This document discusses using data to set goals and measure performance for an inbound marketing strategy at a school. It outlines goals and key performance indicators for different stages of the buyer's journey - awareness, consideration, decision, and customer/evangelist. For each stage, it provides example content types and data points that could be used to assess goal achievement and drive continuous improvement. The document emphasizes asking deeper questions of the data to gain more insights and adapt strategies over time.

1. Don’t Fear the Data
Sarah Mead
Director of Marketing & Communications
Whitby School

2. Introduction

3. Introduction

4. Introduction

8. Introduction

14. First, let’s clear the air.

15. “Why are the numbers down
this month?”

16. Why data might scare us:
Accountability vs. Ownership

17. Why data might scare us:
Accountability vs. Ownership
Vulnerability

18. Why data might scare us:
Accountability vs. Ownership
Vulnerability
Lack of context

19. Why data might scare us:
Accountability vs. Ownership
Vulnerability
Lack of context
Lack of knowledge

20. It Takes Time and Effort

21. It Takes Time and Effort
● Gain knowledge

22. It Takes Time and Effort
● Gain knowledge
● Feel ownership of our data

23. It Takes Time and Effort
● Gain knowledge
● Feel ownership of our data
● Share big picture understanding with others

24. Goal Setting with Data

25. What’s more important than goal
setting?

26. What’s more important than goal
setting?
Keeping your goals top of mind!!

27. Set Data-Driven Goals Using
Inbound Marketing

28. Inbound Marketing
Creating and sharing compelling, helpful content that caters to
your ideal audience and attracts them to your brand when they
are ready.

29. Inbound Marketing
Creating and sharing compelling, helpful content that caters to
your ideal audience and attracts them to your brand when they
are ready.
What is helpful content, anyway?

30. Inbound Marketing
Creating and sharing compelling, helpful content that caters to
your ideal audience and attracts them to your brand when they
are ready.
What is helpful content, anyway?
Blog posts, infographics, webinars, guides, events, emails, social media, case studies,
interviews

31. The Buyer’s Journey

32. The Buyer’s Journey
Awareness
Buyer realizes they have
a problem or need.

33. Example
10 Things to Look for in
an Inspirational
Classroom
Awareness Stage

34. The Buyer’s Journey (school-specific)
Awareness
Buyer realizes they have
a problem or need.
Consideratio
n
Buyer researches
options to solve/fulfill
their problem or need.

35. Example
11 Questions to Ask
When Considering a
Private School
Consideration Stage

36. The Buyer’s Journey (school-specific)
Awareness
Buyer realizes they have
a problem or need.
Consideratio
n
Buyer researches
options to solve/fulfill
their problem or need.
Decision
Buyer chooses a
solution.

37. Example
Benefits of a Nursery
through Grade 8
Education
Decision Stage

38. The Buyer’s Journey (school-specific)
Awareness
Buyer realizes they have
a problem or need.
Consideratio
n
Buyer researches
options to solve/fulfill
their problem or need.
Decision
Buyer chooses a
solution.
Ideal Outcome: Customer/Evangelist

39. Example
Why Montessori and IB
are the Perfect Match
Customer/Evangelist Stage

40. The Buyer’s Journey (school-specific)
Awareness
Buyer realizes they have
a problem or need.
Consideratio
n
Buyer researches
options to solve/fulfill
their problem or need.
Decision
Buyer chooses a
solution.
Ideal Outcome: Customer/Evangelist

41. Awareness Goal
Raise awareness of your school and website.

42. Awareness
Content to Support Goals:
● Blog posts
● Press Releases
● Local event sponsorships
● Social Media
● Online advertisements
● Gated content

43. Awareness
Data Points You Can Use to Assess Performance:

44. Awareness
Data Points You Can Use to Assess Performance:
● # of blog subscribers

45. Awareness
Data Points You Can Use to Assess Performance:
● # of blog subscribers
● Website traffic

46. Awareness
Data Points You Can Use to Assess Performance:
● # of blog subscribers
● Website traffic
● Time on site

47. Awareness
Data Points You Can Use to Assess Performance:
● # of blog subscribers
● Website traffic
● Time on site
● Bounce rate

48. Awareness
Data Points You Can Use to Assess Performance:
● # of blog subscribers
● Website traffic
● Time on site
● Bounce rate
● Breakdown of visitor traffic

49. Awareness
Data Points You Can Use to Assess Performance:
● # of blog subscribers
● Website traffic
● Time on site
● Bounce rate
● Breakdown of visitor traffic
● Video Completion Rate

50. Awareness
Data Points You Can Use to Assess Performance:
● # of blog subscribers
● Website traffic
● Time on site
● Bounce rate
● Breakdown of visitor traffic
● Video Completion Rate
● Social Media Numbers

51. Awareness
Data Points You Can Use to Assess Performance:
● # of blog subscribers
● Website traffic
● Time on site
● Bounce rate
● Breakdown of visitor traffic
● Video Completion Rate
● Social Media Numbers
● Keyword Position

52. Dig Deeper: Questions to Ask

53. Dig Deeper: Questions to Ask
● Which social media content converted the most followers into website visitors?

54. Dig Deeper: Questions to Ask
● Which social media content converted the most followers into website visitors?
● Even if your traffic was up…
○ How long were people on your site? How many pages did they visit? What is
the bounce rate?

55. Dig Deeper: Questions to Ask
● Which social media content converted the most followers into website visitors?
● Even if your traffic was up…
○ How long were people on your site? How many pages did they visit? What is
the bounce rate?
● What is the completion rate of the videos on your site?

56. Dig Deeper: Questions to Ask
● Which social media content converted the most followers into website visitors?
● Even if your traffic was up…
○ How long were people on your site? How many pages did they visit? What is
the bounce rate?
● What is the completion rate of the videos on your site?
● Is your online advertising working? Where should you invest more? Where should
you cut back?

57. Dig Deeper: Questions to Ask
● Which social media content converted the most followers into website visitors?
● Even if your traffic was up…
○ How long were people on your site? How many pages did they visit? What is
the bounce rate?
● What is the completion rate of the videos on your site?
● Is your online advertising working? Where should you invest more? Where should
you cut back?
● Are you ranking for keywords that will help raise awareness of your website?

58. Dig Deeper: Questions to Ask
● Which social media content converted the most followers into website visitors?
● Even if your traffic was up…
○ How long were people on your site? How many pages did they visit? What is
the bounce rate?
● What is the completion rate of the videos on your site?
● Is your online advertising working? Where should you invest more? Where should
you cut back?
● Are you ranking for keywords that will help raise awareness of your website?
● Based on historic data, what are the monthly trends for website traffic?

59. Consideration Goal
Your school is a viable option for parents.

60. Consideration
Content to Support Goals:
● Blog posts
● Workshops
● E-books
● Social Media
● Online advertisements

61. Consideration
Data Points You Can Use to Assess Performance:

62. Consideration
Data Points You Can Use to Assess Performance:
● Conversion rates

63. Consideration
Data Points You Can Use to Assess Performance:
● Conversion rates
○ Conversions by source

64. Consideration
Data Points You Can Use to Assess Performance:
● Conversion rates
○ Conversions by source
○ Conversions from online ads

65. Consideration
Data Points You Can Use to Assess Performance:
● Conversion rates
○ Conversions by source
○ Conversions from online ads
○ Conversions on blog post Calls to Action

66. Consideration
Data Points You Can Use to Assess Performance:
● Conversion rates
○ Conversions by source
○ Conversions from online ads
○ Conversions on blog post Calls to Action
● Number of new leads from gated content

67. Consideration
Data Points You Can Use to Assess Performance:
● Conversion rates
○ Conversions by source
○ Conversions from online ads
○ Conversions on blog post Calls to Action
● Number of new leads from gated content
● Engagement with email workflows

68. Consideration
Data Points You Can Use to Assess Performance:
● Conversion rates
○ Conversions by source
○ Conversions from online ads
○ Conversions on blog post Calls to Action
● Number of new leads from gated content
● Engagement with email workflows
● Video Completion Rate

69. Consideration
Data Points You Can Use to Assess Performance:
● Conversion rates
○ Conversions by source
○ Conversions from online ads
○ Conversions on blog post Calls to Action
● Number of new leads from gated content
● Engagement with email workflows
● Video Completion Rate
● Keyword Position

70. Dig Deeper: Questions to Ask
● Even if people are reading your blog posts, what action are they taking next?

71. Dig Deeper: Questions to Ask
● Even if people are reading your blog posts, what action are they taking next?
● What is the traffic from your ads getting you? Are these visitors actively engaged?

72. Dig Deeper: Questions to Ask
● Even if people are reading your blog posts, what action are they taking next?
● What is the traffic from your ads getting you? Are these visitors actively engaged?
● Are your emails engaging? If not, what could you change?

