At Marketing Advice for Schools, we know your school communication can be tough. Parents are busy. Inboxes are crowded, and even when schools put real effort into their emails, the results don’t always show it.

So, how do you do succeed in email marketing?

Email marketing still works when it’s done right. It isn’t about sending more messages. It’s about sending the right ones in the right way. With a thoughtful strategy, schools can transform email into one of their most effective communication tools.

Here’s how to do it.

1. Segment your audience for relevance.

Not every partner has the same needs, or the same level of interest in every topic. Treating your entire email list as one big group often leads to low engagement.

Instead of doing this, try creating as many segments as you can such as,

• Prospect parents
• Current parents
• Alumni and past parents
• Specific year groups or stages

This way, each group receives content that’s actually relevant to them, making it far more likely they will open, read, and take action.

Our partner Creativeworld, states that the more personalised your content is, the better your results will be.

2. Write subject lines that will spark curiosity.

Your subject line is the first impression. If it doesn’t catch attention, your email will not get opened.

By using techniques like…

• Urgency: “Last chance to register for our info session”
• Value: “5 ways to support your child’s learning at home”
• Curiosity: “Why parents are talking about this program”

This will attract readers and make them engage with the email.

3. Design for the mobile first

Over 70% of parents read school emails on their phones. If your design isn’t mobile friendly, you’ll lose them instantly. Keep layouts clean and simple, here’s how you can do it…

• Short, scannable text
• Clear calls to action
• High quality, authentic photos of in school life
• Consistent branding and tone.
• Contact Information, easy to find

Having a professional, mobile friendly design builds trust and signals that your school values communication.

4. Share content parents want.

Parents don’t just want updates, they want value. Go beyond announcements and share content that helps, inspires, or connects.

Some ideas that could help you are including parenting tips and educational resources, event invites tailored to interests or year groups or even alumni success stories that highlight long term outcomes.

Think of your emails are a service to parents, not just a notice board.

5. Use automation to engage prospective families.

Automated email journeys are a game changer for admissions. They let you stay in touch without extra admin.

A simple automation flow could include…

• A warm welcome email
• Program or curriculum highlights
• Event invitation
• Application reminders

Automation ensures prospective families receive consistent, timely communication without the need to stay on top of each usar, emails are automatically sent depending on where they are at on the usar experience making this more personalised and consistent.

6. Measure, Test, and Improve

Don’t just send emails and hope for the best. Track performance and use the data to refine your approach.

Key metrics to monitor:

• Open rates
• Click-through rates.
• Unsubscribes
• Conversions (RSVPs, applications, etc.)

Short parent surveys can also provide valuable feedback to keep your emails useful and welcome.

Creativeworld uses a number of different survey tools and monitoring, if in need of these services, don’t hesitate to contact us😊

Tip: Treat emails like campaigns, not notices. Testing and tweaking over time will make them more effective.

Better Emails = Better Engagement

Email isn’t going away, it’s one of the most reliable, measurable ways to connect with parents. But effectiveness comes from strategy, not volume.

By segmenting audiences, creating stronger subject lines, designing for mobile, sharing valuable content, automating where possible, and tracking results, schools can transform their emails into a powerful communication and engagement tool.