Does the thought of social media for your school stress you out?
I hope not, because it’s a great cause! Your students and staff deserve to be celebrated in big ways.
What’s more, your community deserves to get a front-row seat to the amazing things happening in your school.
Now, I know that it is July, and you are likely right in the middle of your summer break.
That means it is the perfect time to relax, recharge, and get re-energized for the 2018-19 school year! I recently broke down the seven things you should do to help make sure your school’s social media shines next year. That recorded webinar can be accessed by members only. If you are interested in joining us, learn more here.
For a quick review – here is what I broke down:
- Review your 2017-18 performance
Take time to look back before you start planning ahead. What channels are you on now? How have they grown? You might consider adding another channel (like Instagram) – or maybe one of your channels should be eliminated. Grab the data, review and share it with your leadership team, and make some goals for next year. - Examine your process
You cannot do social media by yourself. You have to review the process you have to allow staff to help tell your story. That could be through an email address where staff can submit photos and videos to you. It could also be by encouraging your staff to tweet using your school hashtag. Whatever it is, think about how effective it is, and make sure you focus on retraining your staff again before school starts. Excitement is the highest at this point of the school year. - Explore new tools
What do you struggle with the most in managing social media for your school? Once you identify that, you can search for apps to help you! My go-to apps are Google Drive, Word Swag, and Canva. - Prepare
I think the best way to prepare for next year is by focusing on the two C’s – Calendar and Crisis. Grab that school calendar and figure out what you need to share via social media. Many posts can be scheduled now. And with a school crisis, it is not a matter of “if”, but rather of “when.” How will you react using social media? Taking time to review this now will save a lot of time when you need it! - Select a new campaign (or feature)
Great social media is all about stories. So what kind of features are you doing for your school? I share 10 ideas inside of the webinar, but here is a simple one that can highlight your staff using just their title and school picture! - Promotion plan
In order for people to follow you on social media, they need to know about it. How are you getting the word out? Vinyl signs on each entrance is one easy way. To find out the details in this blog, click here.
- Get connected
You are not alone. You can draw inspiration from so many places! This week happens to be the National School Public Relations Association’s annual seminar. Follow #NSPRA2018 for some great ideas and people to follow. And the team here at #SocialSchool4EDU is always here to help.
There you go – 7 things to do this summer to help jumpstart your school’s social media. What item are you going to start with first? I want to hear about it below!
And remember, there is also a recorded webinar on this topic that can be accessed by members only. If you are interested in joining us, learn more here.
