profile

Emily Cretella / Cursive Content

Make it about your audience, NOT your school 🗣️

Published 24 days ago • 1 min read

September 2026

The Story Starter

Reader,

Congrats! Something big is happening at your school.

Maybe you’re launching a new program. Or you have a new website. Or you hired an accomplished new head of school.

So what do you want to do? You want to shout it to the world, right? You want to put out a press release and let everyone know that you’re doing great things, because surely they’ll be impressed.

Except they probably won’t.

And the reason is not because they shouldn’t be impressed (because what you want to announce IS impressive). It’s because it’s about you — and not about them.

You can still make an announcement. But before you do, read the full blog post here.​

This week's storytelling tip:

Flip those big announcements and put the focus back on your intended audience.

Ask yourself “why?” until you arrive at the answer your audience cares about. We walk you through how to do that here.

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

Remember: as a Cursive Insider, you have access to our FREE Resource Library​
​Unsubscribe | Update your profile | P.O. Box 854, North Haven, CT 06473

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!

Read more from Emily Cretella / Cursive Content

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...

17 days ago • 2 min read

October 2026 The Story Starter Reader, You’ve finished writing your school blog post. Congrats! Now, remove your finger from the “Publish” button. I know; it’s tempting. But before you press it, take a moment. Ask yourself: “Is there anything I can do to improve this post – even the smallest bit?” You know the answer to that question is almost always yes. But don’t worry; there are fixes you can make that won’t take long – or involve lots of work. Here are five quick edits you can make right...

17 days ago • 1 min read

September 2026 The Story Starter Reader, What truly sets your school apart? In a world where families have more choices than ever, it’s not enough to just say your school offers a great education or a caring community. To stand out, your school needs a bold, unifying Big Promise — a powerful declaration that defines what you deliver and why it matters. Your Big Promise isn’t just a tagline or a flashy marketing concept. It’s the heartbeat of your school’s story. It drives your messaging,...

about 1 month ago • 1 min read