What is your school’s plan for social media in 2024? 

Are you dropping Twitter/X? Adding TikTok? Focusing on Instagram? Keeping Facebook as your priority? 

What do you struggle with the most? What sources do you use for professional development? How much are you involving students in your storytelling?

We really wanted to know the answers to these questions… so we asked! 

#SocialSchool4EDU is connected to a LOT of social media managers from across the country. We had 537 responses to our annual survey, and today, we’re excited to share the results!

We hope you will gain insight into your district’s efforts by looking at the data. We’ll add some of our thoughts along the way, but if you want to listen to more, tune into my podcast episode dedicated entirely to the 2023 Communications Survey Results. Then, make sure you are subscribed to my podcast so you never miss an episode!

What is Your Role Within Your School or District?

Our 2022 survey earned 465 responses, and we were thrilled to see 537 individuals respond to the 2023 survey. That’s Incredible! THANK YOU to all who participated!

Here’s a breakdown of the roles our respondents hold, within their schools and districts:

• 30% – Communications/PR Director or Manager
• 23% – Communications/PR Specialist or Coordinator
• 11% – Social Media/Digital Communications & Website Manager
• 7% – Community Relations Director/Specialist
• 7% – Admin Assistant
• 6% – Marketing & Communications Director
• 5% – Marketing
• 4% – Teacher
• 2% – Superintendent/Principal/Assistant Principal
• 1% – Technology Director/Coordinator
• 1% – Director of Advancement
• 1% – Student Services
• 1% – Enrollment/Admissions
• 1% – Other

While over 70% of you hold a title that includes “communications” or “social media,” I want to point out that 30% of you don’t! The role of social media is handled by a variety of people in schools, depending on how your school chooses to tackle the responsibility. While I believe every school deserves to have someone in a communications-specific role, I realize that some schools are not there yet. Kudos to all of you juggling social media on top of your other responsibilities!

What Type of School Do You Work For?

• 77% – Public School
• 16% – Private School
• 4% – Charter School
• 3% – Other

Our feedback was dominated by those working in public schools. Seventy-seven (77%) of respondents reported that they work in public schools, 16% in private schools, 4% in charter schools, and 3% in something else, such as a BOCES or social media consulting capacity. 

No matter what type of school you call home, we’re all looking to increase student enrollment. This makes social media an important focus!

 

How Long Have You Been Involved with Social Media for Your School or District?

• 13% – Less than 1 year
• 28% – 1-3 years
• 24% – 3-5 years
• 23% – 6-10 years
• 12% – More than 10 years

Most of those who responded to the survey have been involved with social media for their school or district for 1-10 years (75%). Thirteen percent (13%) are new to managing social media, taking on the responsibility within the last year, and 12% are real veterans in the field, having more than 10 years of social media management experience under their belts.

I’ve been at this for 10 years now, and I know a lot more than when I started, but I have to stay focused on continuing to learn and grow every day. I think experience helps build confidence, but we all need to stay humble because our roles and the tools we have to use continue to change all the time!

 

What Social Media Channel(s) Do You Manage for Your School or District?

• Facebook – 96%
• Instagram – 85%
• YouTube – 58%
• Twitter/X – 57%
• LinkedIn – 41%
• Threads  – 8%
• TikTok – 8%
• Pinterest – 4%
• Other – 4%
• Snapchat – 2%
• None – 1%

The responses to this question always intrigue me. Even though social media is constantly changing and new platforms are emerging, the powerhouse channels (Facebook and Instagram) remain the most heavily used platforms by school districts. YouTube was the third-top-used channel, with 58% of respondents managing an account for their schools. 

One thing to note is that Twitter/X took a hit compared to the results of last year’s survey. In 2022, 74% of survey respondents reported using Twitter/X for their school or district, whereas only 57% say they use this channel this year. This does not surprise me. With all of the changes to Twitter/X over the past year and the continuing uncertainty of this channel, it would appear schools are evaluating the effectiveness of this platform in their school communications strategy. 

To learn my thoughts on Twitter/X and to get some assistance in making this decision for your school, check out this blog: “What the X Should I Do About Twitter for My School?”

 

When Comparing Our Social Media Efforts With Schools/Districts Around Me, I Feel That Our Social Media Is…

• Excellent – 9%
• Above Average – 47%
• Average – 38%
• Below Average – 4%
• Poor – 1%
• Not Sure – 1%

We asked survey-takers to compare their social media efforts with schools/districts around them and rate their own social media efforts accordingly. Forty-seven percent (47%) said their social media efforts were above average, and 38% felt their social media presence was average. Nine percent (9%) thought their social media was excellent compared to other schools/districts around them.

