Storytelling and Brand Stewardship
We are all storytellers. And a good story told well matters most.
Working with schools means I get to fall in love each time I kick off a new project. Getting to know each school, I watch faculty light up as they describe breakthrough moments in their classrooms. Staff can’t wait to share something remarkable they witnessed that week. Parents beam talking about how much their student has grown. It’s not just the examples—it’s the way they tell each story that’s magnetic.
Don’t get me wrong—it’s not all butterflies and unicorns. We eventually hear it all. But that first conversation? That’s everyone on their best behavior. The honeymoon phase. This sets the tone for the questions to ask and shapes first impression of a place. I do try to show up with no assumptions, or at least name them when I have them, to keep the most open mind possible.
Here’s the reality: You won’t get this grace from prospects. Parents paying tuition won’t let you live in the honeymoon phase forever. They will expect you to consistently prove your value.
So how do we attract prospective parents, remind existing families why they chose your school, and keep faculty engaged? Storytelling. It’s a practice that, when done well, transforms everything.
Three Essential Strategies for Effective School Storytelling
- Define “Effective” Based on Your Audience
If your goal is engaging your current community, nothing beats reflection and reminders about the magic happening on campus. Internal storytelling feels good, lights up your community, and drives retention. But don’t stop there.
To engage prospective families, your enthusiasm and stories need to demonstrate how your magic aligns with what they value most. This is how storytelling drives enrollment.
- Authentic Storytelling + Market Insight = Brand Stewardship
Find the overlap between what you do exceptionally well and what matters most to your market. Aligning external buzz with internal reality requires listening to your community and doing your homework.
Research what families think of you. It may confirm what you already know, or discover something revelatory. This information is gold—it helps you prioritize and refine the top three things people wish they knew about your school. When you access campus stories that bring their priorities to life, your entire community becomes effective brand stewards.
- Lead with Benefits, Support with Features
Most schools talk about features: small class sizes, innovative curriculum, freedom in the classroom. Families care about benefits to their child.
Instead of: “I get to teach what I’m passionate about, what I’m an expert in.” Try: “Students love school here because they learn from experts in their fields. Their passion for the subject is contagious, and students understand why this learning matters to their lives.”
One sounds like a career perk. The other demonstrates student-centered value. Lead with benefits, then prove them with features. This equation creates undeniable value. Benefits + features = value.
Your Next Steps: Reflect, Refresh, Radiate Reflect on your stories to highlight what matters most to your audience. That’s strategy. Refresh them regularly with new examples and perspectives. Radiate them to people not yet in the know.
Current and prospective families are looking for value. Your storytellers are your brand stewards, and we are all tour guides for the experience we create.
Let’s explore these storytelling strategies together at EMA this September in Austin! I hope you will join me and Torsie Judkins as we workshop the what and how behind effective storytelling, through a case study and fun collaboration.