3 Effective Strategies to Market Your Trust

The landscape of multi-academy trusts in England is changing. By now, we’re all well aware of the increasing pace of academisation across the country. Every multi-academy trust marketing strategy is being spurred on by various government papers since early 2022 (including Opportunities for All, the Levelling Up agenda, and the Schools white paper).

Each paper has included reference to, and the promotion of, a key government policy – to have every school in England join, or be in the process of joining, a multi-academy trust by 2030.

A Trust Marketing Strategy for Growth

The drive for this move is, in essence, simplification. By creating a single regulatory approach, the government hopes to “drive up standards through the growth of strong trusts and the establishment of new ones”. This would create clear roles and accountability, and create a more collaborative system to enable all members to play their part in driving improvements.

The big question is, what could this rapid increase in academisation look like?

In truth, the plan seems more like an acceleration of an already established growth, rather than the introduction of an entirely new concept. According to data gathered by FFT Education Data Lab, the percentage of primary and secondary schools in trusts of any size has been steadily growing over the last few years.

They suggest that the biggest change won’t necessarily be whether a school is part of a trust, but the size and management of the trusts themselves.

According to the government, trusts will need to be made up of 10 schools or more – though there are limitations on how many schools an individual trust can be responsible for within each region.

FFT Education Data Lab’s report suggests that the average multi-academy size in 2022 is just 7 schools, and this doesn’t take into account single academy trusts.

It’s no surprise then that trust growth is one of the biggest issues facing many SATs and MATs today. In this article, we take a detailed look at three tried-and-tested methods for accelerating trust growth, from how to effectively build your reputation and brand, to the importance of well-crafted and targeted communications.

Strategy 1: Build Your Reputation with Positive News and Results

It wouldn’t be overly dramatic to say that reputation is everything when it comes to sales and marketing. Without a positive, solid reputation in your local community, your marketing activities are likely to be met with vague disinterest – or worse.

However in truth, combatting this issue doesn’t need to be the headache you think it is. In every school in your trust, whether it’s just one, a small handful, or dozens spread across the country, there are positive stories and results being created.

Has one of your schools received an Outstanding Ofsted report? Perhaps they’ve been visited by a celebrity for a guest assembly? Maybe one of your many students has done something incredible for charity with the support of their school?

All of the above are great things to shout about, particularly if you’ve got a good range of stories across multiple schools. They’re a great way to show other schools the kind of environment and mentality that you value and promote at your trust.

But perhaps the best news to share is a story of transformation. Think about that school you know that’s struggling with admissions, or recently received a negative Ofsted report. What they really want to know is how you can help them overcome these challenges – so make sure to shout about the success you’ve had in the past!

Strategy 2: Establish a Solid Ethos, and Target Schools with the Same or Similar Visions

Before any school agrees to join your Trust, they need to know who you are, and what you stand for. So make sure you have a solid foundation to build your trust’s brand – and a great way to do this is publicising your vision and ethos.

For instance, your ethos could be to inspire life-long dreams in your students, or encourage a love of learning, or perhaps the development of well-rounded members of society in an inclusive and caring environment.

All excellent goals, and schools will be looking to pair themselves with a trust that has a vision similar to their own.

However, it’s also a good idea to include your thoughts on school management in this ethos too. For many, it’s easy (and understandable!) to focus solely on the provision of a high-quality education and positive environment for your students.

Don’t fall into the trap of ignoring what your trust can do for school management and staff – perhaps you want to highlight how you can protect and promote a school’s individuality, despite them being part of a larger group? Maybe you want to focus on the professional development opportunities that you can provide for staff members, and the support you can provide them in their own careers?

Whatever you decide is going to be your approach, make sure to say it loud and clear!

Strategy 3: Communicate!

This leads us nicely into our final, and most important, strategy – communication.

It’s all well and good having positive stories to share, excellent outcomes for students and staff, and a solid vision and ethos, but if you don’t talk about it, how is anyone to know?

Developing your brand and achieving the results you want is great, but to succeed in growing your trust and reputation, you’re going to need an effective communication strategy.

To do this, there’s a couple of things you need to consider.

First up is understanding your audience. In today’s education sector, it’s likely that schools are already looking at making the move to an academy, which means they might already be speaking to another organisation.

To gain their attention, you need to make sure you stand out from the crowd – think about the platform you’ll approach them on, and the message you want to deliver. First impressions count here, so make it engaging, catchy and memorable.

Secondly, think about the frequency with which you can communicate. Sending one communication out on one channel is unlikely to provide great results.

And lastly, resourcing. A plan is all well and good, but if you don’t have the resources to execute it effectively, you’re likely to fall behind or produce lower quality content in a rush to launch.

That’s where outsourcing comes in.

Reach Out for Help

Improving your school’s marketing can seem like a daunting task, but you don’t have to go it alone.

Delivering a competitive and successful marketing campaign takes a broad range of expertise and experience, and by working with us, you can access a fully fledged marketing team at a fraction of the cost.

Whether it’s boosting your reputation and building relationships with your target audiences, or developing a successful communications plan, we’re here to help. Take a look at our services page today, or get in touch for an informal chat.