This is why school marketing is so important.

When it comes to marketing schools, there are three key pillars that set us apart from our marketing contemporaries who work in other sectors.

First, schools are a long-term commitment that will often span decades.

Second, it’s a massive financial investment that is usually second only to the family home.

Finally, it’s a major emotional decision that many parents labour over, wanting to ensure they make the best possible choice for their child or children’s future success.

These three pillars combined make the work of a school marketer incredibly important, not just to our schools who rely on us to fill our quotas, but to the families who need the right information to make an informed decision on the best school for their child.

However, these three pillars on their own are not exclusive to school marketing.

Today, I want to focus on pillar one – the long-term commitment and how it plays out differently to, say, a fashion brand.

You see, I have a long-term relationship with an Australian fashion outlet, Cue, that has ticked well and truly over the two-decade mark.

From the moment I first stumbled into Cue as a poor uni student, I have loved the brand.

When I got my first credit card, my first purchase was at Cue.

As I started my career, a considerable percentage of my work wardrobe was, and still is, Cue.

I have spent a small fortune with Cue over the past 20+ years.

So, when I went on a self-imposed clothes shopping ban and stopped buying clothes from Cue, what do you think happened?

Nothing.

As far as I know, Cue did not notice that I had stopped buying from them.

Cue did not reach out to enquire about my personal wellbeing.

Despite being a Cue Black (privilege club) member which lapsed from not spending with them, I don’t think anyone at Cue said, “I wonder what’s up with our dear, old friend Bianca?”

The reason for this is that I am just a customer at Cue.

A customer with a seven-digit membership number.

But if a student and their family suddenly drops off the face of the earth in schools, we not only know about it, we care.

Our families are not just customers, they are members of our school community.

And it goes without saying that the impact on the bottom line is far more signficant.

Which is why retention marketing is just as important as acquisition.

We need to constantly be demonstrating to our families that they have made the right decision.

We need to make sure they know how valued they are.

We need to keep putting metaphorical credits in the relationship jar we have with every family so that if something goes wrong and there’s a major withdrawal from the jar, there’s enough credits in there to prevent a withdrawal of the student.

Our customer journey map lasts longer than our tenure at our school, in many cases.

It’s our job to make sure we are putting the pieces in place that will stand the test of time and ensure our schools continue to thrive long after we’ve moved on.

This is why what we do, as school marketers, is so important.

So, take the time to map the customer journey at your school.

Take the time to build a retention strategy.

And take the time to show that your school cares about your families.

Trust me, they’ll notice if you don’t.