RSVP
Summer is a good time to start planning for your special events and parties in the coming school year. Your invitations should set the tone for your event AND provide the details that will be sure to attract the guests you want to come. Especially if you are working with volunteers (think reunion class chairs […]
Operating Statement for your Blog
I keep saying that schools need to have a written operating statement for their magazines. Such a document provides a rationale for this costly communication and back-up for the editor, who is likely to be pulled in different directions by multiple stakeholders. Stay on mission, stay on message. Your blog needs an operating statement, too, […]
The No-Fail Magazine Budget Diet
The school magazine is one of the premier ways to showcase your programs and people—here is where the best content marketing can really pay off. But if print is NOT dead, how do you keep it from killing your budget? Here’s how to maximize the ROI of your magazine. Giving it structure will preserve dollars, […]
First Impression in 7 Seconds
It better be great because you only have one chance! Your website is your stand-in for your own initial smile and handshake. Does your site make the grade? Here’s an easy test to gather information about first impressions. I used this as an exercise at the National Coalition of Girls Schools conference in Washington in […]
Creating a Global Communications Calendar
Your marketing communications plan is most effective when its foundation is a “global” communications calendar that covers the whole school and accounts for all constituencies. Preparing a truly comprehensive annual agenda serves as the organizing force behind your annual cycle of print and electronic publications, special events, outreach and publicity efforts. You should put the […]
Be a Data-Driven Marketer
Stacy Jagodowski is on the move. This high-profile indy school marketing and communications strategist is headed west from Cheshire Academy to a new assignment at Milken Community Schools in Los Angeles. I caught her for a farewell lunch today, and—as always—she was generous in sharing her expert advice as the year wraps and summer offers […]
Avoid the Jargon Jungle
Are you thrashing through the marketing jargon jungle? Confused about what is Brand Essence, a Value Proposition, the difference between Vision and Position and how do you get it? What happens if you don’t? Well, you’re not alone! There’s lots of competition for your business now that marketing has become an accepted management tool in […]
8 Ways to Reduce Snooze in a Long Story
Headline Grab the attention of your distracted reader with a powerful headline—make it pithy and make it colorful. Deck Explain your story through this précis, building on the headline—a phrase or a short sentence or two will do the trick. Running Heads Show your reader through the content by adding bold subheads for new sections […]
7 Ways to Improve Your Admissions Collaterals
Yes, people still want to receive print from you. To maximize your investment, these materials must create an experience for the reader that mirrors what they will find when they come to your campus. Too often, they fall short. Print gets bad grades for: amateur graphic design that decorates but does not illuminate your editorial […]
Assessing Your Magazine ROI
Taking time to review your work is a discipline that often gets lost in the day to day. But it’s essential to evaluate the process and product that keeps communication flowing with your desired constituencies. Using the school magazine as an example, here’s what you should look at: Objectives What do you hope to accomplish […]