Those end-of-year events are sneaking up on schools with AP exams, proms, and graduation right around the corner. And what’s next?...summer programs! It can be a challenge to promote your summer programs when spring events and exams become a focus.

Many families start making summer plans early in the year to accommodate work schedules, vacation time, and other obligations. This means that creating a clear communication plan early on is the key to successfully promoting summer programs before school lets out for the summer.

Here are 5 tools to help get the word out and increase participation in summer programs at your district:

1.) Morning Announcements

We all remember the traditional morning announcer listing off the after school schedule, fire drills and daily lunch specials. Why not come up with a catchy 15 second ad to encourage students to attend a summer day trip? A fun jingle can go a long way! Get them excited to talk with friends during the school day and run home to tell their parents about the summer activities their school has planned.

2.) District Website or School Calendar

Add links to your summer program events on your school’s homepage or digital school calendar. A bright marketing banner with a catchy phrase is the perfect way to bring attention to your summer program. Work with your districts web administrator to get an online promotion running.

Offering your summer programs in MySchoolBucks? Don't forget to add web buttons and banners to your district's website to help promote the programs listed on your school store. Click here to download your free digital assets.

Your payments solution should offer you more than just a place for parents to transact. Parents should be able to easily find the fees they need to pay. Place popular items at the top of your online storefront, or categorize items so parents can quickly navigate to the programs they need. Some solutions, like MySchoolBucks, offer the ability to create custom homepages where you can feature a number of important products. Work with your fellow school administrators to figure out what summer programs should be front and center on your online school store.

Interested in creating a custom homepage for your MySchoolBucks school store?  Contact us today and one of our payment specialists can help you get started.

4.) Flyers and Emails

Post flyers around school or send them home with students to remind parents about the summer programs you offer. Or send marketing emails to your parents and contacts to get the word out. If you have programs that some students are required to attend, consider sending dedicated emails to communicate this to their parents.

Need some inspiration? MySchoolBucks offers free flyers and email templates to help communicate how your parents can pay online for school programs. Check out Marketing Central to download your free resources.

5.) Post, Tweet, Share…

Is your district on social media? Work with your school's social media coordinator to post messages about your summer programs through your social channels. You could:

• Create Facebook events around each program you offer and invite parents directly to RSVP
• Tweet announcements that program registration has opened
• Post information on how parents can pay online for their student's programs
• Share pictures of your summer programs from previous years to generate some excitement
• Answer any questions parents may have about your programs

How do you get the word out about your summer programs? Share some of your marketing and communication strategies in the comments below: