Welcome to Marketing to Schools Cliché Bingo, the only education marketing agency gameshow that calls out the clichés in your copy!
Eyes down….*churns the bingo machine*
But before we pull out numbers let’s take a quick dive into school marketing clichés.
Over the last 15+ years of working with education brands, we’ve noticed a range of phrases and copy writing practices that sound great at face-value but are so common they have become clichés.
It’s an easy trap to fall into, especially when you’re in the weeds of your own business and not seeing what similar messaging and USPs your competitors are using.
What is an education marketing copy cliché?
“Saves teachers time”
“Thousands of high-quality resources”
“Created by teachers, for teachers”
You’ll have seen these kind of expressions a million times on websites across the education industry.
“Ideal for classroom use”
“Loved by teachers”
“Improve student outcomes”
The problem is, these stock phrases are ALSO seen time and time again by teachers, and despite the best of intent, it means you run the risk of being ignored.
Who cares if they're cliches? If they work, they work, right?
Dash, from the Incredibles, is right.
If everyone claims to “save teachers time” then in effect no one is saving teachers time.
Or teachers would, by defintion, have lots of time on their hands.
Which of course is far from the truth.
Terry Pratchett, in Guards! Guards!, said “The reason that clichés become clichés is that they are the hammers and screwdrivers in the toolbox of communication.”
And he’s right (of course he’s right, he’s Terry Pratchett). Sometimes we do need shared language that gets the job done.
But that doesn’t often apply to marketing copy because you don’t just want to “get the job done”.
You want to stand out, excite, and enthral.
How to avoid copywriting cliches
Get an independent audit of your website
An outsider’s opinion on your copy, positioning, and value proposition is the most important first step. We regularly do this for our clients so get in touch if you think a ‘critical friend’ might be a useful ally.
Look at other edtech and education companies websites
Take a wander through your competitor’s websites. Does their copy sound similar to yours? If it does, that means potential customers will have problems telling you apart. Note down phrases that echo your sales and marketing language and plan to avoid them.
Hire educational specialist independent copywriters to gain fresh insights into your copy
You might feel wedded to your house style but, and I hate to say it, there’s a high probability you’re the problem.
We work with some exceptional educational copywriters and we’re happy to put you in touch.
Play our Marketing to Schools Cliché Bingo!
For a bit of fun download our Marketing to Schools Cliché Bingo card and assess your own website, emails, and social profiles.
Fingers crossed there aren’t too many shouts of “Full House!”
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