smj blog

There is a lot happening in the modern school marketing landscape. It seems that every time you open a new browser tab there is a new tool or app that is going to ‘make your life easier’ and solve your enrolment problems. Of course, it’s not real. School communications and marketing are getting more complex, not easier.

A good school leader needs to be able to build trust and strong relationships with all participants in the school community – students and their families, alumni, staff and other stakeholders. Motivating these diverse audiences to work towards the school’s mission is one of your greatest challenges as a Head.

There is a lot happening in the modern school marketing landscape. It seems that every time you open a new browser tab there is a new tool or app that is going to ‘make your life easier’ and solve your enrolment problems. Of course, it’s not real. School communications and marketing are getting more complex, not easier.

A good school leader needs to be able to build trust and strong relationships with all participants in the school community – students and their families, alumni, staff and other stakeholders. Motivating these diverse audiences to work towards the school’s mission is one of your greatest challenges as a Head.

As the school Head, you are often responsible for rallying stakeholders around a shared purpose, direction and culture.

A good school leader needs to be able to build trust and strong relationships with all participants in the school community – students and their families, alumni, staff and other stakeholders. Motivating these diverse audiences to work towards the school’s mission is one of your greatest challenges as a Head.

School Heads who show by their long-term behaviour that they have an ongoing commitment to transparency to the greatest extent possible, are far more likely to maintain the trust of their community on those specific occasions where they have no choice but to stay silent. The benefit of building a stock of goodwill upon which you can draw in difficult times cannot be overstated.

As a school Head, you should be asking yourself if print publications still deserve a place in your communication and marketing mix. The answer is not as clear cut as you might first imagine.

Which is better: print or digital? Should it be both? Is print even relevant anymore? Is digital really the ruler of the communications world?

School Heads who show by their long-term behaviour that they have an ongoing commitment to transparency to the greatest extent possible, are far more likely to maintain the trust of their community on those specific occasions where they have no choice but to stay silent. The benefit of building a stock of goodwill upon which you can draw in difficult times cannot be overstated.

If our schools only had 100 posts allotted to them, what would we actually say? What are the stories we would tell? How would we determine what is important and what is nothing more than an endless stream of empty content?
These are not easy questions to answer but do suggest three practical steps that school leaders can take to ensure their digital content is as meaningful and relevant as possible.

The most powerful and successful school brands are built on insights gathered from families who chose you, from those who chose a competitor and from key influencers on school choice. By talking to these different groups, you will have more information about barriers to enrolment growth.

The most powerful and successful school brands are built on insights gathered from families who chose you, from those who chose a competitor and from key influencers on school choice. By talking to these different groups, you will have more information about barriers to enrolment growth.

Are you and your team doing all you can to nurture prospective parents considering your school, delivering them the right content at the right time to build strong relationships?