Marketing and Education

Most early-stage EdTech companies build in a familiar order: product first, sales next, marketing whenever there's budget left over. It's an understandable instinct in a sector where school budgets are tight and every dollar needs to prove itself quickly. But that order also means many companies spend years chasing the credibility they could have built from day one. Karen Borchert , founder and CE...

There is a real tension building in K-12 right now. The "no screens" conversation that started with cell phone bans has moved into legislative territory, with 17 states introducing screen time bills in 2026 alone and four already enacting laws that go beyond phones to target district-issued devices and classroom technology directly. If your product sells into schools, this is no longer a trend to...

Selling into schools is rarely as straightforward as most teams expect. District leaders are navigating competing priorities, long approval cycles, staffing challenges, and increasing pressure to justify every decision. At the same time, EdTech companies are trying to build trust, move deals forward, and prove their value in a crowded market. Nancy Livingston, CEO of the National Summer School Ini...

Hello, World! Most education brands know email should be their strongest channel and yet it rarely delivers on its potential. Between inconsistent sends, generic copy, and the pressure to sound “professional,” messages that could build real connection often end up sounding like noise. Email strategist Liz Wilcox joins Elana to share how education organizations can shift from transactional messagin...

There’s a shift happening in how technology is being talked about in education. Questions around screen time, student well-being, and the role of EdTech are becoming more visible. At the same time, educators are still navigating the day-to-day reality of using these tools to support learning, manage time, and stay effective in the classroom. That tension is creating a more layered conversation. El...

There’s a noticeable shift happening in how technology is being talked about in education. What used to be a more measured conversation about tradeoffs and use is starting to move in a broader direction. In some cases, the conversation is moving faster than the reality inside classrooms, where educators are still figuring out how to use tools in thoughtful, practical ways. That gap is becoming mor...

What Principals Actually Pay Attention To, How They Evaluate EdTech and Why Outreach Gets Ignored Jordan Moldenhauer March 26, 2026 There is a growing gap between how education is marketed to and how it is actually experienced inside schools. Leaders are navigating full days that require constant context switching, balancing relationships with students and teachers, operational demands, and long-t...

Education marketing often feels like two different worlds moving at once. The technology ecosystem shifts quickly, with AI tools introducing new ways for expertise to be discovered and trusted. At the same time, schools move on an entirely different rhythm shaped by academic calendars, testing seasons, and budget cycles. For marketers in this space, success rarely comes from chasing every new tact...

2 education has always required a different kind of sales approach. Long buying cycles. Multiple stakeholders. Deep accountability to students, families, and communities. But the environment today feels more measured than it did just a few years ago. District leaders are scrutinizing spend, thinking carefully about sustainability, and asking harder questions about long-term impact. We are not oper...

Education marketing is getting squeezed from both sides. Buyers are moving slower and asking for more proof, while the marketing landscape is moving faster than most teams can realistically track. AI is changing how people search and evaluate credibility. Conferences are still a major growth channel, but they are expensive and hard to measure. And social platforms keep rewriting the rules midstrea...

State education agencies are moving faster than they are known for, and not because they want to. AI, funding uncertainty, and capacity constraints are forcing decisions that cannot wait. In this episode, Elana Leoni sits down with Julia Fallon of SETDA to unpack what the 2025 State EdTech Trends Report really tells us about where states are focused, what feels most fragile right now, and why mode...

Education marketing is entering another year of tight budgets, longer decision cycles, and higher expectations from districts. The uncertainty is familiar now, but the pressure to make smart, focused choices has not eased. As teams plan for the next school year, the real challenge is not doing more. It is doing fewer things with greater intention. In this episode, Elana Leoni reflects on recent co...

In EdTech, things can start moving quickly. A new idea gets attention. A stakeholder asks for leads. A competitor launches something similar. Before long, teams feel pressure to act fast and show progress. The problem is that moving fast does not always mean moving in the right direction. When teams skip validation, meaning they have not yet confirmed that real educators or leaders truly need what...

