I’m on a mission to help schools tell their story using social media.

After working with schools for 3 ½ years, I’ve learned a lot. I share what I learn each week here on my blog. I hope you’ve tuned in for a while, enjoying the 100+ articles on topics from Facebook to Twitter to Social Media Policy and more.

Last week, I was preparing for a discussion with a group of schools in Wisconsin. When I talk to a new group, I always take time to review their current social media pages to get an understanding of where they are at in their journey.

I saw a mix of results for the dozen schools. Lots of great things, but more of the basics that just aren’t being done right.

I guess sometimes I think that the people I talk to have been on this journey as long as I have – and that they’ve read every article I’ve ever published… Well, they didn’t because I shared this article on the 5 Biggest Mistakes for Schools Using Social Media nearly 2 years ago.

Since many of these mistakes are still being made – I want to take a minute to help. Whether you are new to social media or have been doing it for a few years, check your channels to see how you’re doing when it comes to these seven mistakes I see a little too often.

And if you want a bit more help, there is a recorded webinar on this topic that can be accessed by members only. If you are interested in joining us, learn more here.

OK – back to those 7 mistakes:

1. Posting with no image
   Our CIO, Heidi Feller, once said that “Posting without an image is like opening the front door of a school and yelling out an announcement.” No one is going to see it. You have to stand out in the newsfeed – and text only updates do not get seen. Create some standard images that can be used when you don’t have an adorable photo handy.



2. Not having a school hashtag
   I was just in a room full of school leaders, and when I asked them to raise their hand if they had a school hashtag, only 25% of the people raised their hand. You are missing out on great stories happening in your schools if you don’t have a hashtag! If you need more information on the why, what and how of hashtags, read this article.



3. Kids as your profile photo
   Schools should use their logo as their profile photo, not an image of students or staff. You want to differentiate yourself in the newsfeed from personal pages – and your logo will help you stand out. In the image below, the eagle logo is the profile photo. The photo collage is the cover photo.





4. Keeping Facebook Reviews visible
   The reviews on Facebook do not have to be shown on your page. I just saw a school who had a rating of 2.4. Yikes! I’m sure they have a great school, but a few disgruntled people out there can ruin your score. And you can’t hide or delete written reviews. In Facebook, you can go into settings and edit page to turn the reviews off.
5. Not customizing your Facebook URL
   Make it easier for people to find you on Facebook by customizing your URL. You do it by creating a username – click on the area right underneath your name to the left of the page.



6. Cover photo – outdated or just your school building
   The cover photo used on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube is prime real estate when it comes to branding your school. If you still have 2017 graduates – you need to update it to focus on the current school year. My biggest pet peeve is just using a photo of your school building. Jazz it up to provide a feeling, like this one from Rockford Area School District in Minnesota. If you’re interested in getting some graphics help, #SocialSchool4EDU can help. Check out the prices here.



7. Not utilizing Facebook Live
   Reaching your audience with live video coverage has never been easier. The best thing is, Facebook really favors FB Live – so it will be seen by your followers! And you can use it to get them involved. Check out the example below from Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD in Texas. You can get your staff involved by assigning FB Live contributors. Not sure how to do that? Stay tuned for my blog next week and I’ll explain it in detail!

There you go! If you were 7 for 7 on these items – you might be a school social media pro. If you feel like you need more of the basics covered, there is a recorded webinar on this topic that can be accessed by members only. If you are interested in joining us, learn more here.