73. Dig Deeper: Questions to Ask
● Even if people are reading your blog posts, what action are they taking next?
● What is the traffic from your ads getting you? Are these visitors actively engaged?
● Are your emails engaging? If not, what could you change?
● How can you A/B test your content to see if you could be even more engaging?

74. Dig Deeper: Questions to Ask
● Even if people are reading your blog posts, what action are they taking next?
● What is the traffic from your ads getting you? Are these visitors actively engaged?
● Are your emails engaging? If not, what could you change?
● How can you A/B test your content to see if you could be even more engaging?
● Which landing pages have the highest conversion rates?

75. Dig Deeper: Questions to Ask
● Even if people are reading your blog posts, what action are they taking next?
● What is the traffic from your ads getting you? Are these visitors actively engaged?
● Are your emails engaging? If not, what could you change?
● How can you A/B test your content to see if you could be even more engaging?
● Which landing pages have the highest conversion rates?
● Are you ranking for effective keywords? How has this ranking changed over the
past year?

76. Decision Goal
Best-fit parents enroll their children in your school.

77. Decision
Content to Support Goals:
● Blog posts
● Open Houses
● School Tours
● Social Media
● Videos

78. Decision
Data Points You Can Use to Assess Performance:
● Number of school tours

79. Decision
Data Points You Can Use to Assess Performance:
● Number of school tours
● Number of Open House attendees

80. Decision
Data Points You Can Use to Assess Performance:
● Number of school tours
● Number of Open House attendees
● Engagement with email workflows

81. Decision
Data Points You Can Use to Assess Performance:
● Number of school tours
● Number of Open House attendees
● Engagement with email workflows
● Inquiries and applications

82. Decision
Data Points You Can Use to Assess Performance:
● Number of school tours
● Number of Open House attendees
● Engagement with email workflows
● Inquiries and applications
○ Inquiry to application ratio

83. Decision
Data Points You Can Use to Assess Performance:
● Number of school tours
● Number of Open House attendees
● Engagement with email workflows
● Inquiries and applications
○ Inquiry to application ratio
○ Application to enrollment ratio

84. Decision
Data Points You Can Use to Assess Performance:
● Number of school tours
● Number of Open House attendees
● Engagement with email workflows
● Inquiries and applications
○ Inquiry to application ratio
○ Application to enrollment ratio
● Lifecycle

85. Dig Deeper: Questions to Ask
● What’s more important to you - high number of inquiries or inquiry: enrollment ratio?

86. Dig Deeper: Questions to Ask
● What’s more important to you - high number of inquiries or inquiry: enrollment ratio?
● Are you using surveys to assess event performance? (Open Houses, tours)

87. Dig Deeper: Questions to Ask
● What’s more important to you - high number of inquiries or inquiry: enrollment ratio?
● Are you using surveys to assess event performance? (Open Houses, tours)
● Are Open House attendees converting into applicants?

88. Dig Deeper: Questions to Ask
● What’s more important to you - high number of inquiries or inquiry: enrollment ratio?
● Are you using surveys to assess event performance? (Open Houses, tours)
● Are Open House attendees converting into applicants?
● Have you looked at email interaction from last year and adapted your strategy?

89. Dig Deeper: Questions to Ask
● What’s more important to you - high number of inquiries or inquiry: enrollment ratio?
● Are you using surveys to assess event performance? (Open Houses, tours)
● Are Open House attendees converting into applicants?
● Have you looked at email interaction from last year and adapted your strategy?
● Are you sharing helpful information with parents at this time when they need it the
most?

90. Dig Deeper: Questions to Ask
● What’s more important to you - high number of inquiries or inquiry: enrollment ratio?
● Are you using surveys to assess event performance? (Open Houses, tours)
● Are Open House attendees converting into applicants?
● Have you looked at email interaction from last year and adapted your strategy?
● Are you sharing helpful information with parents at this time when they need it the
most?
○ Have you asked current parents which information is most helpful to share?

91. Customer/Evangelist Goal
Best-fit parents are actively involved in your
school and stay throughout the continuum.

92. Customer/Evangelist
Content to Support Goals:
● Blog posts
● Social Media
● Internal Emails
● In-school events

93. Customer/Evangelist
Data Points You Can Use to Assess Performance:
● Engagement with school-related blog posts

94. Customer/Evangelist
Data Points You Can Use to Assess Performance:
● Engagement with school-related blog posts
● Parent participation rate with financial giving

95. Customer/Evangelist
Data Points You Can Use to Assess Performance:
● Engagement with school-related blog posts
● Parent participation rate with financial giving
● Event attendance

