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PROLOGUE
New Newsletter Format
It's the second weekend in June. A family you accepted in March is at a backyard cookout. Someone asks where their daughter is going to school in the fall. They say your name, proudly. The neighbor smiles and asks, "Have you heard from them lately?"
The parent pauses. Not really. Not since the deposit cleared.
This is the window most schools never think about. Three months between deposit and orientation. The deposit gets treated like the finish line, and everyone exhales.
The family doesn't exhale. They keep talking to friends, comparing notes, second-guessing. The school that almost won them in April is still showing up in their mailbox.
Here's what I learned the hard way. Silence between May and August is not neutral. It reads as indifference.
The fix is the easiest in school marketing.
A note from a current parent in late June. Not polished. Just real.
A short video from the homeroom teacher in mid-July. Phone camera. Hello, here is what I'm excited about for August.
A handwritten postcard from the head of school the week before orientation. Three sentences.
None of this is hard. Each takes an afternoon. They cost almost nothing.
If you have new families starting in the fall, spend twenty minutes this week mapping what they will hear from you between now and the first day.
Be the school they hear from in July.
Thanks,
Brendan
The best marketing ideas come from marketers who live it.
That’s what this newsletter delivers.
The Marketing Millennials is a look inside what’s working right now for other marketers. No theory. No fluff. Just real insights and ideas you can actually use—from marketers who’ve been there, done that, and are sharing the playbook.
Every newsletter is written by Daniel Murray, a marketer obsessed with what goes into great marketing. Expect fresh takes, hot topics, and the kind of stuff you’ll want to steal for your next campaign.
Because marketing shouldn’t feel like guesswork. And you shouldn’t have to dig for the good stuff.
UPCOMING EVENT
For MarCom Society Members Only
Authentic School Marketing: Ideas You Can Use Tomorrow
What you’ll get from this webinar:
A clearer understanding of what authenticity really means in school marketing
Why authenticity matters more than ever to today’s parents
Where schools accidentally lose authenticity
Practical, easy-to-implement ideas you can use immediately
Bio: Simon Jones is the founder of The Bonjour Agency, helping schools create authentic marketing content that builds trust with prospective families. A former school marketing manager, he has worked with schools worldwide since 2012 on podcasts, video testimonials, and storytelling strategies that showcase the real voice of a school.
RECOMMENDED READING
Whenever You're Ready, There Are 5 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, Meta Ads, SEO, Reputation Management, and blogging for you! Learn more.
School Marketing The Right Way: Purchase my new book about school marketing. It was the book that I wished existed when I started my journey with marketing a school. Purchase.
SchoolMarketingCRM: My 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, which is designed to help you become a better MarCom professional through training, support, and community. Learn more.
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