Finalsite recently hosted its annual School Marketing Day on October 5, welcoming more than two thousand school professionals from all over the world for a free day of professional development.

School Marketing Day featured multiple sessions and keynotes covering topics like:

• Amplifying your school's brand
• Redefining the enrollment experience
• Breakthrough storytelling
• Transforming your school marketing & communications with generative AI
• The latest UX and web design trends

Focused on collaborative learning and networking, School Marketing Day served as a space where attendees could gain wisdom from school marketing experts, engage in panel discussions and networking opportunities, and participate in a full day of shared challenges, solutions, and aspirations in school marketing.

If you weren’t able to attend live, you can still sign up and receive free access to all the recordings and resources from the day. Here’s an overview of the day!

Holistic Well-being and Work-life Balance

Leadership coach and keynote speaker Lindsay Vastola started the day with an inspiring presentation, underscoring how mental and physical health isn't just a personal responsibility — it can profoundly influence your broader school community. Her presentation focused on the intricate life/work balance school professionals need to maintain to stay engaged and productive and how that can lead to a healthier, happier professional life.

Embracing the Digital Transformation

A series of presentations explores the dynamics of integrating modern technologies, such as AI and automated workflows, into school marketing strategies. They highlighted the importance of striking a balance between the efficiency offered by these digital tools and the value of human communication. 

Other discussions, like “Regal Results: How to Become the King or Queen of Search Engine Visibility," covered the latest in search engine optimization (SEO) for schools, and others explored the nuances of data analysis through platforms like GA4 to enhance user experiences.

With the increasing influence of AI and automation, schools were encouraged to integrate these tools into their marketing and communication strategies responsibly but not to forget about using their distinct brand voice, as heard in “Artificial Authenticity: Finding Your School’s Voice in a World of AI."

A second thoughtful keynote by Matt Heinz, CEO and President of Heinz Marketing, looked into the future of marketing and how schools can stay ahead of the curve by implementing effective community-first-building strategies.

Optimized Online Presence and User Experience

Multiple sessions across the day detailed creating the best digital and user experiences. Sessions like "Love at First Site: Using Language, Content, and Web Design to Make an Impression that Lasts" and "The Inbox Influence: Elevating School Email Newsletters With These Simple Tips" discussed best practices in web design and newsletter content curation to tell a story, engage users, and create a lasting impression.

Sessions like “The Perfect Landing: Creating Webpages that Convert" showcased the art of drafting compelling narratives, optimizing mobile experiences, and leveraging analytics to continually refine and elevate the user journey. User experiences were also covered through the lens of enrollment, as shown by “Countdown to Conversion: 60 Days to a Better Enrollment Experience,” which looked at the areas of improvement to simplify and streamline the enrollment journey for prospective families.

Branding and Competitive Positioning

Standing out in a competitive market is critical, and both “Local Rivals: Strategies for Beating the School Down the Street” and “Brand Rescue: Finding and Fixing The Red Flags in Your School's Branding” centered on enhancing a school's branding and reputation within its community. The sessions emphasized the importance of recognizing a school’s differentiators and ensuring it authentically resonates with families and stakeholders.

Key Takeaway

By weaving together expert-led sessions, inspiring keynotes, and the latest tips and marketing strategies for schools, School Marketing Day covered the biggest trends and changes to keep an eye out for. You can gain access to the full day of session recordings here and binge-watch at your leisure!