

8. Review their Job Listings

Job postings can offer some surprisingly hot tea into a school’s priorities, upcoming initiatives, and potential areas for growth. Many career pages lead with their school's mission, list the benefits of joining their team, and go into detail about their differentiators, like Shady Side's beautiful careers page.

Focus on roles that suggest a shift in strategy or growth in specific areas. Are they hiring a digital marketing coordinator or a major gift officer? Similarly, if they’re hiring an Admissions Coordinator, it may mean they’re preparing for increased enrollment, improving family engagement, or launching new programs to attract students.

When you spot trends like these, it’s a good idea to evaluate your own staffing needs and see if there are areas where you could strengthen your team to stay competitive.

It might even give you ideas for professional development opportunities within your own staff!

Key Takeaway

Your own school's strengths should be the focus of your own marketing and positioning, but understanding your competitors is important, too. There's no need for elaborate tricks or hacks to keep tabs on other schools, though. Simply try a few of these strategies to identify new trends, discover opportunities, and enhance your own mission, should you choose to accept it...

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Connor has spent the last decade within the field of marketing and communications, working with independent schools and colleges throughout New England. At Finalsite, Connor plans and executes marketing strategies and digital content across the web. A former photojournalist, he has a passion for digital media, storytelling, coffee, and creating content that connects.