By David Bennett, Education Marketing Consultant at Creativeworld, in partnership with Marketing Advice For Schools.

Open days are one of the most important events in a school’s calendar. They are more than just a tour of the school; they are the moment when families step into your world and begin to picture their child as part of your community.

However, in 2025, simply opening your schools’ doors and hoping for the best won’t cut it. With families having more choices, and higher expectations, it takes smart, consistent marketing to cut through the noise and attract the right visitors which will result interest turning into actual applications.

At Creativeworld, we partner with schools across the UK to make sure their Open Days aren’t just well-attended, but strategically effective.

David Bennett – “Don’t have just an open day…have an open day everyday…make your school available to them when it suits them. Make it personal.”

Here’s what’s working right now:

1.Make it welcoming and easy to find

Although it sounds basic, make your school easy to spot, too many schools still hide their open day details behind multiple clicks or vague signposts.

Make your event clearly visible on your website homepage. Make the registration form simple and easy to follow while using friendly, welcoming language instead of corporate terms. Making it free to attend is also an important factor as it enables inclusivity and welcomes more members to join.

To boost accessibility, having an option for a virtual tour is also an option. These do not have to be cinematic masterpieces, just a simple ‘walk and talk’ video with the schools headteacher or student guides can go a long way. Having one of these assets also has staying power and can be repurposed across your marketing channels.

 

2.Use video to tell your story

Using video remains one of the most powerful tools for school marketing. Short clips featuring pupils sharing their experiences, or teachers talking about what makes their subject come alive. Help families feel what your school is really like.

Working with our video partner Bigtank. We have helped schools create compelling, authentic content that gets used across email invites, social media, events landing pages, and post-event ups.

“Video builds trust and trust builds attendance.”

 

3. Don’t wait until the last minute

One of the most common mistakes in school marketing is starting your opening day campaign a week before the event. We recommend giving families plenty of time to discover, consider, and plan around your event. The best way to do this is by beginning marketing at least 6-8 weeks in advance.

Our integrated campaigns typically include the following:

• Targeted Facebook and Instagram ads
• Engaging social media content (countdowns, behind-the-scenes, student stories)
• Digital or printed leaflets/posters that are distributed locally.

School marketing isn’t about ONE big push, it’s about building steady, consistent momentum.

 

4. DATA, DATA, DATA – It’s so important.

Are you looking to make your marketing smarter? Start by collecting, arranging, and using your data to your advantage.

When families register online or in person to your event, ask for more information than just a name and an email.

Here are some things you can additionally ask for to help better your schools marketing data:

• Which year group are they interested in?
• How did they find your school?
• If they want updates and future events

Having this further information allows you to personalise follow-up emails or messages, you can re-target those who didn’t attend previously and gather information about your last campaign and how to can improve it in the future.

However, it is important to stay within the GDPR regulations and remain transparent with the data you are collecting and how this will be used.

Too learn more on this, click the link – Data protection: The UK’s data protection legislation – GOV.UK

 

5. Follow ups

Follow-ups are where the magic happens! Too many schools treat there open day events as their finish lines. Its not, It’s the middles of the journey.

This step is where the real engagement happens, education marketing specialists such as Dave Bennett, recommends sending:

• A thank you for attending email.
• A highlights video of the event.
• A link to book a 1:1 tour session or admissions meeting.
• Extra content like subject spotlight videos or testimonials.

Doing this not only shows you value their time, but it also keeps your school front of mind while families are still comparing their options.

 

6. Think ecosystem, not event.

The most successful open day campaigns we have delivered did not happen in isolation, they were a part of a wider, ongoing marketing strategy.

This includes:

• A strong, updated website
• A warm, active email list you build throughout the year.
• Video and social content used regularly, not just before Open Day
• Thoughtful post-event engagement to nurture leads over time.
• Transition engagement – keeping in touch.

One of our partner schools saw a 65% increase in Open Day RSVPs year-on-year using this approach—and a higher conversion rate from interest to application.

 

An open day is a powerful opportunity to connect, but it’s also a test of your marketing strategy.

If families can not find the event, aren’t exited about the news they see, or never hear from you again, they will simply, move on.

But however, with the right support, your open day can become the standout moment for your school and help you stand out against the rest.

If you would like to see more, examples of these tips are available on Creativeworld’s website. Here is a link to one of their clients – Manchester Islamic Education Trust