Potential Employers to market your school. I’ve launched a couple campuses now, and we were most successful when we were very assertive in reaching out to the trade first (ahead of opening the campus or enrolling students).
Find those potential employers as marketing and co-branding allies. You have to do it anyway to get approved to operate (at least in most states), so you might as well start networking. See what they know about the area, where are they getting their current employees, what would the prefer your school teach, etc. etc. etc.
You MUST get to know the actual people who will be giving your graduates jobs. Don’t forget that they not only employ, but they congregate and network with tons of people involved in the craft (particularly if its a trade that is prone to internships), and therefore can give you lots of word of mouth referrals for your school. Have an open house just for potential employers, expand your advisory board to get their input, etc. Interact with the industry employers, ask them to participate in panels and seminars for your students; anything and everything to get them involved and be a part of your campus activities.
Embed yourself with the applicable industries. The more they know you, the more students as word of mouth referrals you’ll get coming out of the woodwork.
