It has been just a little over a year since I started working at Illiana as its Director of Marketing, and in just one year, I have grown to love the school and the people that fill it. Leadership expert Michael Hyatt once said, “Marketing is really just about sharing your passion,” and that is truly what Illiana Christian High School has become for me, a passion.
Marketing a high school can be a tedious and sometimes frustrating task. I am always measuring the results, checking the analytics on social media, and building the buzz around what is happening on campus at any given time. I enjoy the creative process of my job and the freedom that I am given to try new things that we have never done before like billboards and radio marketing.
One of my goals after we released the new brand in 2017 was to ramp up our social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter). Statistics show that visual social media content receives 94% more views and is 40% more likely to be shared across all platforms. We have put a lot of effort into visually sharing the stories of Illiana through more photos and videos than ever before.
Our social media platforms have taken us to a new level. The students love to see themselves on our social media accounts. Students come up to me often and ask, “Am I going to get on Insta’ today?” My response is always, “Are you going to do something awesome today?” They usually laugh at me, but it shows they are following. It also shows the engagement of students with social media, and specifically with Illiana’s social media. Engaged teenagers will eventually become engaged adults, which helps broaden our target market. My goal in marketing is to help develop a deeper passion for Illiana across all of our platforms and to continue to grow this school I’ve come to love.
Social media is only just a piece of what marketing in today’s world looks like. My goal is to communicate the stories of Illiana to all of you. We regularly do this through the Spectator (formerly Illiana newsletter) and the weekly blog as well. We are also excited about our new promotional video that will be launched in early 2019!
Thank you for welcoming me, and my family, into your community and allowing me to find my passion here at Illiana. I look forward to many more years of bragging about Illiana.
– Jenna Dutton, Director of Marketing and Events
