What happens when districts set budgets, educators finally breathe after back-to-school, and conferences flood the calendar—all at once? You get October, the single most important month in the education marketing cycle.
In this special solo episode, Elana shares why October is such a pivotal moment for vendors, partners, and school leaders. She breaks down how to support current users, align with budget planning, build your list, and show up at conferences with real value. Along the way, she reflects on lessons learned from colleagues like Allison Maudlin (on why success is a square, not a line) and Matt Stinson (on why most vendors should stop chasing cold RFPs).
Whether you’re leading sales, marketing, or customer success, this episode will help you focus on what actually matters before the year slips away.
What You’ll Learn
Why October is the only “full” month left in the calendar year and how to make the most of it
How to double down on customer success and PD to boost adoption and renewals
Why aligning sales, marketing, product, and customer success as a “square” matters more than ever
How budget-setting cycles give you a chance to position your product for 2026 (and beyond)
Smart ways to use conferences for list-building and relationship-building
The right (and wrong) way to jump on seasonal or cultural trends
Why it’s time to prioritize ethical list-building through lead magnets, webinars, and email
Why It Matters
In education, timing is everything. October is when educators are ready to deepen usage, district leaders are finalizing budgets, and conferences create endless opportunities for connection. If you miss this window, you risk falling behind on renewals, losing visibility in the budget cycle, and scrambling to catch up in the new year.
Resources Mentioned in this Episode:
Allison Maudlin’s “success is a square” framework – Sales, marketing, product, and customer success must all align to drive real impact.
Dan O’Reilly – Previous LCG podcast guest on bridging the gap between sales and marketing.
Matt Stinson on RFPs – His post challenging small vendors to stop chasing cold RFPs and instead focus on relationships before the paperwork.
Elana Leoni, Host
Elana Leoni has dedicated the majority of her career to improving K-12 education. Prior to founding LCG, she spent eight years leading the marketing and community strategy for the George Lucas Educational Foundation where she grew Edutopia’s social media presence exponentially to reach over 20 million education change-makers every month.
About All Things Marketing and Education
What if marketing was judged solely by the level of value it brings to its audience? Welcome to All Things Marketing and Education, a podcast that lives at the intersection of marketing and you guessed it, education. Each week, Elana Leoni, CEO of Leoni Consulting Group, highlights innovative social media marketing, community-building, and content marketing strategies that can significantly increase reach, relationships, and revenue.
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