Prologue
I love to read!
I actually read every day. It's usually at night before I go to bed.
I enjoy reading fiction books at night on my Kindle, as a way to unwind, and I usually listen to non-fiction books, which tend to be about marketing, business, or leadership on Audible when I drive, walk, or do chores in the house.
I recently posted on LinkedIn four books that I recommend every school marketer to read. My list is below:
Inbound Marketing, Revised and Updated: Attract, Engage, and Delight Customers Online by Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah
Epic Content Marketing, Second Edition: Break Through the Clutter with a Different Story, Get the Most Out of Your Content, and Build a Community in Web3 by Joe Pulizzi and Brian Piper
Youtility: Why Smart Marketing Is About Help Not Hype by Jay Baer
Buy Back Your Time: Get Unstuck, Reclaim Your Freedom, and Build Your Empire by Dan Martell
Is your favorite marketing book on the list?
If it isn't, please add it to the comments on the original LinkedIn post for all to see, and then for me to read. 😀
Thanks,
Brendan
Marketing
Financial Aid Can Be a Powerful Marketing Tool For Your School
Michael Ziemski’s article on SchoolAdvancement discusses how effectively managing financial aid can serve as a potent marketing tool for schools. It emphasizes strategic handling of financial aid inquiries and applications, suggesting swift and transparent communication to enhance enrollment and parent satisfaction. Ziemski argues that providing immediate, even if estimated, financial aid decisions can greatly influence a parent’s decision to enroll their child, especially in an era where millennial parents value quick and clear responses.
How to Improve Your Website User Experience (11 Tips)
MonsterInsights offers an in-depth guide on improving website user experience with 11 practical tips. The guide focuses on strategies to make websites faster, more navigable, and visually appealing to enhance visitor satisfaction and SEO performance. Key tips include optimizing page speed, using white space effectively, ensuring mobile responsiveness, and simplifying navigation. These improvements are aimed at boosting site engagement, reducing bounce rates, and ultimately enhancing overall business success.
AI
Meta releases Llama 3.1 open-source AI model to take on OpenAI
The Verge’s article covers Meta’s recent release of the Llama 3.1 AI model, positioning it as a direct competitor to OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Meta’s Llama 3.1, now open-sourced, is designed to foster broader innovation and application in the tech community, differing from ChatGPT’s more controlled release model. This move is part of Meta’s strategic plan to influence the rapidly evolving AI landscape by promoting more open and accessible AI development. The article discusses the potential impacts of this release on the AI industry and future AI developments.
Recommended Reading
Enrollment
From Day One: Nine Effective Onboarding Strategies to Retain New Families
The article from Enrollment Catalyst provides nine effective onboarding strategies for retaining new families in schools. Highlighting the crucial first day and the initial year, it offers practical tips like creating welcoming atmospheres, implementing new student ambassador programs, and engaging directly with parents through calls and events. These strategies emphasize personalized attention and community integration to ensure families feel valued and connected from the start, enhancing their overall commitment to the school.
School Blog Post
Benefits of High School Sports: 10 Reasons Students Thrive
St. Joseph Academy’s blog post highlights the extensive benefits of participating in high school sports, outlining ten reasons why students thrive from such involvement. The article emphasizes not only the physical health advantages but also the significant impact on mental well-being, academic success, and social skills development. It discusses how sports teach valuable life lessons like teamwork, discipline, and leadership, contributing to holistic student development.
My Latest Post
How To Differentiate Your School In A Crowded Market
This post explores strategic methods for schools to stand out in a crowded market. It emphasizes the importance of identifying unique strengths through a SWOT analysis and engaging with the school community to enhance brand identity. It also suggests enhancing academic and extracurricular offerings and leveraging technology to appeal to prospective families. Effective community engagement, personalized enrollment experiences, and consistent marketing across all platforms are also highlighted as key to differentiating a school.
MarCom Job
Director of Marketing & Communications @ Fordham Preparatory School
Reporting directly to the President, and working in close alignment with the Vice President for Engagement and Development, the Director of Marketing & Communications serves as an active member of the school leadership team with responsibilities to serve as the primary brand manager. In this role, they are responsible for overseeing all marketing, communications, public/media relations, and all aspects of the school’s public image. As such, they are charged with shaping, articulating, and implementing a positive and consistent brand identity and experience that represents the mission and vision of Fordham Preparatory School.
SchneiderB Media
Whenever You're Ready, There Are 4 Ways I Can Help You:
Fractional Digital Marketer Program: Our flagship consulting program where we help you get more inquiries by implementing inbound marketing, Google Ads, FB/Insta Ads, SEO, and Blogging for you! Learn more.
SchoolMarketingCRM: My brand new marketing software for schools. This is the software I wish I had when I worked in schools. It handles all of your marketing functions, including landing pages, email automation, reputation management, appointment scheduling, and much more. Learn more.
The MarCom Society: Join other school marketing and communication professionals in my membership community designed to help you become a better MarCom professional through training, support, and community. Learn more.
Promote yourself to 3,000+ subscribers by sponsoring this newsletter.