smj: school marketing journal

One of the biggest challenges for any school is figuring out how to be different. How do you stand out as a unique offering in the marketplace? How do you look and sound different from your competition? With the market already disrupted, now is the perfect time to ask the hard questions about what your school stands for and we give you the tools to answer them. To delve deeper, pick up a copy of '...

In the face of physical distancing, what does your enrolment funnel look like without the previously unquestioned fixtures of open days, site visits and face-to-face interviews? Is it enough to make these experiences 'virtual' or is there a better way? Brad discusses these and other questions with Greg Campitelli, Director of Enquiry Tracker, who also shares his insights into how to conduct live-s...

Is your school's marketing strategy ready for the coming recession? We share five guiding principles that you can apply now to adjust your school's marketing posture for when we emerge from the health crisis and enter the recession. Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

As the COVID-19 health crisis turns into an economic crisis, the risk of student attrition comes to the fore. With years of research into retention, Jill Goodman intimately understands parent thinking and behaviours. She shares her insights in this interview and discusses six experiences your parents need to not just stay the course, but to become great advocates for your school.   Get in touch at...

How do you attract and retain donors? Is direct mail dead? How often can you ask for donations without driving donors away? According to The New York Times , Tom Ahern is one of America's most sought-after creators of fundraising messages. Also the author of ' If Only You'd Known' ... 'You Would Have Raised So Much More' , Tom answers these questions and more as he discusses with Brad the things s...

As the impacts of COVID-19 roll on, Beth Blackwood, CEO of the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), shares her insights to help arm you and your school at this pivotal time. What are other Heads doing? What are the key short and long-term communication and marketing challenges, and what's the best way to handle them?   Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, how you handle the next few months will matter. Your communication will become your reputation. In this ever-changing landscape, we discuss ways you can face some of those changes head on and answer key questions about how to continue to communicate well and strengthen your brand in the months ahead. Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

Leading a school requires courage. Leadership and governance consultant for RG175, Tom Olverson, discusses the need to be bold to drive your organisation. His insights carry great authority due to his 38 years in independent schools across the United States, and 27 years as a school Head. Tom explains how your school can't become its best self, until a mutual agreement is made on what the school i...

How can we be strategic in the midst of so much change? Mark McCrindle, award-winning researcher and influential thought leader, explains how school Heads can navigate through the challenges the pandemic brings. Leaders need to look towards the future and beyond. In times of uncertainty it is vital for school Heads to communicate strategically and be the voice of calm and reason – this is what stu...

Brad interviews Heather Hamilton, Executive Director of Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), to discuss how schools can create a virtual lifecycle of advancement by mapping out all stakeholders and their roles within the school community, and how it is placed within the wide umbrella of advancement strategies. They continue by discussing how to implement them to support your sc...

In part two of our podcast about COVID-19, expert crisis communicator John Le Cras again joins Brad and Scully to discuss why schools are powerful media organisations. Establishing trust and delivering the correct communication regarding a situation within the school community is paramount. They continue discussing the topic of having a clear narrative with a concise strategic communication plan i...

How do you communicate to stakeholders about the COVID-19 virus, and more importantly how can school Heads communicate trust to parents? In this interview, former director of news and current affairs for Channel 7 Perth and expert crisis communicator, John Le Cras joined the podcast to give clear, concise tips on how to communicate effectively to concerned parents. John explains why it is crucial...

How do you define defamation? When things go wrong with parents and a school Head is attacked online, is it worth suing? In this interview with Ben Tallboys, Principal of Russell Kennedy Lawyers, we answer these questions and discuss a recent ruling in the case of a Queensland Head who sued several parents for defamation. We also give you some tips for what to do if you think you're being defamed....

Marketing strategies are often well-intended and worthy but of little practical use. While success begins with a strategy, it can only be brought to life through relentless and consistent execution. We give you a step-by-step guide to designing a marketing strategy that is succinct, accessible and practical, and also answer the question, "How do I get the best from social media without any risk?"...

St Andrew's Anglican College on the Sunshine Coast saw enrolments grow from 100 to 1,300 in 15 years. In this interview, Principal Reverend Chris Ivey discusses the importance of internal marketing, why a marketing strategy is critical to creating and communicating your school's story, and why it matters that your staff know they are all marketers.   Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

When a crisis hits, you will ultimately be judged by how you respond. What can you control when things seem out of control? We give you a framework to enable you to come out of a crisis with more trust, a stronger community and closer to achieving your school's mission. Crisis management — Show Notes  Crisis communication framework Plan ahead Open and maintain a dialogue Talk to your team first Er...

"Marketing is like electricity." Find out why in our interview with Brendan Schneider, who also discusses three things Heads can do to 'know enough to be dangerous' and hold their marketers accountable. Brendan is the Director of Advancement at Sewickley Academy in Pennsylvania USA and the founder of SchneiderB Media , a digital marketing agency specialising in helping schools use inbound marketin...

The return to school has been marked by the impact of bushfires and the threat of the coronavirus. How well prepared are you to respond to issues and crises? Is there a difference between the two? In this episode, we discuss how you can be proactive and share some tactical tools for responding to the unexpected.  Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

Is your school standing out? In this episode, we help your school become easier to find, notice and remember. Our hosts offer tools to help you craft your messages and define your point of difference more effectively. Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

What is the 'customer experience' of your prospective parents and are you delivering on your promises? Do your admissions/enrolments team see themselves as gatekeepers or salespeople? In this episode, we look at how to integrate marketing and enrolments, and discuss how much a school should spend on advertising. Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

Brad and Scully talk about the trustworthiness of data and provide a checklist of things to consider when reviewing marketing analytics. They also answer a question from a Head about whether digital marketing is better than print. Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

Brad and Scully talk about how to structure the content on a school's local intranet, bringing in imageseven's multimedia specialist, Jose Caceres, to discuss how to manage this information well. Later in the episode, they answer a question submitted by a Head about the story behind the name 'imageseven'. Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

Brad and Scully discuss the case for modern school marketing, exploring the evolution of the marketing landscape, the paradigm shift that needs to take place and how schools can effectively engage prospective and current parents. They then chat about the ideal video length for different platforms. Get in touch at smj@imageseven.com.au

Brad and Scully interview Simon Meyer, CEO of FutureYou, to discover how school Heads can effectively motivate and inspire their lead school marketer. Later in the episode, the hosts unpack what factors to consider when putting together a budget for a school video.

Brad and Scully talk about why school Heads should work in the value zone and the issues they should be focusing on. Later in the episode, the hosts answer a question submitted from school Heads and discuss the future of yearbooks.