I have over 15 years of experience in digital marketing. Throughout my career, I’ve transformed data into actionable insights that drive real business results. My journey has taken me from being a hands-on Digital Marketing Associate to leading teams as a Digital Marketing Manager. Along the way, I’ve developed and executed strategies that consistently improve ROI and foster customer engagement.

At ADvance Media, I spearheaded multi-channel campaigns that increased ROI by 25% and reduced acquisition costs by 10% for enterprise clients. At WHEREHOUSE BEVERAGE CO, I scaled the digital ad budget from $20K to $250K in just six months, delivering a consistent 3x ROI by using advanced targeting techniques and rigorous A/B testing.

Currently, I collaborate with clients as a freelancer to design and execute data-driven marketing strategies. My focus is on performance marketing, e-commerce growth, and customer acquisition. One notable project led to a 35% increase in organic traffic by implementing targeted content strategies and SEO improvements.

Beyond work, I stay ahead of industry trends by attending webinars and participating in local marketing meetups. I believe in continuous learning and sharing knowledge with peers in the field.

Let’s connect! If you’re interested in working together on your next digital marketing project or want to exchange ideas about industry trends, feel free to connect via LinkedIn or contact me directly at hello@itsrachael.com.

Skills:
Digital Marketing Strategy | Performance Marketing | Data Analysis | E-Commerce Growth | Multi-Channel Campaign Management | Predictive Analytics | CRM Automation | SEO Optimization

Rachael Mahaffey

Bianca Coleborn

Faith Lutheran College - Plainland

As Faith's Director of Marketing, I lead a small but mighty team devoted to building Faith's profile as a leader in contemporary learning. What Faith is doing to challenge the traditional school model is progressive, exciting and so important for our students.

My role is to drive the marketing strategy to ensure enrolments remain on target and we're attracting families who are the right fit for our College. I'm devoted to ensuring we identify ways to enhance the parent and student journey to encourage the most potent form of marketing for any school - positive word of mouth.

Director of Marketing

School Marketing Manifesto

I know firsthand how challenging it can be working as a school marketing professional - after all, I've been doing it since 2010! I started School Marketing Manifesto with one very clear mission: To make life easier for school marketers.

I do that by making the development of a clear marketing strategy and marketing plan not only easier and quicker, but a joy for busy school marketers who have numerous other tasks barking for their attention.

School Marketing Strategist

Concordia Lutheran College

As a member of the Leadership Team, I managed a high performing team to execute the marketing, enrolments and events activities for Concordia Lutheran College, a K-12 school with three campuses. 

The role combined both strategic and operational duties for the domestic and international markets. Digital marketing was a major component of the role.

During this role, I drove the Queensland’s Best Kept Secret campaign, working with international film crew, The Film Guys. This campaign saw enrolments soar and won an international award in the InspirED Brilliance Awards.

As a member of the College Leadership Team, I worked collaboratively to develop strategies that will positively impact the Concordia community for years to come.

Director of Marketing and Enrolments

Fraser Coast Anglican College

I managed the International department at Fraser Coast Anglican College. This role had a strong focus on relationship development with business colleagues throughout Asia and Europe.

I was responsible for marketing and recruitment activities to attract international students to study at the school as a Full Fee Paying Overseas Student (FFPOS). I also worked closely with agencies and schools to develop business opportunities through short term study tours.

I facilitated the enrolment process for FFPOS students and the execution of study tours to ensure all guests receive an outstanding educational and cultural learning experience.

International Business Manager

West Moreton Anglican College

This was a fast-paced and varied role that encompassed the daily public relations initiatives, marketing activities, internal and external communications, event management, website maintenance, alumni community development, year book editor and the myriad other tasks that come with working in a Prep to Year 12 school with almost 1,400 students and 200 staff members. 

I worked with a unique set of stakeholders that included staff, students, parents, local businesses, the media, government and the Australian Defence Force. 

In addition to my normal 'day job' I also volunteered my time to assist students in extra-curricular activities including the Equestrian Team, netball and touch football.

Public Relations and Marketing Manager

Tatts Group

I was a "Good News Specialist" at Tatts Group - my primary responsibility was the management of division one lotto winners for Queensland, Victoria, the ACT, Northern Territory and Tasmania. My job was to break the happy news, assist with the Major Winners process and manage the media around each win. During this time I was a spokesperson for Tatts Lotteries and undertook interviews with press, radio and television outlets around the country.

This role was instrumental to building my issues management skills and the development of publicity campaigns to promote new games and initiatives.

There was also a very strong internal communications element to the role.

Public Relations Executive

The Corporate Advantage

Day to day public relations and communications activities for clients from a variety of industries. Pitching for new business opportunities and identification of potential clients. The company was sold shortly after I commenced in the role so I chose to move to a more stable employer.

Senior Account Executive

In this role, I was responsible for the development and implementation of Marketing Plans for the company's retirement villages in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. I worked closely with Sales Managers to identify opportunities to market each village to the target audience.

Also during this time, I worked in a team that undertook a major rebranding process to both develop the new retirements brand, Aveo, and to rebrand existing properties and new villages that were acquired by the company.

Marketing Specialist

Netball Queensland

Public Relations and Marketing Coordinator

Queensland Government

Electorate Officer (Media)

Director of Marketing at Faith Lutheran College | School Marketing Strategist | Founder of School Marketing Manifesto

Here’s what you need to know about me: I love all things school marketing.💫

Schools are my thing now, but before I entered the exciting, fulfilling and occasionally chaotic world of school marketing, I spent almost a decade working my way up in corporate PR and marketing roles.

