This document discusses inbound marketing strategies for independent schools. It recommends creating an inbound marketing plan that sets goals, develops content, nurtures leads, and aligns advertising. The document provides tips for website redesigns such as adding strategic videos, filtering old content, and using conversational writing. It stresses the importance of creating helpful content on an ongoing basis and considering the buyer's journey. The overall message is that inbound marketing requires an integrated strategy across content creation, lead nurturing, and advertising in order to attract more engagement and enrollments.

1. INBOUND MARKETING DEEP DIVE:
PLANNING FOR THE YEAR AHEAD
Sarah Mead
Director of Marketing & Communications
Whitby School
www.whitbyschool.org
©Association of Independent School Admission Professionals
Annual Admission Institute 2015
1

2. Inbound Marketing (in a nutshell)
• We target personas...
• ...with compelling and helpful content...
• ...that establishes trust...
• ...and converts leads to happy customers.
Stop selling and start supporting!
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3. Make a Plan
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Set your goal(s)
Create Content
Develop a Nurture Plan
Align Advertising with Inbound
Measure and Make Adjustments

4. SET YOUR GOAL
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5. What is your goal?
• More engagement with your website
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6. What is your goal?
• More engagement with your website
• More inquiries
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7. What is your goal?
• More engagement with your website
• More inquiries
• More applicants
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8. What is your goal?
• More engagement with your website
• More inquiries
• More applicants
• Improve your website’s search ranking
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9. What is your goal?
• More engagement with your website
• More inquiries
• More applicants
• Improve your website’s search ranking
• All of the above
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10. Make sure to specify your goal(s)
• Increase average time on site from 1:01 to 2:33
over the next year
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For Example:

11. Make sure to specify your goal(s)
• Increase average time on site from 1:01 to 2:33
over the next year
• Double your inquiry pool during the 17/18
admissions season
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For Example:

12. Make sure to specify your goal(s)
• Increase average time on site from 1:01 to 2:33
over the next year
• Double your inquiry pool during the 17/18
admissions season
• Rank in the top ten search results for ”awesome
private schools”
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For Example:

13. Based on your goal, you should:
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14. Based on your goal, you should:
A - Redesign your website
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15. Based on your goal, you should:
A - Redesign your website
B - Redesign your marketing strategy
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16. Based on your goal, you should:
A - Redesign your website
B - Redesign your marketing strategy
C - Do both. They’re better together!
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17. Because here’s the thing…
Your website isn’t powerful if no one is visiting it.
That’s why inbound marketing is key!
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18. KEY COMPONENTS OF A
WEBSITE REDESIGN
18©Association of Independent School Admission Professionals Annual Summer Institute 2016

19. Strategic Videos
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Free you of words and help tell your school’s story
• Opportunity to involve your community (students, parents, teachers)

20. Filter Out Old Content
Look at current website and set benchmarks
• Which pages had more than 1,000 visits over the
past year?
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21. Filter Out Old Content
Look at current website and set benchmarks
• Which pages had more than 1,000 visits over the
past year?
Dump the rest! (and explain your logic to others)
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22. Filter Out Old Content
Look at current website and set benchmarks
• Which pages had more than 1,000 visits over the
past year?
One long page > Many short pages
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23. Filter Out Old Content
Look at current website and set benchmarks
• Which pages had more than 1,000 visits over the
past year?
One long page > Many short pages
• Are there opportunities for you to combine existing
content?
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24. Filter Out Old Content
Look at current website and set benchmarks
• Which pages had more than 1,000 visits over the
past year?
One long page > Many short pages
• Are there opportunities for you to combine existing
content?
Evergreen vs. high maintenance content
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25. Filter Out Old Content
Look at current website and set benchmarks
• Which pages had more than 1,000 visits over the
past year?
One long page > Many short pages
• Are there opportunities for you to combine existing
content?
Evergreen vs. high maintenance content
• Outdated content means more work for you
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26. [BEFORE] www.whitbyschool.org
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27. AFTER – www.whitbyschool.org
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28. Conversational Writing
It’s more relatable (and probably more interesting) for
prospective parents!
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29. Conversational Writing
It’s more relatable (and probably more interesting) for
prospective parents!
• Try using ”you” and “we”
• Shorter sentences
• Informal feel
• Ask questions
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30. Conversational Writing
It’s more relatable (and probably more interesting) for
prospective parents!
• Try using ”you” and “we”
• Shorter sentences
• Informal feel
• Ask questions
• Don’t be afraid to have fun!
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31. Conversational Writing
It’s more relatable (and probably more interesting) for
prospective parents!
• Try using ”you” and “we”
• Shorter sentences
• Informal feel
• Ask questions
• Don’t be afraid to have fun!
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*Read what you’ve written out loud with a trusted
colleague

32. ©Association of Independent School Admission Professionals Annual Summer Institute 2016 32
- Whitby Difference Page

33. Informative Blog and Resources
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34. Informative Blog and Resources
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35. INBOUND MARKETING
STRATEGY
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36. CREATE CONTENT
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37. Congrats! You’re now a publisher.
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Creating content is where you should spend
most of your time and effort.

38. Congrats! You’re now a publisher.
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Why? You need to
produce a lot of
content.

39. Congrats! You’re now a publisher.
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Why? You need to
produce a lot of
content.
AND – it needs to
be quality.

