Summer is magazine season for many independent schools. Communications teams are busy putting the finishing touches on one of your most significant marketing investments. But what happens after the magazine lands in mailboxes?
For too many schools, the answer is “not much.” But the mailbox should be the beginning of your magazine’s journey, not the end, inspiring your team to maximize its impact.
Your school magazine is much more than a print publication. It’s a year-long content library. Every article, profile, photo, quote and statistic can fuel your website, social media, admissions marketing, email communications, and fundraising efforts.
Print and digital are not separate strategies. They strengthen and fuel the other. Print is the foundation of an integrated communications strategy and a powerful engagement tool for alumni, current families, and prospects.
Think Beyond the Printed Page
Creating a school magazine requires significant investments of time, budget and creativity. Instead of treating it as a standalone publication, build your editorial plan with repurposing in mind.
One magazine can provide months of engaging content across every communications channel. Planning for repurposing during the editorial process helps the team extend the life of each article, maximize their investment, and reach audiences wherever they prefer to engage.
Turn Alumni Profiles into Social Media Content
Alumni stories are perfect for social media because they inspire prospective families while strengthening alumni connections.
Instead of publishing the full profile only in print, break it into a series of posts featuring:
- Professional accomplishments
- Career advice
- Favorite school memories
- Lessons learned since graduation
- Behind-the-scenes insights
- Throwback photos paired with current images
One profile can easily become several weeks of engaging content. Brand these profiles with the same graphic treatment to create a “series” feel to the social media posts.
Extend Feature Stories on Your Website
Magazine stories shouldn’t disappear once the issue is printed. Republish feature articles on your school’s website where they can continue attracting readers through search, email campaigns and social media.
Consider expanding stories with additional photography, video, interviews or downloadable resources that weren’t included in the print edition. Online versions also give prospective families and alumni an easy way to share stories with others.
Ask your designer to create downloadable PDFs of articles without the page signature for your website. Admissions and enrollment staff can link these articles in emails to prospects. If it’s a magazine spread that can easily be printed back-to-back (again, without the magazine page notation), create admissions collateral.
Build Social Content from Every Story
Nearly every magazine article contains multiple pieces of content ready for social media. You don’t need to create entirely new content. Simply repackage what’s already there into graphics, carousel posts, or short videos.
Look for:
- Memorable pull quotes
- Student or faculty achievements
- Program statistics
- Research highlights
- Classroom moments
- Event photography
- Fun facts
Data, especially, deserves its own spotlight on social media (and on your website). You’ve done the interviewing and research for the data that you included in the magazine articles. Pull what you published and transform this key information into visual, easily digestible, and highly shareable content—and not just for social. These infographics may be used for admissions materials, parent newsletters, annual reports and website landing pages.
Look for data on:
- College matriculation results
- Alumni career outcomes
- Fundraising impact
- Student achievements
- Service hours
- Program growth
Create a Digital Magazine Hub
Rather than uploading a PDF and calling it done, create a dedicated magazine section on your website. Republishing individual stories as web pages allows you to:
- Improve search engine visibility
- Share direct links in email campaigns
- Drive traffic from social media
- Keep stories accessible year-round
- Showcase your school’s thought leadership
A searchable online magazine also gives prospective families an authentic look inside your school community. University magazines have been doing this well for years. Check out these hubs:
Stanford Magazine (which also incorporates video into its magazine microsite)
Stretch Stories Throughout the Year
One of the biggest missed opportunities is releasing all magazine content at once. Instead, build a “From the Magazine” content series that extends publication well beyond your magazine’s release date.
Feature one story each week or month across your communications channels. This approach keeps your content calendar full while continually highlighting the outstanding people and programs that define your school.
Support Admissions with Authentic Storytelling
Your prospects want “heartstrings” moments, stories where they can see themselves in your community. And that comes from sharing real stories about your students, faculty and alumni.
Magazine profiles featuring students, faculty, parents and alumni provide authentic examples of your school’s mission in action. Repurpose these stories into admissions webpages, inquiry email campaigns, viewbooks, presentations and open house materials.
Want ideas for a great school magazine?
Check out blog post on how to make your school magazine a must-read.
Download our free e-book, Creating Great School Magazines, for pro tips, design ideas and more.
We are creative and editorial experts in transforming school magazines into marketing juggernauts. Let’s talk!
