June 23, 2025  |  Ellen McGuyer

Mid-Year Marketing Checkup: Are Your K–12 Campaigns on Track?

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As we hit the midpoint of the year, it’s the perfect time for education marketers to pause, reflect, and recalibrate. With shifting district priorities, evolving educator needs, and budget deadlines looming, now’s your chance to ensure your K–12 campaigns are not just running—but running in the right direction.

A mid-year checkup can help uncover blind spots, refocus efforts, and unlock better results for summer and fall outreach. Use the self-audit below to assess your performance and make data-driven decisions that align with the realities of today’s education market.

✅ 1. Are You Targeting the Right Decision-Makers?

Why it matters: The K–12 buying cycle is long and complex. If your message isn’t reaching the actual influencers—tech directors, curriculum leads, or superintendents—it may never convert.

Check yourself:

• Are your lists segmented by role, school type, or district size?
• Are you customizing messages to speak to each stakeholder’s pain points?
• Do you have clean, updated contact data from a verified education data provider?

💡 Pro Tip: Accurate role-based data from MCH ensures your message lands in the right inbox—even as staff turnover reshapes decision-making chains.

✅ 2. Are You Aligned with the School Calendar and Budget Cycle?

Why it matters: Timing is everything in K–12 marketing. Summer may seem quiet, but it’s a key season for professional development and planning. And many districts are racing to use up remaining funds before fiscal deadlines.

Check yourself:

• Have you mapped your outreach to align with purchasing windows?
• Are you leveraging “use-it-or-lose-it” budget urgency in your messaging?
• Are you planning campaigns now for fall rollouts?

💡 Pro Tip: District budget cycles vary—use MCH data to time campaigns by state or district purchasing behavior.

✅ 3. Are You Using Engagement Data to Refine Strategy?

Why it matters: Opens and clicks only tell part of the story. It’s time to dig deeper into performance indicators to make smarter moves for Q3 and beyond.

Check yourself:

• Which campaigns drove actual pipeline movement or conversions?
• Are certain job titles responding more than others?
• Are you tracking deliverability rates, especially with Gmail shielding changes?

💡 Pro Tip: MCH’s deliverability-tested lists help you overcome email privacy obstacles and improve inbox placement.

✅ 4. Are You Testing and Learning?

Why it matters: Stagnant strategy leads to stale results. If you’re not testing new subject lines, formats, or channels, you’re missing opportunities to optimize.

Check yourself:

• Are you A/B testing subject lines, landing pages, or calls-to-action?
• Have you explored programmatic advertising or geotargeting for district outreach?
• Are you repurposing high-performing content into new formats?

💡 Pro Tip: MCH’s digital advertising and audience solutions make testing easier across multiple K–12 segments.

✅ 5. Do You Have a Plan for the Back-to-School Surge?

Why it matters: The window between mid-July and early September is prime time for EdTech, PD, and instructional purchases. Your summer prep determines your fall success.

Check yourself:

• Have you planned campaigns to launch before the school year starts?
• Are your lists clean, current, and segmented?
• Have you locked in partnerships with data providers to streamline fall outreach?

💡 Pro Tip: MCH’s real-time data updates help you stay ahead of staff changes and new school year dynamics.

Final Takeaway: Mid-Year is Your Momentum Reset

The second half of the year presents both a challenge and an opportunity. A smart, data-informed reset now can set your campaigns up for measurable success—and help you make the most of your education marketing investments.

Ready to refine your outreach with better data?
Let MCH help you realign your K–12 marketing strategy. 👉 Explore MCH’s education marketing solutions or contact us for a custom data consultation.

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About MCH

For nearly a century, MCH has empowered educational marketers with the data, tools, and solutions needed to thrive. Our cutting-edge technology continuously updates and verifies millions of educator records, ensuring you have the most accurate information for your campaigns.

Use our free ListBuilder tool to explore our education data, or Contact Us to strategize as a team.