Frequently asked questions

Questions buyers ask us.

Straight answers about how Scoela works, what it costs you, and what you get.

Getting started

What is the free community review?

We assess your community using publicly available data: enrollment or participation trends, the neighborhoods and languages around you, and how you appear online. We send you a written review and walk you through what we found. There's no cost and no commitment.

Who can request one?

Staff of schools, districts, civic agencies, nonprofits and health or social-service providers. We ask for a work email and your organization's website so we can confirm your affiliation.

What happens after the review?

If you'd like to go ahead, we agree a plan and scope in writing. Nothing runs until you approve the plan, every ad and the budget.

How long from approval to launch?

Typically three to four weeks, depending on the scope of the campaign.

Cost and transparency

How is the work priced?

Every engagement is priced after the community review: one all-in price for a fixed scope you approve in writing.

Do you mark up media?

No. Media is billed at cost, with no markup, and we accept no rebates or volume bonuses from ad platforms.

Can we spend more than we planned?

No. Every campaign has a spending cap you approve, and you're never billed more than that cap.

Who owns the ads and the results?

You do, once the work is paid for. Your ads run under your organization's name, and at the end you receive the finished creative and a full export of your results. Licensed photos, music and fonts remain under their original licenses.

Data and standards

What data do you use?

Public sources, plus any inquiry lists you choose to share. We never use student, patient or case records. We never target ads by race, ethnicity, religion or national origin.

Do you run political ads?

We don't run candidate or electoral advertising. Public-issue campaigns follow each platform's verification and "paid for by" rules.

Working together

What do you need from our team?

A tour or event schedule, photos you have permission to use, and quick approvals. We ask you to approve each ad within two school days or business days.

How will we know it's working?

Every ad, flyer and QR code carries its own tracking code. You get a one-page report every week the campaign runs, plus a results review at the end.

Do you guarantee enrollments or sign-ups?

No one can promise that. We show you exactly what the campaign produced and adjust as it runs.

Why do some rates say "not shown"?

We show rates only once 100 or more people are counted, so small numbers aren't over-read.

Which channels and languages?

Social media, search, video and, where the plan calls for it, print, mail and out-of-home. Campaigns run in English and Spanish, and other languages are added case by case.

Who will we work with?

The Scoela Team, as your single point of contact from the first call to the final report.

Do you always run Google Search ads?

Only when Google can verify your school or organization as the advertiser, so that every ad shows your name. Google asks for your full legal name, an official document and a photo ID for one authorized person. If verification isn't possible, your campaign runs on Facebook and Instagram with the same budget and dates. Nothing else changes.

For school districts

Can you run one campaign across several schools?

Yes. We build one plan with a separate budget, separate ads and a separate weekly report for each school, plus a district summary.

How do you keep district messaging consistent?

We work from your district's brand guidelines and approval chain. The district office approves the shared messages, and each school approves its own ads before anything runs.

What do you need from the district office?

Your enrollment calendar and key dates, brand guidelines, your communications policy, and one contact for approvals. We don't need student records, and we never ask for them.

How do you report results to the district?

Each school gets its one-page weekly report. The district gets a summary across schools, using the same rule: rates appear only once 100 or more people are counted.

Can a district start small?

Yes. Many districts start with a few schools, review the results together, and then decide whether to expand.

Are the ads accessible?

We write in plain language, meet color-contrast standards, add alt text to images and captions to video, and produce materials in English and Spanish.