The leaders of this independent school wanted to re-allocate their marketing budget and transition to a web-centric marketing strategy that would nourish their two most powerful enrolment sources: word-of-mouth and online enquiries.

1. Presentation
Case study
_
Transitioning to a web-centric
school marketing strategy

2. Background
• Saint Stephen’s College: a co-educational P-12 independent school in Coomera
• 48% of the marketing budget was allocated to press advertising, but
• Press advertising was generating only 3% of enrolments
• The school’s leaders wanted to re-allocate their marketing budget to nourish
their two most powerful enrolment sources (71% of enrolments):
• word-of-mouth, and
• online enquiries.
Transitioning to a web-centric school marketing strategy
Monday 10 December 2012

3. Challenges
• Old website didn’t further the College’s master marketing objectives
• Old website didn’t engage students, parents or staff
• Producing fresh content was a challenge; old website hadn’t been updated for
some years
• Most importantly, old website didn’t perform in search engines (SEO) and wasn’t
generating online enrolment enquiries
Transitioning to a web-centric school marketing strategy
Monday 10 December 2012

4. Objectives of the new strategy
1. Increase enrolments originating online (online enrolment enquiries)
2. Improve website relevance and effectiveness of online communication amongst
internal audiences (i.e. students, parents and staff)
3. Increase free word-of-mouth exposure online
Transitioning to a web-centric school marketing strategy
Monday 10 December 2012

5. Approach
1. Strategy and collaboration were the key drivers of the project
2. Objectives prioritised at every stage of the project (focus on
Request A Tour conversions rather than the traditional
Request A Prospectus)
3. Design directed away from the industry norm
4. Content is king:
• Content management strategy
• A decentralised approach to managing content
• Content owners; training of content owners
• Staggered content review schedule
Transitioning to a web-centric school marketing strategy
Monday 10 December 2012

6. Header design directed away from the ‘smiling faces’ industry norm
Transitioning to a web-centric school marketing strategy
Monday 10 December 2012

7. Outcomes
1. Winner ‘Best education website 2012’ (ADAPE / Educate
Plus)
2. Higher quality online enrolment enquiries – Request A Tour
call-to-action has a much higher enrolment conversion rate
than Request A Prospectus call-to-action
3. Long-term re-allocation of marketing budget away from less
successful traditional channels
4. Stronger engagement with internal audiences
(students, parents and staff)
Transitioning to a web-centric school marketing strategy
Monday 10 December 2012

8. Questions
?
Transitioning to a web-centric school marketing strategy
Monday 10 December 2012

9. Helpful links
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• Download the extended case study:
http://consult.beccamarketing.com.au/school-web-marketing-case-
study
• Subscribe to the Becca Marketing blog:
http://consult.beccamarketing.com.au/subscribe-to-blog/
• Connect with Becca Marketing on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/beccamarketing
• Connect with me on LinkedIn:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccamadsen
• Check out Educate Plus:
http://www.adape.org.au/
• Check out the new Saint Stephen’s College website:
http://www.saintstephenscollege.net.au/
Transitioning to a web-centric school marketing strategy
Monday 10 December 2012