96. Customer/Evangelist
Data Points You Can Use to Assess Performance:
● Engagement with school-related blog posts
● Parent participation rate with financial giving
● Event attendance
● Email opens and click rates

97. Customer/Evangelist
Data Points You Can Use to Assess Performance:
● Engagement with school-related blog posts
● Parent participation rate with financial giving
● Event attendance
● Email opens and click rates
● % retention and attrition

98. Customer/Evangelist
Data Points You Can Use to Assess Performance:
● Engagement with school-related blog posts
● Parent participation rate with financial giving
● Event attendance
● Email opens and click rates
● % retention and attrition
● Volunteer rate

99. Customer/Evangelist
Data Points You Can Use to Assess Performance:
● Engagement with school-related blog posts
● Parent participation rate with financial giving
● Event attendance
● Email opens and click rates
● % retention and attrition
● Volunteer rate
● Alumni engagement

100. Customer/Evangelist
Data Points You Can Use to Assess Performance:
● Engagement with school-related blog posts
● Parent participation rate with financial giving
● Event attendance
● Email opens and click rates
● % retention and attrition
● Volunteer rate
● Alumni engagement
● Engagement with ancillary programs
○ Summer Camp, after school programs

101. Customer/Evangelist
Data Points You Can Use to Assess Performance:
● Engagement with school-related blog posts
● Parent participation rate with financial giving
● Event attendance
● Email opens and click rates
● % retention and attrition
● Volunteer rate
● Alumni engagement
● Engagement with ancillary programs
○ Summer Camp, after school programs
● Video completion rate

102. Dig Deeper: Questions to Ask
● How are families engaging with your online communications?

103. Dig Deeper: Questions to Ask
● How are families engaging with your online communications?
○ Are they more engaged with certain mediums over others?

104. Dig Deeper: Questions to Ask
● How are families engaging with your online communications?
○ Are they more engaged with certain mediums over others?
○ Which content of yours are they sharing on social media?

105. Dig Deeper: Questions to Ask
● How are families engaging with your online communications?
○ Are they more engaged with certain mediums over others?
○ Which content of yours are they sharing on social media?
● How are you measuring in-school event success? How are you adapting your
strategy year over year?

106. Dig Deeper: Questions to Ask
● How are families engaging with your online communications?
○ Are they more engaged with certain mediums over others?
○ Which content of yours are they sharing on social media?
● How are you measuring in-school event success? How are you adapting your
strategy year over year?
● Which matters more - meeting the fundraising goal or raising parent
participation rate?

107. Dig Deeper: Questions to Ask
● How are families engaging with your online communications?
○ Are they more engaged with certain mediums over others?
○ Which content of yours are they sharing on social media?
● How are you measuring in-school event success? How are you adapting your
strategy year over year?
● Which matters more - meeting the fundraising goal or raising parent
participation rate?
● If enrollment numbers are low for your ancillary programs…

108. Dig Deeper: Questions to Ask
● How are families engaging with your online communications?
○ Are they more engaged with certain mediums over others?
○ Which content of yours are they sharing on social media?
● How are you measuring in-school event success? How are you adapting your
strategy year over year?
● Which matters more - meeting the fundraising goal or raising parent
participation rate?
● If enrollment numbers are low for your ancillary programs…
○ Is there even a need? Are you surveying your community? How were they
promoted? Did anything change year over year?

109. Dig Deeper: Questions to Ask
● How are families engaging with your online communications?
○ Are they more engaged with certain mediums over others?
○ Which content of yours are they sharing on social media?
● How are you measuring in-school event success? How are you adapting your
strategy year over year?
● Which matters more - meeting the fundraising goal or raising parent
participation rate?
● If enrollment numbers are low for your ancillary programs…
○ Is there even a need? Are you surveying your community? How were they
promoted? Did anything change year over year?
● Why are people leaving your school? How are you using this information to
inform your strategy?

110. Data Assessment is Ongoing
● Have conversations about data on a regular basis.

111. Data Assessment is Ongoing
● Have conversations about data on a regular basis.
● Involve your department, leadership and others around the school.

112. Data Assessment is Ongoing
● Have conversations about data on a regular basis.
● Involve your department, leadership and others around the school.
● Be proactive rather than reactive with the numbers.

113. Data Assessment is Ongoing
● Have conversations about data on a regular basis.
● Involve your department, leadership and others around the school.
● Be proactive rather than reactive with the numbers.
● Be prepared to change course when data tells you it’s time.

117. Questions?

118. Don’t Fear the Data
Questions? Comments?
Email: smead@whitbyschool.org
Twitter: @meadsmead