Upgrade School Marketing

About Upgrade School Marketing

The podcast for busy school marketers to connect with top experts, and get the tactics you need to crush your school’s enrollment goals!

Publisher

Upgrade School Marketing

Category

business · education · technology

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

13 Feb 2023

Latest episode

23 Jun 2026

Latest episodes

19 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   23 Jun 2026

   Does Your School Have a Market or a Marketing Problem? | Dana Nelson-Isaacs

   Does Your School Have a Market or a Marketing Problem? | Dana Nelson-Isaacs When enrollment numbers dip, it’s tempting to throw more marketing at the problem, but what if that’s not the right fix? In this episode, Matt and Angie sit down with Dana Nelson-Isaacs, an enrollment strategy expert with more than 25 years of experience advising schools on market research, enrollment feasibility, and strategic planning. Dana walks through the crucial distinction between a market problem (think: demographic shifts, psychographic mismatches, or a saturated competitive landscape) and a marketing problem (think: messaging that doesn’t resonate, families dropping out of your funnel, or your school being the “best kept secret” in town). She shares how schools can use data they likely already have, decline surveys, newly enrolled family interviews, accreditation self-studies, and more, to diagnose what’s really going on. Whether your school is facing summer melt, a shrinking applicant pool, or a perception gap, Dana offers clear, actionable guidance on where to start and when to bring in outside support. CoHosts & Guests Matt Soule | Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall School Angie Ward | Enroll Media Group Dana Nelson-Isaacs | DNI Consulting| LinkedIn Resources Data & Research: NAIS Demographic Center (for NAIS member schools) NAIS MarketView U.S. Census Bureau Upgrade School Marketing now on Apple Podcasts, and Spotify Related Episodes Does Your School Have a Market or a Marketing Problem? | Dana Nelson-Isaacs by Upgrade School Marketing | Jun 23, 2026 | Is your school struggling with enrollment, but not sure if it’s a marketing issue or something bigger? In this episode, enrollment strategy expert Dana Nelson-Isaacs helps school leaders diagnose whether they’re facing a market problem or a marketing problem, and outlines the practical steps schools can take to address both. A must-listen for heads of school, admissions directors, and school marketers. Do School Websites Still Matter?  | Jamie Giblett by Upgrade School Marketing | Jun 8, 2026 | Do School Websites Still Matter? | Jamie Giblett In this episode, Matt and Angie sit down with Jamie Giblett, Sales Manager for Digistorm's American operations, to tackle a question on every school marketer's mind: do school websites still matter in the age of AI and... How to Bring School Storytelling to Life | Emily Cretella by Upgrade School Marketing | Feb 7, 2026 | How to Bring School Storytelling to Life | Emily Cretella In this episode, Emily Cretella, founder of Cursive Content, shares her proven framework for helping schools tell stories that actually connect with families. Drawing from nearly 20 years of marketing...

2. 

   8 Jun 2026

   Do School Websites Still Matter?  | Jamie Giblett

3. 

   7 Feb 2026

   How to Bring School Storytelling to Life | Emily Cretella

4. 

   12 Nov 2025

   Transforming Admissions Through Alumni Engagement | Nastaran Hakimi & Meg Shannon

   Transforming Admissions Through Alumni Engagement | Nastaran Hakimi & Meg Shannon In this episode, Nastaran Hakimi and Meg Shannon from Boston University Academy share how they’ve built an innovative alumni interviewing program that now handles 150 admissions interviews per season. They discuss the evolution from a small Saturday program to a comprehensive initiative that engages alumni across the country through virtual interviews, personalized email campaigns, and speaking opportunities. Learn their practical strategies for training alumni interviewers, keeping them updated on school changes, managing evening interview schedules, and addressing family perceptions about interview importance. The conversation reveals how this collaboration between admissions and alumni relations creates wins across the board: reducing staff workload, providing more equitable access through evening and weekend interviews, keeping young alumni engaged with the school, and giving prospective families authentic connections with graduates who’ve lived the school experience. Nastaran Hakimi is the Assistant Head of School for Enrollment Management and Institutional Advancement at Boston University Academy, where she oversees admissions, alumni relations, and marketing. Meg Shannon serves as Senior Associate Director of Admission. Together, they’ve built BUA’s alumni engagement initiatives over 13+ years at the school. Hosts & Guests Matt Soule | Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall School Angie Ward | Enroll Media Group Nastaran Hakimi Meg Shannon Upgrade School Marketing now on Apple Podcasts, and Spotify Related Episodes Transforming Admissions Through Alumni Engagement | Nastaran Hakimi & Meg Shannon by Upgrade School Marketing | Nov 12, 2025 | Transforming Admissions Through Alumni Engagement | Nastaran Hakimi & Meg Shannon  In this episode, Nastaran Hakimi and Meg Shannon from Boston University Academy share how they've built an innovative alumni interviewing program that now handles 150 admissions... Building Stronger School Teams with the Six Types of Working Genius | Miriam Stein by Angie Ward | Aug 23, 2025 | Building Stronger School Teams with the Six Types of Working Genius In this episode, team strategist Miriam Stein reveals how schools can transform their team dynamics using the Six Types of Working Genius assessment. Drawing from over 20 years of experience working... All About Yield | Admissions Roundtable by Angie Ward | Feb 11, 2025 | This panel-style episode comprises 5 Enrollment Management, Admission and Marketing Professionals from 5 different independent schools who are ready to talk yield. From clever acceptance packages and videos, to email marketing, ads, and beyond, this discussion is packed with creative ideas to help Independent Schools move parents and students from the acceptance stage to enrolled status.

