Emily Cretella is a strategic storyteller and content marketer. The owner of Cursive Content, Emily helps school marketers tell powerful stories that attract dream families, increase inquiries and enrollment, strengthen communities, and grow school influence.

Prior to founding Cursive in 2012, Emily was the director of strategy at a Connecticut marketing agency, where she managed the execution of large-scale traditional and online marketing campaigns for clients ranging from schools and nonprofits to Fortune 500s. She now works solely with independent and private schools, colleges, and universities.

Emily has presented her marketing and storytelling strategies at numerous conferences such as the Aim High Conference, Finalsite’s School Marketing Days, the Enrollment Management Association’s ALC Conferences and regional Independent School Associations. She has also been featured on the Blackbaud “Get Connected" podcast, Finalsite’s “Apply Yourself with Tim” podcast, The Rick Newberry Show, and Randy Vaughn’s “School Marketing” podcast, among others.

Emily Quoted

“Often when we’re communicating, it’s an internal focused message of what we want people to know.”

“If you know your audiences’ cares and concerns, you can create content and stories around them to get them to jump over that hump.”

“Take the core story and shift the perspective of the story depending on what they want to know at the moment that they’re interacting with your content.”

“Some school websites are like a filing cabinet online for all of their communications.”

“A website is your hello, not your conversation.”

“The average person spends six seconds on a website.”

“A website is not a linear story.”

“Are these pages addressing our dream families?”

“Why should your audience care?”

“How are we being a great resource for our families?”

“Social channels should feel like your school community personified online.”

“What are your reasons to believe?”

What You’ll Learn

What ”audience first” means.

How to gather your own research.

Killer questions to ask your audience.

How to create web content.

What throwing pencils have to do with web content.

How to create evergreen email segmentation.

What the “so what” test is.

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Featured

Rob Norman

Best Boy, InspirED School Marketers

Rob has 25 years of independent school marketing experience as principal of Turnaround Marketing Communications, a branding and marketing firm specializing in independent schools. Rob shares his experience on InspirED School Marketers by blogging, editing the Daily Jolt, and by podcasting with fascinating independent school movers and shakers. As InspirED's Best Boy — a term borrowed from theater, Rob's longtime passion — Rob loves to be out and about, meeting with school marketers, learning their needs, and helping them overcome challenges. Be sure to ask Rob about his golf game.

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More Podcasts To Make Your Job Easier

Podcasts 2

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With Deb Baum, Senior Director of Communications and Strategic Institutional Marketing, The Bryn Mawr School

Short Boost Episode: Jan Abernathy, Brilliance Awards Judge

With Jan Abernathy, Chief Communications Officer at The Browning School. This is Jan's third year as a Brilliance Awards judge.

Short Boost Episode: David Willows, Brilliance Awards Judge

With Dr. David Willows, Co-founder and Strategic Director at [YELLOW CAR], and an InspirED Brilliance Awards judge for six years.

Digital Privacy: Protecting Your Students, Families, and School

With Colin Anson is the CEO and co-founder, Pixevety

WHY.os: Increased Communication, Connection, and Unification

With H. Watson Jordan Ed.D., Chief Resilience Officer, The Resilience Initiative

Marketing Lessons from the Niche Parent Survey

With Angela Brown, Manager, B2B Brand Strategy, Niche

The Neuroscience of Storytelling for Private Schools

with Dr. Carrie Grimes, Director of the M.Ed. in Independent School Leadership at Vanderbilt University's Peabody College of Education and Human Development.

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with Mike Connor and Thom Greenlaw, Connor Associates

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with Chris Pryor, President & Founder, The Gowan Group and Chris Pryor, Founder & Principal, Lead Team Partners

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with David Willows and Suzette Parlevliet, co-founders, [YELLOW CAR]

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with Rebecca Malotke-Meslin, founder of Pleasantly Aggressive Coaching & Consulting

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with Deborah Janz, CEO & Consultant, IMPACT Marketing International, Inc.

How to Advocate for Yourself as a Director of MarCom at a Private School [Podcast]

with Penny Abrahams, Senior Consultant, Independent School Management

Strengthening MarCom in Small Private Schools [Podcast]

with Aubrey Bursch, founder and CEO of Easy School Marketing.

Students As Communications Apprentices [Podcast]

with Lauren Campbell, Publications Manager at Cretin-Derham Hall, a Catholic high school in St. Paul, Minnesota.

How to Be a Leader in an Independent School [Podcast]

with Dr. Carrie Grimes
Assistant Professor of the Practice, Department of Leadership, Policy, and Organizations
Director, Vanderbilt University, Peabody College, Independent School Leadership Program (M.Ed.)