It’s not easy being a flight school, especially in the digital age and the post COVID era. This is where great marketing and PR comes in handy. These are, in fact, flight school’s best allies. However, to do them well, you need a well thought out strategy. To help you, we’ve put together this guide that gives you some great marketing and PR strategies.

Content Marketing for Flight Schools

Every brand on earth has invested in some of the content marketing as they recognise its importance to growing their brand and business.  Through well-crafted content, you can get your message across. You can also establish yourself as a thought leader and expert for your industry. But well-crafted content requires a content marketing strategy. There is no- size- fits-. When it comes to your flight school, get one customised for you by aviation marketing experts. They will help identify and create the types of content you need. Content comes in many types like:

• Videos
• Blog posts
• eBooks
• EDMS
• Newsletters
• Infographics
• Ads
• And so much

Mobile Marketing and Flight Schools

Mobile marketing will get bigger and bigger as more audiences turn to their phones to access information. Its estimated over 80% of website visits come from mobile devices. This has prompted Google to announce its mobile-first indexing. This means websites are now indexed and ranked first on mobile optimization. Previously they were indexed and ranked first on desktop optimization. So, when it comes to your brand and marketing, you want to invest in mobile marketing. Implement the following strategies for your flight school:

• Send student pilots text messages (brand updates, alerts, reminders, etc.). Please don’t overdo it, or else you come across as spammy and salesy.
• Tailor an offer to a specific geographic location.
• Send students (your best ones) a happy birthday via SMS.
• Send a quick 3-4 second survey or questionnaire about your flight school.

Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR)

Marketers realise the huge potential in both virtual realities and augmented reality for brands. These technologies can be used to craft content, messages, and experiences that can help engage your students and encourage conversions in new and interesting dynamic ways. Marketing in a Post COVID world will be driven by newer technologies like VR and AR and customers’ changing wants and needs. Customers want brands to deliver amazing experiences that engage them. This is what having ‘raving fans’ is all about. Virtual reality and augmented reality allow you to deliver amazing experiences through strategies like:

• The use of flight simulation and flight training.
• Taking your students on virtual flights both here and internationally.
• Using mobile apps instead of headsets to connect with audiences.
• Recreating historical flights and flying in historic aircraft.

A Social Media Strategy for Flight Schools

It’s been said that if your business isn’t on social media, then it doesn’t exist. It might sound harsh, but this is the reality in the digital age. So, when it comes to your flight school, you need to be an active, not passive, user, of social media. You don’t need to be on every platform—just a few where your target audience hangs out. Make sure you have in place a social media strategy. You can get aviation experts to design one for you. They will also help you with things like:

• Social media management (labour intensive and requires time)
• Identify gaps and opportunities in your social media.
• Help you set up incentives and promotions for your students.
• Help you repurpose content into social media posts.
• Help you with prompt replies and good customer service.
• And much more

Public Relations for Flight Schools

Good old PR goes a long way in promoting and getting your flight school out there. It’s like having your own team of brand ambassadors championing on your behalf. Every great brand on earth has great PR and marketing behind it. PR, a form of high-level marketing, helps create a piece of real estate in people’s minds. That is what people think of you when they think of a flight school. Now thanks to the digital age, the reach can be extended globally. PR can help accelerate your brand’s trust and reputation like no other. A good, formulated PR strategy can help your flight school with things like:

• Media mentions (television, radio, interviews etc.)
• Collaboration and partnerships with other brands and even celebrities (i.e., Sam Wood and Spirt Airlines)
• Alliances with influencers that can further help spread your brand.
• And more

As you can see, marketing and PR are essential strategies to promote your flight school and have a sustainable business – seats being filled in the cockpits.

Book a FREE Consultation with Off the Ground Marketing, who can further assist with your marketing and PR for your flight school.