Who Owns Your School’s Marketing?
January is peak admissions season.
Families are finalizing applications, comparing schools side by side, and making some of the most important
educational decisions of their lives.
Admissions teams are deep in interviews and follow-ups.
Communications teams are telling powerful stories about community, culture, and outcomes.
But there’s a quieter, often overlooked question sitting in the background:
The question to ask
Who is actively making sure your digital presence is working for you right now?
The Reality of the Modern Admissions Journey
Today’s families don’t experience your school in a linear way.
They might:
- Visit your website after a recommendation from a friend
- Google “private schools near me” late at night
- Click a paid ad, then leave and come back through organic search
- Compare your admissions page to two or three competitors in the same afternoon
By the time they reach out to your admissions office, they’ve already formed impressions, sometimes
without realizing it.
Key takeaway
Your digital presence isn’t just marketing support — it’s part of the admissions experience itself.
The Visibility Gap We See Again and Again
Even strong schools with capable teams can experience unnecessary friction during admissions season when digital
marketing doesn’t have a clear owner.
We commonly see things like:
- Admissions pages that haven’t been updated since the fall
- Google Ads still pointing to last year’s open house pages
- Local search results showing outdated hours, events, or program details
- Schools not appearing for searches like “private schools in [town]”
- Social posts that don’t connect back to current admissions priorities
None of these issues are catastrophic on their own.
Why it matters
Together, these small issues create hesitation, confusion, or extra steps for families who are already juggling
deadlines and decisions. In a season where clarity matters, friction works against you.
Why This Happens (Even at Well-Run Schools)
This gap rarely exists because of neglect.
More often, it exists because:
- Admissions owns the process, not the platforms
- Communications owns the voice, not the performance
- Marketing responsibilities are shared, not centralized
What happens next
Digital marketing ends up living between teams rather than being actively stewarded. When no one is explicitly
responsible, small misalignments accumulate.
What Clear Digital Ownership Actually Looks Like
Schools that move through admissions season smoothly don’t necessarily do more — they do things intentionally.
Clear digital ownership doesn’t replace admissions or communications work. It ensures everything is aligned in real time.
That usually means someone is actively checking that:
- The website supports families through the application process
- Search visibility reflects current enrollment priorities
- Paid campaigns lead to relevant, updated landing pages
- Local search results accurately represent the school
In one word
Stewardship — keeping the right touchpoints current, aligned, and working together during peak decision moments.
Digital Alignment Is an Admissions Advantage
Families may never articulate why one school felt easier or clearer than another. But clarity builds confidence.
When information is current, paths are obvious, and messaging is aligned, families move forward more decisively —
and with fewer unanswered questions.
That’s the point
That’s not branding. That’s admissions support.
A Simple January Check-In
If you’re wondering whether your digital presence is fully supporting your admissions efforts right now, this is
exactly the moment to look.
Through January, we’re offering complimentary 20-minute digital visibility reviews for schools.
We’ll quickly assess key touchpoints — website, search presence, active campaigns — and flag quick wins that could
reduce friction for families during decision season.
No pressure. Only clarity.
Sometimes the smallest adjustments make the biggest difference when it matters most.
