smj podcast

A question that haunts many Heads is how to fairly judge the performance of their school communication and marketing teams when they themselves do not have any domain expertise in marketing. In this episode, we discuss how you can lead your school marketers to a path of accountability for the important, as well as the urgent, tasks.

In every study imageseven has undertaken and every other study we’ve researched, word-of-mouth is shown to be the primary influence for parents when choosing a school for their child. But very few schools have a strategy for generating word-of-mouth enrolment referrals. In this episode, we talk about why that is and what you can do about it.

All schools will at some time experience ‘the enrolment problem’, and many new Heads are hired to solve it. Tom Olverson, a veteran independent school Head of 27 years in the US and now mentor of other school Heads, discusses with Brad a better way to tackle enrolment challenges than trotting out the usual suspects.

The trust of your current and prospective parents is the cornerstone of a successful school. Trust is also the cornerstone of successful school communications and marketing. Why do so many schools miss the mark? In this episode we look at the causes of and solutions to the trust problem you might not know you have.

What is influencer marketing and what is it not? What does it have to do with education marketing (if anything)? In this interview, Neil Schaffer, author of newly released the age of influence: the power of influencers to elevate your brand, defines and discusses both digital influence and influencer marketing, explaining the whys and wherefores for your school brand.

Are you creating, endorsing and even promoting marketing strategies that don’t have a snowball’s chance of success? As you know, a strategy is worthless unless executed … in this episode of the podcast, we give you the right tools to turn your strategy into action

Have you ever looked at online reviews of your school and been dismayed, often disappointed and occasionally depressed? You’re not alone. Trevor Waddington, Principal of US digital marketing services firm Truth Tree Consulting, joins us to share his insights and unpack his article, The Ultimate Private  School Review.

How do you talk with current and prospective parents about your school fees and the value you deliver? How do you and your staff overcome the (natural) reluctance to talk about money? Garth Wynne, Executive Principal of Christ’s College in Christchurch, New Zealand, shares how he was able to increase fees mid-pandemic, complete with positive media coverage.

“Teachers are not merely the pastoral point of contact or a focal point of academic review; they represent the principle means by which parents judge school quality.” Dr Rob Loe, CEO of Relationships Foundation, shares his research insights into brand and relationships in schools, explaining how and why teachers are brand managers.

We love a good statistic at imageseven. In this podcast, we deconstruct the results of US-based InspirED’s survey of school marketing departments and extract the highlights, trends and expectations for independent schools in Australia.