smj podcast

“Do you do … ?” After presenting to a recent Heads of Independent Co-Educational Schools (HICES) NSW meeting, we were inspired by the number of “do you do” questions. In this episode we take a slight detour to explain why we do what we do and the various ways we help school Heads achieve their mission, from the conceptual to the practical.

All schools will experience enrolment challenges at some point in time. With over 38 years’ experience in independent schools (27 years as a Head), Tom Olverson of RG175 shares his framework for how to respond strategically for the long-term instead of falling back on short-term tactics.

The advertising landscape is changing more rapidly than ever, but the good news is that the timeline for measuring results has reduced. In this interview, independent media buying expert Amanda Reid, Founder of Mentor Marketing, tells you what you do (and don’t) need to know, the questions you should be asking and how to make informed decisions about advertising your school.

Planned giving is more than bequests and it’s not just for universities and major charities. Ruth O’Hanlon, Director of Development for Sevenoaks School Foundation in the UK, discusses its value to your school, where to start and the things you need to consider.

What do you need to know about paid advertising and what should you be budgeting for your school? How is Australian marketing leadership changing and what does this mean for school Heads? We dive into the latest research to give you an inside look at the numbers and trends driving marketing in general and school marketing in particular.

What is the place of storytelling in communication and marketing for education? How do you make the most of opportunities and avoid the perception of manipulation? Kevin Lynch, Director of Marketing and Communications at Shanghai American School, shares his insights and discusses how the powerful Graduation 2020 was created.

Navigating your school through a global pandemic was probably not in your job description. What are the key survival skills you need to keep your school alive, well and with a bright future? It all starts on the inside and we give you four ways to get your community singing from the same hymn sheet.

Parents will choose your school based on what makes you different from other schools. Can you articulate what that difference is? Scott McKain, author and globally recognised authority on how organisations create distinction to attract and retain customers, reveals why playing it safe is the riskiest thing you can do. He also discusses his four cornerstones of distinction along with why and how to apply them to your school.

A rebrand can create real, lasting value when it’s done for the right reasons. What are those reasons? What do you need to consider before even uttering the word ‘rebrand’? We talk through the why and when, the missteps to avoid and provide some simple tips. To find out more about the strategy behind it, grab a copy of Bold School Brand.

What is lead nurturing and why is it so important to your school’s enrolment pipeline? Is email really dying or could it be your secret weapon? In this interview, Brendan Schneider gives some practical tips while discussing how to increase your contact touchpoints and ultimately improve your conversion rate … without increasing your advertising spend or staffing.