Our reaction when a school tells us they don’t have a marketing strategy…
My bet is, you have this nagging thought at the back of your head ‘we should have a marketing strategy’, but that it keeps getting buried as there are always competing priorities.
Am I right?
You probably also know the dangers of not having a marketing strategy:
- Efforts are reactive
- Everything is a bit disjointed (what you’re doing on Instagram doesn’t link to what’s on your website)
- You have lots of ideas but you’re not sure which to focus on (making you busier than ever but without the joy of any decent results to show for it)
- You’re spinning lots of plates and not able to make any one things really effective
Does this sound at all familiar?
If it does, worry not.
A strong marketing strategy isn’t about doing more.
It’s about doing fewer things (we recommend 2 to 3) and going deep on them.
Call us if you’d like to chat your activity through: +44 161 706 0306
Emily x
The Stickman Consultancy
Reserve your spot at our FREE MASTERCLASS (in Sep) on powerful storytelling: https://bit.ly/3AY1qDU
We had a brilliant response to the launch of our LinkedIn newsletter last month: nearly 1,300 of you subscribed!
Well, our April edition is now out.
In it, we share:
- What we’re seeing across schools globally right now — and what the highest-performing schools are doing differently.
- Why most school visits fail to convert (and what to do instead)
- A 2-minute way to spot what’s holding your pupil recruitment back
- A case study: 19 new families secured in just a few weeks
- A quieter reflection on the reality of being a Head
If pupil numbers are on your mind, it’s worth a read.
Click below.
This Thursday (16th April) is when state school parents will find out which primary school their child has been offered.
Prep schools - are you primed and ready to promote your school to those parents who don’t get their first choice?
Here are a couple of suggestions for you:
1. Post on social media: Didn’t get your first choice of primary school?’
Consider doing this post as both a static post with a beautiful hero image with the question overlaid, and as a video post - the Headmaster or Headmistress or Admissions team member talking to camera.
2. Work your pipeline:
Identify and reach out to relevant families. Phone call recommended for immediacy and connection.
For either option, give parents a clear next step e.g. ‘Call us’ or ‘Book a fast-track tour’.
Be visible and helpful to these families, because in moments like this, the proactive schools are the ones that fill places.
24/03/2026
Families don’t remember every classroom or corridor.
They remember how a school made them feel.
That’s why intentional “peak” moments during a visit matter.
A head of rugby dropping in unexpectedly to meet a sports-mad family.
Stepping onto the stage with the lights on for a budding performer.
Ending the visit with a hot chocolate by the fire - or a moment with a much-loved school pet.
These moments don’t need to be grand.
But they do need to be personal.
When families feel seen, understood, and valued, emotional connection follows and that’s what drives decisions.
So next time you host a visit, don’t just give a tour.
Create a memory.
27/02/2026
📅 National Offer Day – 2 March 2026
For many families, this is the moment they start looking for alternatives.
If you’re an independent senior school, don’t wait.
In 3 simple steps:
1️⃣ Make it clear you still have places (and funding support).
2️⃣ Show up helpfully in local parent forums.
3️⃣ Use targeted social + Google ads to reach families actively searching.
Position your school as open, accessible and ready.
Because when allocations disappoint, parents move fast.
Make sure they know what’s possible.
26/02/2026
Half-term? Our Digital Marketing Manager Martin treated it like a starter’s pistol, launching into 2026 at full throttle with a major SEO drive for an international client school and a deep dive into website audits for several other clients.
Rather than chasing vanity metrics or debating shades of blue, the focus has been on meaningful search growth, sharper positioning, and ensuring every website works harder, smarter, and more strategically for pupil recruitment.
Alongside this, Martin has been crafting
The Stickman Scoop, our weekly newsletter that is fast becoming essential reading for schools who appreciate insight without the jargon, fluff or marketing waffle.
January and February have set a powerful tone, and the momentum is only building.
25/04/2025
Hello from Stickman
04/03/2025
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12/01/2025
Just heartbreaking 💔
Heads, bursars - if you’re worried about your pupil numbers, please please please talk to us 🙏
We want to help.
10/01/2025
Absolutely DELIGHTED with this result our fabulous client has achieved. The School did our 6-module marketing course and haven’t looked back.
Moorlands are a small school with limited resources, so the course was perfect for them as it gave them a shortcut to the proven pupil recruitment strategies that Stickman live and breathe in our specialist work with schools each day.
We are THRILLED for them 😊
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