Communications & Marketing Professionals (5 p.m. ET)
2022-2023 Schedule and Topics
Headways™ for Communications & Marketing Professionals is facilitated by Erika White, Director of Marketing and Communications at Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart.
All meetings will occur from 5-6 p.m. ET. / 10-11 p.m. GMT.
This cohort is open to all Communications & Marketing positions including but not limited to VPs, Heads, Directors, Assistant Directors, Managers, Associates, Coordinators, etc.
October 12, 2022: Telling Your School’s Story
Topics to consider: defining and communicating your unique value proposition; “word of mouth” marketing – empowering faculty, parents, and alumnae as brand ambassadors; effectively answering the question “why all-girls”; targeting your message to the appropriate audience – are you talking to students or parents?; developing your own clearly identifiable voice and visual identity; incorporating editorial, media, and public relations decisions into this mix
November 16, 2022: Evolving Admission and Philanthropic Marketing
Topics to consider: what new strategies, tactics, and philosophies emerged during the pandemic that are here to stay; lessons learned; hybrid events/programs; evolving messages and strategies; what marketing trends in advancement are you watching; how are schools engaging tuition-paying parents and graduates; how are ICGS schools faring in this space, compared with colleges and universities
January 12, 2023: Digital Trends, Tools, & Strategies
Topics to consider: managing increasing demand for content creation (social media, videos, blogs, website, etc.) in tandem with traditional duties: has anything dropped from the workload; measuring success of content creation efforts and tracking audience reach; inbound marketing; customer relationship management (CRM) software: which vendors, is it connected to admissions; working with admissions on digital marketing
February 15, 2023: Communicating Your School’s Values
Topics to consider: representing diversity, equity, and inclusion in marketing/communications; do current families see themselves represented; authentic vs performative messages; empathetic relationship management and building buy-in within your community; gender identity guidelines for applicants; recruiting a diverse student body; DEI professional development
April 5, 2023: Market Research, Advertising, Data-Driven Decisions
Topics to consider: using existing research, qualitative (surveys, interviews, focus groups) vs. quantitative (social media, search/website analytics), survey tools, developing personas based on research to target content and marketing efforts; advertising mix – how are you using data to drive advertising decisions or using ad buys to shape other marketing decisions
REGISTRATION
Registration for the 2022-2023 Headways™ Program is now open!