Turn background activities into communication achievements
By Brett Bonnville
As a flight school business owner, YOU are a core part of the hero team often unmentioned in student achievement posts on social media.
Sure, student success is the ultimate goal, and a go-to in today’s school communications, but you know there’s a massive amount of details flying behind the scenes that allow your CFIs to move students forward on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. Within these background activities are valuable opportunities to authentically enhance both your school’s message, and competitive appeal.
As Ed Helmick mentions in “What Does Your Flight School Look Like” (Flight School Business, January 18, 2021) your website and social media footprint are often the first place potential students visit when searching for flight schools. By incorporating background business achievements into your communications, you will not only add informational depth to your school story, but also inject value in messaging that can fuel student attention and enrollment.
Let’s look at what background achievement communication opportunities might look like:
Example #1: Squawked anti-collision light
Copy thought: “We’ve got our eyes on the big, and small items that keep our aircraft flight-ready, and our students safely in the air. Anti-Collision Light replacement, N12345. D-O-N-E!!”
Suggested image: Close up of squawk repair signoff, work being performed, or simply the light, lit on the aircraft.
Example #2: Training/student issues
Copy thought: “End of day debriefs ensure our CFIs provide flight instruction to the best of their ability. Having years of experience in CFI/student relationships, our management team knows a thing or two. Stop by and learn for yourself.”
Suggested image: CFIs in discussion with school owner/manager/chief flight instructor, in the office or on the field.
The central idea in all of this is to not only expand on achievement communication opportunities, but to also keep the effort simple with an in-the-moment image and short, informative copy. And while you may view these as having limited message value, to potential new students just initiating their dream of flight journey, they are informative nuggets that make your content and school stand out.
Communicating the full scope of your school’s achievements that others build their success on really does make you a hero.
As for communication frequency in the flight school business world, I share my flight office insights in “The V-Speed of Communication Frequency” (Flight School Business, February 1, 2022).
Brett Bonnville is a pilot with a professional background in audience-centered content and marketing communications. He has been providing social media task support for flight school business owners since 2015. https://brettbonnville.com/studio