I’m happy to see that only 6% rate themselves below average, poor, or not sure. I believe that’s because almost every school realizes that social media is a priority for their school!

Based on my exposure to so many schools’ social media accounts, I’d be a little tougher on rating school social media as a whole. I believe that this is the most likely breakdown:

• Excellent – 10% 
• Above Average – 25% 
• Average – 50% 
• Below Average -10% 
• Poor – 5%

This discrepancy could certainly be attributed to the level of proficiency and dedication of the 537 respondents to the survey. I’m willing to say that if you heard about the survey and took the time to answer it, you are less likely to be on the low end of the spectrum.

 

How Are Your Social Media Channels Set Up?

Here is the statement we posed to our survey takers: “I feel that I have all our social media channels set up properly for the district. I am confident of my set up through Meta Business Manager.”

• 1 Rating: Strongly Disagree – 5%
• 2 Rating: Generally Disagree – 7%
• 3 Rating: Neutral – 25%
• 4 Rating: Generally Agree – 38%
• 5 Rating: Strongly Agree – 25%

This question was new to the 2023 survey. We asked survey-takers to rate how confident they are in their social media channel set up through Meta Business Manager. It’s great to see that 63% generally or strongly agreed their channels were properly set up.

If you’re like one of the 37% who are more neutral or not confident in your account setup, I encourage you to check out this blog: Your Step-By-Step Guide: Safely Access Your School Social Media Profiles. Another blog specific to Facebook Business Manager that would be helpful to reference can be found here: Everything You Need to Know About Facebook Business Manager for Schools.

I’d also love to assist everyone working in schools, on an individual basis, to help them feel confident with their Meta Business Manager. If you need help, consider joining my membership group. I do regular office hours to help schools get individualized help on issues like this!!

 

How Effective is Your Social Media Management System?

We asked our survey takers to rate themselves on this statement: “I have a great system to manage all of the social media channels that pop up throughout my school system. I have an approval process and am able to gain proper access to help in case staff or admins change.”

• 1 Rating: Strongly Disagree – 9%
• 2 Rating: Generally Disagree – 20%
• 3 Rating: Neutral – 29%
• 4 Rating: Generally Agree – 22%
• 5 Rating: Strongly Agree – 20%

This was another new question added to the survey in 2023. Less than half (44%) of respondents rated themselves a 4 or 5 on this question, noting they generally or strongly agree they have a great system in place to manage all of their district’s social media channels. 

I’m actually impressed that the number is as high as it is! I think managing all of the new sports and clubs pages that pop up is a nearly impossible feat. I am frequently asked about how to build a system of approval for accounts related to the school. 

This blog breaks down the 7 steps needed – How to Create a Social Media Directory for Your School. It isn’t easy, but if you follow the guide, I think you’ll inch your way up to a 4 or 5 rating by the next survey!

 

Are You Involving Your Students in Social Media Content Creation?

We asked: “Have you involved students in your social media content generation? Either posting directly or providing content for you to post?”

• Yes – 39%
• No – 61%

Involving students in your social media strategy can be a powerful tool in increasing online engagement for your school. Thirty-nine percent (39%) of survey-takers have involved students in their social media content generation in some capacity, while 61% have not for various reasons. We break this down more in the next two questions below.

My personal goal is to help increase the number of schools in the “Yes” category by next year. I’m diving head first into my first official social media internship program at New Auburn this year, and I promise to share all about it!

Then, we asked: “If you answered yes to the above, how have you involved students? Check all that apply.”

• 79% – Involve student assignments from classes like journalism, marketing, video, etc.
• 71% – Have a student internship or formal program led by someone in communications that meets on a regular basis (weekly or monthly)
• 63% – Instagram Takeover for 1 day
• 53% – Create Reels or TikTok videos
• 43% – Post regularly through an approval process
• 22% – Post regularly – directly to the social media platforms without an approval process
• 11% – Other

Before we dive into these stats further, it’s important to note this was a “Check all that apply” question. Most people who have involved students in their social media content generation have utilized multiple avenues to generate student content. 

You can see from the graph that 79% involve students through assignments in their classes like journalism, marketing, video, etc, and 71% use a student internship or formal program. Sixty-three percent (63%) have had a student do an Instagram Takeover, and 53% have had their students create Reels or TikTok videos for their school’s social media.

If you’re looking for more ways to include students this year, read this helpful blog: How to Involve Students in Your School’s Social Media Efforts.

We also asked: “If you answered no to the above, why haven’t you involved students in your storytelling? Check all that apply.”

• 46% – I’m too busy to take this on
• 31% – I don’t feel like I have the controls or tools to moderate what the students are posting
• 20% – Other
• 18% – I’m just nervous
• 16% – My administration will not allow this
• 13% – I want total control over the social media channels. The decision is really up to me.

