Homeschool Marketing 101: Insider Secrets on How to Attract the Home School Market

Copyright 2005 Heather Gneco



Although the rapidly growing homeschool market may look

appealing to many businesses, knowing how to attract these

unique consumers poses a challenge. With a growing number of

educational choices and opportunities vying for the home

educator's attention, your business must stand out from all

the others. The secret to success comes with a little

creative thinking, a dash of persistence and a few insider

tips.



According to statistics, the number of homeschooling

families continues to increase by 15% each year. Although,

home educators do exhibit common characteristics, this

diverse and changing group homeschools for many different

purposes. No longer do these educationally focused families

choose to educate their children at home purely for

religious reasons. The movement consists of families from

all walks of life, income levels and backgrounds.

Educational freedom abounds for home educators, and many

states do not require any sort of registration. So how does

a business magnetize this vast, but obscure, consumer group?



Tailor your product, program or service for the unique needs

of homeschooling families! The idiom "you can lead a horse

to water, but you can't make him drink" especially holds

true in marketing to the homeschool population. Programs or

materials that work in a traditional school setting will not

necessarily work well in a homeschool environment.



As homeschooling grows, more curriculum choices eliminate

the need to buy prepackaged materials intended for schools.

Some home educators continue to purchase these resources,

however a rapidly growing number pass up traditional school

programs and embrace a more personalized approach to their

children's education. Most use a wide variety of educational

materials to complement their child's unique learning style.



Home educators are more flexible in their schedules and can

accommodate and participate in field trips and enrichment

classes during the day. This provides a perfect solution for

business and organizations that struggle with slow times or

need to increase traffic during off-peak hours. Offer a

popular class at a less busy time during the week and, with

the right advertising, you are sure to get a stream of

homeschoolers lining up at your door!



Conducting a survey, administering a focus group or getting

feedback provides excellent opportunities to determine if

what you have will attract home educators. Distributing

samples and offering trial versions are inexpensive

solutions to get your product into the hands of your target

market. Look for individuals or organizations that offer

product evaluation and testing performed by homeschooling

families. You will learn first hand from the end user if

your product or service makes the grade!



Create credibility and build trust by offering helpful

information through writing content-rich articles or

offering seminars. Home educators become skeptical of a

business that shows more interest in profits than in the

families who make up their customer base.



By following a few simple steps to make your business more

homeschool friendly, the biggest pay-off will be repeat

customers and word of mouth referrals. Home educators love

to spread the word about great products and services that

benefit homeschooling. So, invest a little time to tailor a

program with homeschoolers in mind, gather feedback and

cultivate credibility. You will no doubt attract this

wonderful market, gain repeat business and stand above your

competitors!



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massive homeschool market effectively without spending a

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