Boosting Student Activities Opt-Ins with FanX

Getting students into their FanX app is boosting activities opt-ins at Creighton Prep.

Creighton Preparatory School, home of the Jr. Jays, is a private high school in Omaha, Nebraska with enrollment of 1,000. In this article, previously published on the FNO blog, Sara Smith, Director of Student Activities, shares her insights on how she and her team have successfully optimized their activities communication by converting their students into loyal app users.

Incentives drive notification opt-ins and engagement.

The main challenge in getting students accustomed to using the app is that they need to opt-in to receive notifications. Smith shared that driving opt-ins with the student body is a tricky process, but since launch, they’ve been able to convert roughly 50% of their students to opt-in.

“We’ve run class-by-class competitions to incentivize our students. We offer them rewards when they opt-in. We offer them rewards when they attend events. Tapping into their competitive nature works, and we’ve built a lot of traction in a short time with our kids.”

Last spring, we sold $3,000 worth of tickets the day before our annual prom through the app’s integration with HomeTown Ticketing. The event, which typically draws 400-500 students, saw 1,000 kids attend.”

— Sara Smith, Director of Activities, Creighton Prep

Original photography increases the app’s appeal.

“One thing we realized quickly was that the students like seeing pictures of themselves and their friends in the app,” said Smith. In response to this observation, Creighton Prep put the in-app photography in the hands of the students. According to Smith, all of the imagery inside the app is student generated.

The other big insight that Smith shared is that, before CP launched their app, they studied some of the apps in the K12 marketplace. “There are apps out there that schools are using where they’re doing the bare minimum. There are no images. There are no bells and whistles. What’s the point of having an app if you aren’t going to max out the experience for the students?”

Paper tickets have gone to zero.

Since launching the app, Smith and her team have been able to eliminate paper tickets completely. The cumbersome process of selling and distributing paper tickets was not only a boon for the administration, but it actually prevented students from attending events.

“Before the app, I would spend hours in my office answering emails about tickets. I would spend hours working the door at events collecting tickets. Now, it’s all done in the app, and the students know that. I have not sold a ticket with cash since we launched the app.”

Students need last-minute access.

Even more compelling is the idea that many of her students weren’t attending events because they had missed the ticket purchasing deadline. “Kids were coming to me saying that they didn’t attend the dance or the competition because they hadn’t bought a ticket in time. Now, they can purchase their tickets up to the minute of the event in the app, and it’s helped our ticket sales immensely.”

Smith shared that, last spring, she sold $3,000 worth of tickets the day before Creighton Prep’s annual prom through the app’s integration with HomeTown Ticketing. The event, which typically draws 400-500 students, saw 1,000 kids attend. “The app has been a huge time-saver in communicating with my students and connecting them to the information they need. Anytime I have a kid ask me anything, I just hold up my phone and say, ‘go to the app.’”

Thank you Sara for sharing your insights, and go Jr. Jays!

Learn more about FanX and book a demo here.