40. How to plan and execute your content
• Pinpoint your persona
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41. How to plan and execute your content
• Pinpoint your persona
• Start with a content offer and work backwards
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42. How to plan and execute your content
• Pinpoint your persona
• Start with a content offer and work backwards
• Identify keywords
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43. How to plan and execute your content
• Pinpoint your persona
• Start with a content offer and work backwards
• Identify keywords
• Consider buyer’s journey stage
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44. How to plan and execute your content
• Pinpoint your persona
• Start with a content offer and work backwards
• Identify keywords
• Consider buyer’s journey stage
• Consider best format (visual vs. written)
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45. How to plan and execute your content
• Pinpoint your persona
• Start with a content offer and work backwards
• Identify keywords
• Consider buyer’s journey stage
• Consider best format (visual vs. written)
• Gated vs. non-gated
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46. How to plan and execute your content
• Pinpoint your persona
• Start with a content offer and work backwards
• Identify keywords
• Consider buyer’s journey stage
• Consider best format (visual vs. written)
• Gated vs. non-gated
• Use those keywords on supporting pages &
blog posts
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47. For Example: Summer Camp
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48. For Example: Summer Camp
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51 new prospects
(not parents)
Organic - 18
Paid - 14
Direct - 18
(including 11 who previously engaged with
Admissions)

49. Involve your community in content
creation
Why? It’s too much to do alone.
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50. Involve your community in content
creation
Opportunity: Empower your community to share and
create – they are the experts!
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51. Involve your community in content
creation
Opportunity: Empower your community to share and
create – they are the experts!
• Ghostwriting
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52. Involve your community in content
creation
Opportunity: Empower your community to share and
create – they are the experts!
• Ghostwriting
• Repurpose existing content
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53. Involve your community in content
creation
Opportunity: Empower your community to share and
create – they are the experts!
• Ghostwriting
• Repurpose existing content
• Writing/creating content
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54. Involve your community in content
creation
Opportunity: Empower your community to share and
create – they are the experts!
• Ghostwriting
• Repurpose existing content
• Writing/creating content
• Ask a question to many people – compile the answers
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55. 360: Pain Point as an Opportunity
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Turn your school’s pain point into a selling point.

56. 360: Pain Point as an Opportunity
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For Example:
Whitby Pain Point – N-8 Model
Selling Point – N-8 vs K-12 Schools Guide

57. Make a plan to share your content
There’s no use in creating content if you’re not going
to share it!
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58. Make a plan to share your content
There’s no use in creating content if you’re not going
to share it!
• Search engine optimized
• Social media
• Share with parents
• Share with faculty/staff
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59. DEVELOP A NURTURE PLAN
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60. Someone loves your content. Now
what?
Step 1: Be cool! (think of it like dating…)
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61. Someone loves your content. Now
what?
Develop a nurture plan that carries potential
customers through the buyer’s journey.
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- Higher Education Marketing

62. ALIGN ADVERTISING
WITH INBOUND
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63. I’m not saying don’t advertise…
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64. I’m not saying don’t advertise…
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Advertising should tie into your greater strategy.
• Track your online paid ads and evaluate

65. I’m not saying don’t advertise…
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Advertising should tie into your greater strategy.
• Track your online paid ads and evaluate
• Make sure print and online ads promote the same
messages as your website

66. I’m not saying don’t advertise…
©Association of Independent School Admission Professionals Annual Summer Institute 2016 66
Advertising should tie into your greater strategy.
• Track your online paid ads and evaluate
• Make sure print and online ads promote the same
messages as your website
• Think of the buyer’s journey and your personas

67. MEASURE AND
MAKE ADJUSTMENTS
67©Association of Independent School Admission Professionals Annual Summer Institute 2016

68. Key Data Points to Consider
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69. Conversion Rate
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Percentage of visitors who take a given action on your site

70. Conversion Rate
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Percentage of visitors who take a given action on your site
• Google AdWords

71. Conversion Rate
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Percentage of visitors who take a given action on your site
• Google AdWords
• Clicks on Calls to Action

72. Conversion Rate
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Percentage of visitors who take a given action on your site
• Google AdWords
• Clicks on Calls to Action
• Completion of site forms
• Blog subscribers
• Content offers
• Inquiry form
• Schedule a tour

73. Conversion Rate
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Percentage of visitors who take a given action on your site
• Google AdWords
• Clicks on Calls to Action
• Completion of site forms
• Blog subscribers
• Content offers
• Inquiry form
• Schedule a tour
• Lead to customer ratio

74. Conversion Rate
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Percentage of visitors who take a given action on your site
• Google AdWords
• Clicks on Calls to Action
• Completion of site forms
• Blog subscribers
• Content offers
• Inquiry form
• Schedule a tour
• Lead to customer ratio
Set benchmarks and
continuously measure

75. Keyword Position and
Opportunities
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76. Keyword Position and
Opportunities
Other Tools: SEM Rush | Ahrefs.com | Google
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77. Traffic Sources
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[Employment Page] January – June 2016

78. Break it down even further…
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[Employment Page] January – June 2016

79. Other Analytics
• Video completion rate
• Time on site
• Mobile vs. desktop
• Journey on website
• Bounce rate
• A/B Testing
• Smart Content
Try not to think about these elements in isolation –
connect them to understand big picture performance.
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80. QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
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81. p.o. box 709
Boston post road
Madison, CT 06443
www.aisap.org
203.421.7051
81©Association of Independent School Admission Professionals Annual Summer Institute 2016