Back-to-school season is one of the busiest and most critical times for school marketers. It’s a period filled with excitement, anticipation, and for many schools, communication chaos. From operational updates to storytelling content, the challenge lies in cutting through the noise and delivering messages that are timely, relevant and engaging.
In a recent webinar with Aubrey Bursch, Founder and CEO of Easy School Marketing, and Ashley Santana, Veracross Content Marketing Manager, schools were given practical strategies for developing a strong communication plan that supports a smooth start to the school year. Drawing on their extensive experience in school marketing and communications, they offered insights that are both actionable and grounded in the realities of school life.
Understand the importance of a plan
“Without a plan, communication really becomes noise,” shares Aubrey Bursch, founder of Easy School Marketing. She describes a common scenario: a new family joins the school, excited and slightly nervous, only to be met with a flood of disjointed emails—uniform shop updates, tuckshop announcement, extracurricular sign-ups, payment deadlines, corrections to previous messages. The result is confusion, chaos and potentially some doubt about their decision to enrol.
A well-structured communication plan, on the other hand, builds confidence and connection, making parents feel well-supported (and a bit warm and fuzzy). It ensures that families receive the right information at the right time, and it sets the tone for a positive school experience. What’s not to love about that?
Begin with a serious comms audit
Ashley Santana, Content Marketing Manager at Veracross and former Associate Director of Communications at an independent school, recommends starting with a comprehensive audit of your school’s communication landscape. This involves identifying all the platforms used, the individuals or departments responsible for messaging and the audiences being targeted.
This audit not only helps streamline communication but also provides valuable documentation that can support requests for additional resources or staffing.
Get organised with a master calendar
One of the most effective tools shared during the webinar was a master communications calendar. Ashley described how a simple Google Sheet became a central hub for all school communications, allowing teams to coordinate messaging, avoid overlap and maintain consistency.
“It allowed me to create that one place for all communications,” she explained. The calendar included details such as the department, platform, audience and timing of each message, and even served as an archive for future reference.
Use the two-bucket content strategy
Aubrey introduced a helpful framework for content planning: the “two buckets” approach.
Bucket one is filled with must-haves. These are operational communications such as health forms, drop-off instructions and calendars for the term ahead. They should be clear, concise and easy to access.
Bucket two is filled with your school’s mission-driven magic. This is your storytelling content. It includes blog posts, social media updates and classroom snapshots that showcase your school’s values and culture.
“When you use storytelling strategically, you don’t just inform, you inspire,” Aubrey noted. These stories help reinforce the school’s mission and build emotional connections with families.
Reduce communication fatigue
With parents receiving an average of four school-related emails per day, communication fatigue is a real concern. To address this, Ashley and Aubrey recommend gathering data through surveys to understand the preferences of your families, such as preferred channels, timing and message formats.
They also emphasised the importance of a coordinated communication plan across departments. “When everyone sees the big picture, you avoid that dreaded pile-up,” Aubrey said, referring to the common issue of multiple departments sending messages simultaneously without coordination.
Apply email best practices
Given the volume of emails families receive, being clear and straight to the point is essential. Use bullet points, bold headings and clear subject lines. Avoid burying important information deep within the message.
Ashley shared a useful exercise: send a sample email to staff, give them eight seconds to read it, and then ask what they remember. This helps highlight whether your key messages are being seen and remembered.
Diversify your channels
While email remains a primary channel, schools should also consider using:
- Text messaging for urgent or time-sensitive updates.
- Parent portals as a central hub for forms, FAQs and schedules.
- Mobile apps for push notifications and easy access to key information.
- Social media to engage and inspire through storytelling.
Aubrey recommended the “4:1 rule” for social media: for every one promotional post, share four that build connection, such as student spotlights, behind-the-scenes moments or parent testimonials.
Wrapping up
Back-to-school communication is more than just logistics—it’s an opportunity to build trust, reinforce your school’s values and create a sense of belonging. As Ashley put it, “That value-added storytelling content is really key. It makes people feel good. And that’s what you want when they’re engaging with your community.”
With the right tools, a thoughtful strategy and a collaborative approach, school marketers can set the stage for a successful and connected school year.
