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Emily Cretella / Cursive Content

"Come to our open house" isn't a reason ...

Published 17 days ago • 2 min read

September 2026

The Story Starter

Reader,

It's the Monday before your fall open house. You pull up the RSVP list.

Two families.

You did everything right. You ran the ads. You boosted the post. You put the date on the homepage banner in a very nice font. And the ad said exactly what open house ads always say: Join us for our Fall Open House! Saturday, 10 a.m.

Here's the thing: a parent scrolling at 9:40 p.m. doesn't need to know that you're having an open house. She needs to know why she should give up her Saturday morning to come to it.

So this week's post is all about answering that question. I cover:

  • How to write ads that meet parents in their real moment (hint: it's not your event).
  • What's working on Meta and Google right now, and why your creative is now your targeting.
  • The landing page tips that turn a click into a potential family.
  • The week-by-week timeline that brings it all together.

​Read it now →​

Your storytelling tip:

Before you write your next ad, finish this sentence from a parent's point of view: "I'd give up my Saturday morning to go because…"

If your answer is "to learn more about the school," keep going. If it's "to watch a real fifth-grade class and ask about financial aid without feeling pressured," now you've got an ad.

Em-dash: a peek inside Emily's office

What I'm writing: Open house ad landing pages, and lots of them. (That's what prompted this week's post!) I'm putting every one of these tips to work for clients right now, which means I get to watch in real time what makes families register and what makes them bounce. Consider this post my field notes.

What clients are asking: "Is it too late to start ads for our fall open house?" I've heard this one a lot lately, and the answer is no. But a shorter runway means your creative has to work harder. You don't have weeks for the platforms to test and learn, so every ad needs to give parents a real reason to show up from day one. If you're in that spot, skip the generic "Join us!" and lead with a parent testimonial or a specific moment families will recognize. Then make sure your landing page answers every question before they have to ask.

What I'm reading: The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion. This series is taking BookTok by storm, so I had to see what the hype was about. For someone whose favorite book growing up was Jane Austen's Emma, I'm in heaven.

Your school has a powerful story to tell. You just need help telling it.

Let's turn your school's expertise, differentiators, outcomes, legacy, and vision into one cohesive school story that attracts dream families, increases inquiries & enrollment, strengthens communities, and grows school influence.

See you next week!

-Emily

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Emily Cretella / Cursive Content

School Storyteller for Independent Schools

Cursive Content helps independent school marketers tell powerful stories that attract dream families, increase inquiries & enrollment, strengthen communities, and grow school influence. Subscribe for weekly content and storytelling tips!

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