What your marketing team wishes they could ask you

In our work with school marketers, we get to see and hear what they wish their school Head knew about communication and marketing at their school.

1. Do you really believe in marketing?
   Take the time to show interest, ask questions and be open to your team’s ideas for improvement.
   
   
2. Why is the budget you set unrealistically small for the results you desire?
   Bring your team into the budget setting process. Ask the question: “what results are realistic with this budget?” It probably won’t change the budget realities, but it will give your marketing team understanding and ownership.
   
   
3. Why do you allow us to be so overworked?
   Your marketing team is usually at the end of the ‘production’ process. Publication deadlines don’t change, but there’s little accountability for contributors’ deadlines and your team becomes the meat in the sandwich. Demonstrate your support by normalising respect for deadlines.
   
   
4. Why are we so understaffed compared to the enrolments and development teams?
   Talk to your team about the different levels of support required for parent-facing teams.
   
   
5. We feel like a brochure factory at the tail end of the decisions process. Why can’t we use our expertise and have input at the beginning of a project?
   That’s a good idea. Let your team use their expertise or let them see where they need to grow. Everybody wins.
   
   
6. We don’t know what you expect from social media.
   Social media is not easy or free. Invest the time in developing a clear definition, expectations and a strategy.
   
   
7. Our efforts don’t have any credibility with teaching staff. Please help us.
   The teaching staff won’t get behind communication and marketing efforts if they don’t see you supporting it. Make your support clear and unambiguous.
   
   
8. How can we articulate your messages clearly and consistently if we don’t get a chance to hear them from you?
   Dialogue with your team about how you want to position the school and how you expect that to look and feel when it comes to output. We suggest two hours once each term is a good starting point.
   
   
9. Why are we held accountable for the school’s confused communication and marketing when you allow any department to communicate with audiences how and when they want?
   They are right. Choose which way you want it to be, then be clear with all staff about your expectations.
   
   
10. What is truly distinctive about our school?
    No trite answers. Give them something solid to market and be consistent.