By Rachel Zake, Account Executive at TWIST Creative & Alumna of Hathaway Brown School 

The Enrollment Management Association finds that families often engage with 10–25 touchpoints before applying for enrollment for their children’s education. Ten to twenty-five. And, considering the thousands of bits of information flying at parents every day, this is a very small percentage that needs to shine through and stand out. So, what’s the key? An integrated school marketing plan. 

The Integrated School Marketing Plan for All-Girls Schools and Why It Works

An integrated marketing plan is a coordinated strategy that aligns every message, touchpoint, and department with the school’s mission, enrollment goals, and long-term vision. Also to say: your target market craves consistency. Everything from the head of school’s updates, to admissions tours, to classroom culture, to donor communications must be aligned. 

Here are six elements of an effective integrated plan:

• Alignment: Leadership, admissions, marketing, development, faculty, and the board are all on the same page
• Mission-Driven: It’s comprised of consistent, mission-driven messaging across all platforms and traditional marketing 
• Continuity: It creates a cohesive experience from inquiry to enrollment for families
• Clarity: It reduces confusion and builds confidence in your potential families’ choice
• Retention: It strengthens retention and keeps families connected to your school’s values
• Support: It enhances donor engagement and board support 

As Dr. Heather Hoerle, Executive Director of the Enrollment Management Association, explains:

“Schools that align mission, messaging, and day-to-day experience have the greatest enrollment resilience.”

The Challenge

Many schools today are challenged by less predictable enrollment pipelines, families who compare options through brief snapshots of the whole, and a communication landscape cluttered by mixed messaging. As discussed in previous posts, parents expect not only transparency, but also alignment between what a school promises and what their child will experience. And whether it’s lack of internal communication or lack of dedicated time or understanding, various school departments operate in separate lanes — each doing vital work, but without a shared strategy guiding them.

Here’s the good news: the ship can be turned mid-voyage. 

The Result

This is where an integrated school marketing plan becomes essential. You and your communications team can provide a strategic framework that aligns your brand, enrollment goals, development efforts, and community engagement around a single, cohesive story.

Put this into play and you will find a more consistent message and output. Families will notice. 

Putting in the time and work upfront will save you a headache on the backend. Once you have all elements and stakeholders aligned, you can continue to use digital and traditional media to your advantage and capture future families’ attention with those 10-25 touchpoints. And, if you're diligent in your endeavor, you can stay closer to 10 than 25, providing more efficiency to your media and spend. 

Stay tuned for our next blog post: Implementing an Integrated School Marketing Plan: The 4 Key Stakeholders 

Rachel Zake is a seasoned account services professional at TWIST Creative, having worked with non-profit and for-profit clients in various areas of business. She is a proud graduate of Hathaway Brown School and Boston University.