Most schools are leaving high-value leads on the table in paid social - and don't know it. In this MAD LABZ episode, James and Nik chat to digital marketing expert Kerwyn Salmons from 15th Media as he breaks down the three costliest mistakes schools make with paid campaigns: bland ad copy, misunderstood retargeting, and over-trusting AI ad enhancements without oversight.

Drawing on work with schools across the UK, Malaysia, and the US, Kerwyn shares what actually moves the needle: tailored messaging for each stage of the parent decision journey, smarter use of first-party data, testing new channels, and building personalised funnels that turn clicks into enrolments.

A perfect listen for admissions teams, marketers, and school leaders ready to sharpen their digital game - with practical, low-lift tips you can put to work this week.

Matt Hall, Director of Marketing and Admissions @ Nexus International School (Singapore), chats to James and Nik about: How changing EP thresholds, living costs, and and expat packages are impacting demand for international school places in Singapore; How Matt and his team launched a 'transfer window' campaign, ft. Nexus footie shirts; Why pies create a unique culture nexus (see what we did there!) between the UK <> New Zealand.

Nik chats to Nicola Lutz from No Fluff about how schools can implement more rigorous and effective sales techniques, and how her No Fluff Fest is the event she wished she'd been able to attend earlier in her career.

Sarah Travis, Senior Associate Director at TASIS England, chats with James & Nik about the change from Higher Ed to K12, what it's like to promote an American school in the UK, and how she engages with families from the Middle East to Asia.

James and Nik are joined by pricing experts Sharyn Martin and Dr. Len Coote from Edified. They discuss how schools can remove the guesswork from their pricing strategy by applying a scientific approach which draws on microeconomics and econometrics.

James and Nik are joined by Paul Chapman from Noodle photography, as they discuss what makes a winning school photo & video, being 'brave' when taking pictures, and tips to improve the way you capture images around your campus. If you know you need to level up your school's imagery then this one is for you.

Nik and James take a break from the normal recording schedule to bring you a short community update, covering upcoming guests, future LABZ episodes, and a bulletin on doris.