Stay ahead in the K-12 marketing landscape with The WirED Marketer, our free newsletter, delivered 2x/month. Packed with actionable data and insights to help edmarketers drive meaningful results.
For full access to all issues, Subscribe Now .
Hey there, Marketing Pals!
I took exactly one photo at ISTE. And it was purely to impress my 8-year-old. Parents, do you feel weirdly driven to impress your kids or are you normal people? I so badly want to be a cool mom. It’s pathetic, I know!
I came home with some high-value freebies for my kiddos (thanks, vendors at ISTE!): a special edition Pokémon pack, a Bluey keychain, and a hefty stack of Minecraft stickers. Cool mom status: pending. 🤪
But here’s the marketing tie-in. At the Pokémon booth, I wasn’t talking to a sales rep. I was talking to a teacher who’s a lifelong Pokémon fanatic and does conferences like this as a side hustle.
I noticed the same thing at booth after booth: not sales or marketers but hired teachers acting as product evangelists. It felt way more common than in years past, and honestly? It worked. That Pokémon-obsessed teacher had me sold on this magical childhood game.
Here’s a super awkward photo of me posing at the booth. Did my husband follow my strict instructions to share this photo with the kids? Nope. 🤦♀️
Enjoy this edition.
ㅤ⠀⠀⠀⠀
Your WirED Marketer,
—Melissa, Senior Director, Marketing at Education Week
📩 Did someone forward you this email? Sign up here.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ⠀⠀⠀⠀
ㅤㅤㅤ
✨ In this edition you’ll find:
- Why you should develop explainers for your content strategy
- The sales vs. marketing divide + proven strategies
- The revenue generators cohort at the Market Brief Summit
What’s Trending: ✨
Editor’s note: the content below on explainers is from the October 2025 edition, but it still rings true. I’m tellin’ ya—the explainer is where it’s at.
Explainer articles, that’s what. Our readers can’t get enough of them. And we’re not just talking about teachers early in their careers; seasoned district leaders and principals also devour them. Why? Because even the most experienced individuals need to brush up on important topics, policies, and events.
Some of our most popular explainers are the gifts that keep on giving. What I mean by that: they are evergreen! Although many are several years old, they have a long shelf life and remain some of our most popular content.
Here are a couple that are routinely in our top-read stories of the year:
- What Is Culturally Responsive Teaching?
- Teacher Pay, Explained: Salary, Benefits, and Pensions
- What is Critical Race Theory, And Why Is It Under Attack?
Why am I sharing this? Because you, too, likely have content that you can develop explainers for. Chances are you have thought leadership content that’s collecting dust somewhere. Make light updates and repackage it for your website, then share on social and via email.
DO THIS | Actionable Advice on Marketing EdTech 👇
My colleague Maya Riser-Kositsky did the heavy lifting on how to create an explainer, so you don’t have to. But first, a PSA: keep selling to an absolute minimum. Think of this as top-of-the-funnel content and leave it at that.
An ungated explainer published on your website can help your content get picked up by GenAI (helloooo Claude and ChatGPT, we’re here and open for business!) and in search results in the Google AI overview at the top of search results. Read more about that here: What is Geo for AI and Why Are K-12 Companies Talking About It.
Good candidates for explainers:
- A topic that isn’t easily answered with a quick Google search
- Complex proposals that require explaining
- Developing news topics
- New technology
- Understanding the latest research
- Upcoming events
PRO TIP: Your explainer should give the reader enough info to be able to talk to someone about the topic at a cocktail party. 🍸
And lastly, what tone should you use?
- No jargon
- Write like you’re talking to a curious friend, be accurate but keep it engaging
- Make sure the article stands on its own and is not dependent on previous knowledge of the topic, include links if people want to go deeper
Events on Our Radar 🎯
The EdWeek Market Brief Summit
November 2026, Nashville, TN
This year we’re trying something new! We’re rolling out tracks and cohorts for a more personalized experience based on your job function, and my excitement level is 10/10. I suspect that if you receive this newsletter, you’ll want to join our cohort for Revenue Generation. You’ll be immersed in a cohort with like-minded marketing and sales peers, learning from them, and breaking bread with them. I’m excited. I’ll be there—will you? (Say yes!)
We’re also doing tracks for Strategy and Leadership as well as Product and Technology, so there’s something for everyone.
Poll
Last edition I asked people how they typically get professional development (besides conferences) and 76% of you said you listen to podcasts. Me too! I highly suggest the All Things Marketing and Education podcast by The LCG Group. It’s my #1. So many good guests in edtech, so many actionable takeaways. Check it out here.
This week’s poll: Would you rather…
ㅤ⠀⠀⠀⠀
| ACCIDENTALLY REPLY-ALL TO THE WHOLE COMPANY WITH A SLOPPY RESPONSE |
| SAY A COWORKER’S NAME WRONG IN EVERY MEETING FOR A YEAR |
Meet an EdMarketer: Dan O’Reilly 👋
Dan O’Reilly is the founder and CEO of Fuel K-12 and Fuel Sales Academy. He’s a former sales guy who then pivoted to marketing, so he knows a thing or two about how to build sales and marketing teams that work well together. He shares what he learned from each side of the fence with my colleague Scott Elliott in his article titled, Need to Get Sales and Marketing on the Same Page? Try These Techniques.
Here’s a snippet from that interview.
What are smart strategies for getting the first meeting with a school district, building the relationship, and getting a real sales conversation going?
“The way that we have been able to be successful in that area [is to] prove to the person on the other end that you are invested in their best interests, and all you care about is learning about where they are today and what’s going on in their world. You have a much better chance of developing a relationship that leads to a positive outcome.
We do a lot of phone calling. If you’re calling and saying, “Guess what I can do for you,” they [may] push you away. They don’t care about what you have to sell. But if you call and you just say, “I have been talking to people about whatever it is and here’s what I’m hearing,” then you’re sharing information with them.”
Say What?! 🦜
What we’ve heard at the watercooler, on social, out and about…
In a recent survey we asked, “What is the funniest or most entertaining thing that happened at work during the 2025-26 school year?”
One response — “A student told me her dad got neutered.” 😂
That’s all folks. Thanks for reading.
Your WirED Marketer,
Melissa AND team, because every marketer knows, it takes a village.
📩 Did someone forward you this email? Sign up here.
What did you think of this newsletter?
😍 I LOVED IT, 10/10
🤔 It was ok, 5/10
😒 Needs improvement, 1/10
We can help you develop a successful campaign tailored to your unique marketing goals. To learn more, contact Advertising & Marketing Solutions Director Mike Bell at mbell@educationweek.org.