4 Promotion Ideas for the 2021 Back-to-School Season

First-Day-of-School Photo Contest

Which parents don’t take photos of their kids on the first day of school? Since most people have these photos, it makes for a great photo contest category. Not only does everyone already have photos of their children, but they likely have these photos on every single device they own.

School-Themed Quizzes

Quizzes are a creative way to tap into back-to-school fever. Here are just a few ideas to get you thinking:

• Are You Smarter Than a Middle Schooler?
• Which TV High School Should You Go To?
• How Well Can You Spell?
• Which (Local City) High School Mascot Are You?
• Name That Famous Movie High School

Plus, with our library of turnkey quizzes, you have plenty of ready-to-run or ready-to-customize quizzes just waiting for you to use on your site!

Back-to-School Event

An event is a fantastic way to connect with your audience of parents and students as they prepare for back-to-school season. This year, try a virtual event such as a ‘meet the principal’ or a back-to-school safety session to engage and inform.

Utilizing Event Sign-Ups is an easy way to invite your audience to register for virtual or in-person events. This tool provides a fantastic chance to learn about registrants, grow your email database, and drive sponsorship revenue.

In place of their in-person expo, Monterey Bay Parent Magazine created an alternative event for their back-to-school audience this year. They partnered with a local outdoor shopping mall which provided 400 large reusable bags to give out to those who registered on the Event Sign-Up. The bags were filled with goodies like back-to-school supplies, coupons, and giveaways from mall merchants.

Back-To-School Sweepstakes

It’s no surprise back-to-school sweepstakes are a hit in many markets. Sweeps have the broadest reach of any promotion type. Their low barrier to enter results in lots of entries and encourages social sharing. Also, sweeps are quick to setup and easily sponsorable.

Back-to-school sweepstakes come in many variations with many different prize offerings. Prizes vary from a school supply shopping spree to a cash giveaway – or even a spa day for mom.

Lots of small and mid-sized business sponsors are interested in sponsoring a back-to-school contests because they appeal to a niche audience – women who are often decision-makers in their households. Try targeting children’s retailers, daycares, tutoring centers, pediatricians, banks, and grocery stores to sponsor your next back-to-school promotion.