I’m proud to be a marketing generalist and all-rounder. If we're being honest, you have to be when you work in schools. 

My greatest strength as a school marketer is developing marketing strategies that are innovative and differ from the norm. 

Boring, status quo school marketing makes me sad. I think the industry has played it safe for too long and I have a lot of thoughts about why that is…but you’ll have to get to know me a bit better before we go down that rabbit hole together. 😉

Let me show my work: I was the person behind Concordia's "Queensland's Best Kept Secret" video project in 2020 – sure, it won an international award, but what really matters is that almost five years later, that video is still kicking goals and winning enrolments.

Right now, I’m the Director of Marketing at Faith Lutheran College, Plainland in the Lockyer Valley. Faith is doing some pretty cutting-edge things in the world of contemporary learning, and I am so proud to be the one sharing Faith’s story with the world.

I’m also the founder of School Marketing Manifesto – a marketing agency that is devoted to helping school marketers and school leaders develop a solid marketing strategy and an actionable marketing plan to deliver on it.

You may have heard of the Strategic School Marketing Retreats, where school marketers join me for two days so I can walk them through building a marketing plan for their school?

These events are growing in popularity each year. They work because they not only provide the time, space and guidance to map out a plan – it’s the relationships that are established between school marketers and industry professionals that creates the true magic of the Retreats.

So, that’s a bit about me. If you’d like to learn more, check out my website: www.schoolmarketingmanifesto.com and let’s connect!

Marketing a school – how hard could that be? 🫠

Let me tell you how hard it is:
✨ It’s a multimillion dollar organisation that depends on enrolments to survive.
✨ There are hundreds/thousands of emotionally invested stakeholders.
✨ The customer LTV can be >$100k and often several times that.
✨ The customer lifespan is DECADES.
✨ Everyone has an opinion on schools (and marketing for that matter).

But do you know what makes it harder?
❌small budgets
❌ small teams
❌ marketing not being on leadership
❌ limited understanding of what marketing is/does
❌ no buy-in from leaders

Do not underestimate the importance or the challenges of school marketing.

Done right, it’s a highly strategic, long-term game.

If you take your eyes off the ball now, be prepared for it to smack you in the face down the track.

And here’s the kicker: by the time you realise that things are starting to slide, it’s going to take a time to get things back on track.

I’ve seen schools who were performing well, and they’ve taken their foot off the marketing pedal – even removing the function altogether.

Sooner or later, things start to fall apart, and they need help to get back on track.

But it takes time to turn things around - time, courage, and a major investment.

There is no silver bullet in schools. 

The moral of this story is this: It’s better to never go into a nosedive in the first place than it is to try to pull your school out of one.

I’ve been working on something exciting that’s launching soon to help schools diagnose exactly how you’re tracking with your marketing and enrolments. 

Watch this space!✨ 

#schoolmarketing #educationmarketing #schoolleadership

Director of Marketing at Faith Lutheran College, Plainland | Founder of School Marketing Manifesto✨

I don’t think we talk enough about the massive culture shock that Marketers and Business Managers experience when we transition to working in schools.✨

It’s been 15 years, and I still remember vividly the feeling of overwhelm in my first year.

Since then, I’ve supported many fellow marketers and BMs through the transition.

Schools have a frenetic pace – a chaotic rhythm – that takes time to adjust to.

Don’t get me wrong – working in corporate marketing and PR wasn’t easy. I dealt with some incredibly intense, high-pressure periods in the years leading up to working in education.

But schools are a whole different ballgame.

It’s different because those of us with business, rather than education, backgrounds are in the minority in schools.

It’s different because we take on far more duties in our roles than we ever would in other industries.

It’s different because schools have their own unspoken cultures, histories, and traditions that take time to notice and understand.

And it’s different because schools steal your heart in a way that most other industries never could.

Nobody ever prepares you for that.

To the Marketers and Business Managers finding their feet this year: you’re not imagining it.

It is different... and you’re very much among friends.✨

School marketers are, in no particular order:

✨Part salesperson
✨Part scientist
✨Part storyteller
✨Part psychologist
✨Part data analyst
✨Part creative
✨Part wordsmith
✨Part editor
✨Part developer
✨Part diplomat
✨Part project manager
✨Part leader
✨Part follower
✨Part magician
✨Part empath

School marketers are the all-rounders of the education world, balancing all these talents with a smile (and maybe a few too many cups of coffee).

They're the ones who make magic happen, even if it means occasionally giving themselves a quick pep talk in the mirror… or rocking quietly in the corner. (IYKYK)

So, next time you see a school marketer, give them a smile or maybe even a high five - they’re the chaos coordinators who contribute more than you think to keeping the place running smoothly.✨

#schoolmarketing #educationmarketing

If you’re a Principal who feels like marketing is “selling your soul”... I hear you. A school leader shared that exact feeling with me recently.✨

Here's why that makes total sense and what shifts everything…

Why it feels that way:
You've climbed the teaching ladder, not the corporate one. 

Schools = learning first.
Marketing? Not your native language.

"Build excellence and families will come," feels logical, but it's the myth keeping schools invisible.

The reality:
Parents and students need a school. They're choosing - with or without your voice in the room.

Marketing isn't about tricking people into doing something they don’t want to do. It's showing up in that conversation so they can decide if you’re the right fit for them.

If you don’t market your school, your competitor will happily fill the void. 
Why let them?

True marketing = strategic storytelling that lets the right families find you.

You've built something incredible… make sure families know about it.✨

#schoolmarketing #schoolleadership

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Rachael Mahaffey

Bianca Coleborn

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Bianca Coleborn

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