In some parts of the world, Strategic Plans have an unfortunate tendency of outlasting the school leaders. Meaning, many new Heads are given the tricky task of taking over where the last person left off and implementing a plan that can all too easily feel second-hand and a bit tired around the edges. And then, of course, there is the small issue of a global pandemic that relegated even the best laid Plans to the metaphorical back burner. To the point that, midway through 2023, they have either gone up in smoke or, at best, are difficult to locate.

The wrong question is: “Our project isn’t catching on, how do we promote it better?”
The right question is a little more nuanced and far more important:
“We’re seeking to make a change in part of the world. How do we find the right people and tell them the right (true) story that helps them get to where they’re going – and that they’ll tell to their peers?”

White space is a design term that suggests ‘negative space’ — also known as space where there is no design element.
It can work on a purely aesthetic level, but it also serves to tell the viewer where to look, what the hierarchy is and where to take breaks. It can also help an entire piece be more inviting.

Your taste plays a huge part in marketers work, so you should definitely make an effort to get to know it. Often, when author Bonnie Siegler asks her clients what design work they respond to most strongly, they tell her they’ve never even considered the question. But everyone has personal preferences, and having a sense of what they are will make it easier to judge creative work with confidence.

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.