Building a Content Engine for a 41-School Network
How editorial infrastructure and a unified brand voice drove enrollment growth at Achievement First.
The Challenge
When I joined Achievement First in 2023, the organization had no unified content strategy, no editorial planning process, and no consistent brand voice, across 41 schools in three states. Marketing was reactive. Content was siloed by school and region. And enrollment conversion was underperforming despite strong mission and program quality.
The opportunity: build an integrated content operation that could tell a coherent organizational story, improve search visibility, and move prospective families from awareness to application.
My Thinking
WHAT I BUILT
Editorial infrastructure — Designed an editorial planning process and content calendar from scratch, aligning messaging across paid, owned, and earned channels for the first time.
SEO and web strategy — Led a full website and SEO overhaul focused on priority enrollment pages, restructuring content architecture and CTAs to improve both discoverability and conversion.
Brand voice and storytelling system — Developed mission-centric content guidelines and a social storytelling framework that gave regional teams creative structure without sacrificing authentic local voice.
Agency and team management — Managed internal designers and external agency partners; rebuilt the creative briefing and review process, cutting average asset turnaround by 30%.
The Approach
The Outcome
THE RESULTS
15% increase in applicant conversion through multi-channel funnel optimization
Measurable gains in organic search visibility and session depth across enrollment landing pages
Reduced bounce rate on key landing pages through content restructuring and CTA redesign
Significantly stronger community engagement across social platforms, driven by a consistent editorial voice
View published posts at achievementfirst.org/author/melissalachman
What I’d Do Next