December in K-12 is two weeks of chaos wrapped in out-of-office replies. Teachers are hanging on until winter break, district leaders are buried in celebrations and strategy, and your carefully crafted sales push is not getting the response your dashboard hoped for. If you are still banking on December to hit revenue targets, this episode is a reality check and a reset. In this episode, Elana brea...

Most education organizations are under pressure to do more with less. Teams are lean, hiring is frozen, and yet the demand for leads, pipeline, and proof of ROI keeps growing. At the same time, the buying cycle in K12 has never felt more compressed or more high stakes. You cannot afford to waste effort on campaigns, events, or RFPs that do not convert. That is where fractional marketing leadership...

What happens when attention dips before the holiday break, buying cycles heat up for 2025–26 budgets, and your channels keep changing the rules at the same time? You get November, a short, high-leverage month that rewards focus and relationship building. In this episode, Elana gets tactical. She maps the November mindset for educators, lays out timely moments you can use without feeling gimmicky,...

Most education brands know email should be their strongest channel and yet it rarely delivers on its potential. Between inconsistent sends, generic copy, and the pressure to sound “professional,” messages that could build real connection often end up sounding like noise. Email strategist Liz Wilcox joins Elana to share how education organizations can shift from transactional messaging to meaningfu...

What happens when districts set budgets, educators finally breathe after back-to-school, and conferences flood the calendar—all at once? You get October, the single most important month in the education marketing cycle. In this special solo episode, Elana shares why October is such a pivotal moment for vendors, partners, and school leaders. She breaks down how to support current users, align with...

What would happen if EdTech stopped chasing features and aligned around two simple goals: postsecondary readiness and clear ROI for districts? Matthew Kennard , CEO of BetterLesson, joins Elana to unpack how EdTech can move beyond features and usage stats to what really matters: outcomes. He shares his path from finance to education, why accountability is essential for both vendors and leaders, an...

In this episode of All Things Marketing and Education , Elana chats with Kelly Cline , a former educator turned EdTech copywriter and email marketing strategist. With over a decade of experience in the classroom, Kelly brings a rare, grounded perspective to email strategy rooted in both deep empathy for educators and real-world ROI. Whether you're building your first email list or trying to breath...

In this episode of All Things Marketing and Education , Elana Leoni sits down with Melissa Heyeck , Senior Director of Marketing at Education Week and creator of The Wired Marketer , a must-read newsletter for anyone navigating EdTech marketing. With deep experience across the nonprofit and EdTech sectors, Melissa brings a sharp, empathetic lens to what it really takes to engage decision-makers in...

In this episode of All Things Marketing and Education , Elana Leoni sits down with Keith Krueger, CEO of CoSN (Consortium for School Networking), to unpack the biggest takeaways from CoSN’s 2025 State of EdTech District Leadership report . With over three decades of experience leading conversations around technology in education, Keith offers a grounded, systems-level view of where K–12 technology...

Jacob Kantor (aka the Chief DODO) joins Elana to share how EdTech teams can earn trust—not just attention—by leading with empathy, listening well, and following up without selling. Packed with honest advice for anyone trying to build real relationships with school districts. Check out the LinkedIn course . Read the episode show notes . Mentioned in this episode: Level Up Your Education Brand on Li...

In this episode of All Things Marketing and Education , Elana sits down with Jeremy Dulle, Founder and President of Spring Rock Partners. With over 25 years of experience as a growth strategist, go-to-market advisor, and business developer, Jeremy brings a rare blend of EdTech expertise and Fortune 500 perspective to the table. As funding tightens and districts face mounting pressure to streamline...

In this episode of All Things Marketing and Education , Elana Leoni sits down with Hallie Smith , a seasoned EdTech leader, former educator, and now fractional marketing advisor. Hallie brings her full-circle journey—from early EdTech roles to speech pathology in public schools, and back into EdTech—to unpack the evolving challenges and opportunities in education marketing today. Together, Elana a...