5. 

   23 Aug 2025

   Building Stronger School Teams with the Six Types of Working Genius | Miriam Stein

6. 

   11 Feb 2025

   All About Yield | Admissions Roundtable

   This panel-style episode comprises 5 Enrollment Management, Admission and Marketing Professionals from 5 different independent schools who are ready to talk yield. From clever acceptance packages and videos, to email marketing, ads, and beyond, this discussion is packed with creative ideas to help Independent Schools move parents and students from the acceptance stage to enrolled status.

7. 

   16 Dec 2024

   LinkedIn School Marketing in 2025 | Angie Ward

8. 

   15 Aug 2024

   Six Steps to Create a Persona Based Storytelling Campaign for Schools | Lisa Leidy 

   In this episode of the Upgrade School Marketing Podcast, we welcome Lisa Leidy, the Agency Principal at Square Spot Design. With over two decades of experience in developing creative strategies for nonprofits, Lisa has been instrumental in helping mission-driven organizations find their authentic voice and create impactful communications.

9. 

   21 Jun 2024

   School SEO in the AI Era: How to Stay Ahead of the Curve | Reggie Johnson

   In this podcast episode, Reggie Johnson discusses how to future-proof your School’s SEO in the era of AI and beyond. He highlights the changing landscape of search, where AI chatbots and AI-infused search engines are becoming more prevalent.

10. 

    5 Mar 2024

    Taking Email Marketing to the Next Level | Rebecca Bernardo-Hartley

    Email marketing is a powerful tool for schools and can help with admissions, retention, development, and more. But where do you begin? And how do you unlock the power of email marketing for your school? In this podcast, we will tap into some email marketing tips and tricks to make your email marketing plan work for you!

11. 

    10 Feb 2024

    Strategies to Boost Your Student Retention| Jill Goodman

    In this episode with Jill Goodman, we are exploring the essential strategies for keeping families engaged and enrolled in your institution. We'll be focusing on the often-overlooked aspect of internal marketing, particularly in relation to communication with parents/guardians.

12. 

    8 Jan 2024

    How Schools Can Leverage Data in 2024 | Jesse Roberts

13. 

    10 Oct 2023

    International Student Recruitment Trends | Michael Shaver (TABS)

    Learn about the newest trends in the recruitment of international students using new data from the Association of Boarding Schools.

14. 

    12 Sept 2023

    How to Keep Your School from Being a Hidden Gem

15. 

    9 May 2023

    Mini Episode – Upgrading Google Analytics to GA4

    We're excited to let you know that we've just released a new mini episode of the Upgrade School Marketing podcast all about upgrading your school’s website to Google Analytics GA4. Whether you're a digital marketer in education or just someone who wants to stay up to date with the latest web analytics tools, this episode is for you!

16. 

    5 Apr 2023

    The Future of School Fundraising | Emma Balina & Holman Gao

    Today, we're discussing a topic that's of utmost importance for schools: the future of fundraising. Traditionally, schools have relied on methods like auctions to raise money, but these approaches can often leave out families who cannot afford to bid on high-priced items. In this episode, we'll explore how schools can remove auctions and other barriers to create more inclusive fundraising campaigns that engage all families and ultimately raise more money overall.

17. 

    17 Mar 2023

    Don’t Fear the School Website Redesign | Tara Claeys & Lysa Miller

    The phrase “website redesign” can strike fear in the hearts of marketing and communication professionals at schools everywhere. But fear not, we are joined by Tara Claeys of Design TLC and Lysa Miller of Ladybugz Interactive. Both are experts in website design, and specifically in walking through the process of redesigning a website with schools.

18. 

    1 Mar 2023

    Connor Gleason | Using ChatGPT in School Marketing

19. 

    13 Feb 2023

    Emma Willard School | Admissions Funnel Roundtable: Yield

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Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

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Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.