smj podcast

There are things you can and can’t control when it comes to managing your school’s online reputation. Brendan Schneider, specialist in inbound marketing for schools, joins us to discuss what your school can and should be doing, along with what questions to ask your marketing team. We also share real-life examples of search engine optimisation done well … and really badly!

When we at imageseven look at a school through the lens of a prospective parent, we often discover a confusing maze of competing market positions. But you cannot win the positioning war with a positioning strategy that is constructed like a Swiss army knife. You need to be something … for someone. In this episode, we show you how.

Conducted by Independent Schools Queensland (ISQ), ‘What Parents Want’ is the longest running survey in the country exploring why parents choose independent schools. CEO of ISQ, Chris Mountford, helps us dig into the goldmine of insight gathered in their 2021 research, highlighting the factors that matter to school Heads.

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.