Through our experience working with schools, we have identified three foundational building blocks of a robust school marketing system. In this episode, we chat with Claire Jones, our own Head of Strategy and Programs, to walk you through building a communications and marketing operation that’s built on a solid foundation and minimises the ‘trip hazards’.

Welcome to the 100th episode of the SMJ podcast! To celebrate this milestone, we talk to Dr Alec O’Connell, Headmaster of Perth’s Scotch College, where they’re about to mark the College’s 125th anniversary. We discuss what it looks like for schools to celebrate and capitalise on significant events, to enhance both your fundraising and your brand.

How do parents choose schools? What motivates them to ‘buy’ your school experience? Dr David Willows, Director of Advancement at The International School of Brussels and Co-Founder of [YELLOW CAR], joins us to discuss his article, ‘Dual-Factor Theory’. He highlights the important questions you should be asking in the wake of a pandemic and gives you the tools to answer them.

Historically speaking, marketing activity for schools can be summed up in one word: relationships. However, market changes mean this is no longer enough. Despite this, many schools are resisting new ways of building their brands and marketing themselves. We explore why that is and discuss how your school can join the marketing revolution.

What do school Heads need to know about the intersection of schools, marketing and the law? With over 30 years’ experience advising Australian educational institutions, David Ford, a Partner of Carroll & O’Dea Lawyers, is known for his expertise in education law. In this interview, we pick up on some of the topics addressed in his contributions to the School Marketing Journal, discussing enrolment contracts, sending emails to prospective parents and how to handle online reviews.

“We’re not rebuilding, we’re building.” Schools have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build fit-for-purpose communications and marketing, rather than rebuilding from a pre-pandemic plan. We dive into Real Insurance’s ‘Real Education Report’ to find out what parents are thinking and how you can build your messaging to speak directly to their concerns.

A quiet revolution has been happening in marketing technology, particularly in the world of digital advertising. In this interview with Unify’s Josh Krueger, we pull back the curtain on some of this wizardry and look at how your school can benefit from it.

School web projects generally require a sizeable investment of time and resources. By asking the right questions in advance, your team can work efficiently and you can be confident your new website will meet your school’s requirements. We discuss seven questions you should ask to ask to keep your website project heading in the right direction.

“What is one skill you wish you had been taught while you were at school?” This is just one of the questions asked by Student Edge in their recent survey of Australian students. In this interview with co-founder Jeremy Chetty, we dig deep into the results to reveal some of the gems you can use in your school marketing and even in designing your school’s offering.

Do you find yourself declaring that “parents just aren’t paying attention anymore”? Attention has become one of the most valuable resources of the digital age. It is not given automatically; it must be earned. We discuss how you can overcome the barriers to effective parent communication and give you seven ways to earn their attention.

When faced with a choice, how do prospective parents determine the value of your school? Is their perception different from the reality? Your answers to these questions can make or break your enrolments. We highlight the importance of your value proposition and give you the tools to influence and manage your perceived value, leading to greater enrolment success.

Should school Heads look to have all their communication and marketing needs serviced by their own in-house team, external providers or a combination of both? In this episode, we draw on imageseven’s methodology to assist you in making the best decision for your school’s unique circumstances.