If your products or services can help schools cope with the teacher crisis, do say so – but say it gently!
School managers know that education has a few problems at present, particularly with regard to teacher recruitment. Indeed, the suggestion that last year only half the number of secondary school teachers needed, were actually recruited, came as no surprise.
The growth in pupil numbers, now making its way through secondary schools, and the competition for graduates from other areas of work, where higher salaries are on offer, are just two of a number of drivers of the shortage.
Add to that the awareness among teachers that there is every chance that they will be able to earn more money (without work to take home each night), in other areas of employment means that the number of suitably qualified applicants is continuing to drop.
Further, the rise in house prices often means that teachers who would like to move schools simply can’t because the area they wish to move to is one of particularly high housing costs.
Such situations mean that schools are often using staff who don’t feel at ease in the subject or age range they are being asked to cover and are looking for materials to help them teach the subject they are being asked to teach.
But if you have products, materials or services that can be used in schools by an assistant teacher or a teacher whose expertise is within another subject, it can be useful to mention this in a gentle way.
Of course it is also important to make it clear that those who are qualified and experienced in the subject or age range they are teaching will also find your resources very helpful. It is simply a case of leading with one benefit or the other in different advertisements.
But it is important always only to focus on one particular benefit, for multiple benefits mentioned in the same advertisement can make it feel as if you are suggesting that your product or service is a magic cure all for everything – and that will then result in disbelief on the part of the reader.
Indeed even where your product or service has multiple benefits to the teacher, experience shows that it is always best to lead with one benefit, and at most mention the others at the end. Then change the focus in the next advertisement.
If you’d like to try out a new advertisement we’re happy to email the teachers you want to reach for a one-off promotion. Or if you are ready to book in four emails for the coming weeks or months, there are substantial discounts available. For details please call 01604 880 927 or email Stephen@schools.co.uk
Tony Attwood