Remember that 61% of the 537 total survey respondents said they have NOT involved students in their social media content generation strategy. Of those 61%, they expressed several reasons for not venturing down this path… yet!

Forty-six percent (46%) said they are too busy to take this on, 31% feel they do not have the controls or tools to moderate what the students are posting, 18% are nervous about having students involved in this capacity, 16% said their administration will not allow students to be involved, and 13% aren’t comfortable giving up control of their social media channels.

Twenty percent (20%) of respondents who answered this question expanded upon this list and shared additional reasons for not involving students in content generation. Some examples include their students being too young for social media, concerns about students being shown on social media who do not have parental approval to be pictured, or their school adhering to a “no phone” policy, so having students capturing content for social media would send mixed messages.

So, where do you fit in? I’m betting you aren’t alone in your worries, but I hope you continue to push yourself and your school to adopt this effort in small ways in 2024. 

Find out who finally convinced me to take this step (even though I’m very busy!) by listening to this episode of my podcast, Elevating Your School’s Story with Social Media Student Interns with Ryan Foran.

 

Top 10 Biggest Challenges With School Social Media

The challenges we face in our jobs as social media managers are abundant. This list summarizes the responses we received, ranked from the most-reported challenge to the least-reported challenge.

1. Getting Quality and Consistent Content
   By far, this is the number one challenge for our respondents. This includes struggling to receive regular content contributions from teachers and staff, and ensuring that the content is high quality.
2. Time and Resource Constraints
   Many respondents mention being part of a small team or working solo, which makes managing social media alongside other responsibilities challenging. There will never be enough time, which is why it is so important to stay focused on the strategies that actually work.
3. Managing Multiple Channels and Consistency
   This includes struggles with managing various social media platforms effectively and maintaining a consistent posting schedule. This relates a bit to #1, but it also means that you may want to look at reducing some of your channels in 2024.
4. Staff and Teacher Engagement
   Getting teachers and staff to contribute content regularly and ensuring a diverse range of content from different areas of your school community can be very challenging. Your colleagues are busy, but taking a quick photo takes just a few seconds. I think it’s comforting to know that many school communicators have this same issue. You are not alone!
5. Community Engagement and Managing Feedback
   This challenge covers dealing with comments, negative feedback, and misinformation, as well as engaging the community effectively.
6. Content Scheduling and Prioritization
   This challenge includes determining what content to post, when to post, and spacing out posts effectively.
7. Student Privacy and Safety
   This challenge centers around balancing the use of student photos with privacy and safety concerns. Most of your schools use an opt-out system, which reduces the number of students that can’t be pictured, but it is still an important concern.
8. Platform-Specific Issues and Technical Challenges
   Many of you are experiencing problems related to the platforms themselves. This includes linking channels together and dealing with technical glitches. I’ll say it louder for the people in the back – this is so FRUSTRATING! We hear you!!
9. Training and Skill Development
   Another challenge is providing adequate training for staff who are managing social media accounts, as well as staying updated with platform changes. We cover this in more depth with another question, below, so we hope you can gather some new sources for PD!
10. Content Diversity and Distribution
    This challenge is about ensuring that content represents a variety of schools, departments, and activities within the district.

We hear you! Whether you’re new to your role or are a seasoned pro in your district, we all have struggles. I don’t have a magic wand to make all of these disappear, but I promise if you keep following the work of #SocialSchool4EDU, you will get help, training, and support on these topics!

 

Top 10 Goals or Focus Areas for Social Media in the 2023/2024 School Year

This list summarizes the responses we received to this open-ended survey question, ranked from the most frequently reported goal to the least frequently reported goal. 

1. Increasing Engagement
   As our respondents tackle this focus area in 2024, they are using strategies like posting more frequently, focusing on student involvement, and using creative content planning. Engagement is the key to reaching more people with your social media content, so I applaud this goal!
2. Posting More Frequently
   Many respondents emphasized the need to increase the frequency of their posts, including scheduling posts and maintaining a consistent posting rhythm.
3. Including Students
   Involving students more in social media – through features like student takeovers, student-generated content, and student stories – is a key focus. I’m so happy to see this!
4. Expanding Platform Use
   This includes adding Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn to reach wider audiences and diversify social media presence. My only caution is to add a platform ONLY if you think you can dedicate the time to serving another audience with engaging content.
5. Creating More Video Content
   Many of you are placing an emphasis on using more videos, Reels, and engaging visual content to attract and retain audience attention. Short-form video that was made famous by TikTok now exists on other platforms – Facebook Reels, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. I love that this goal showed up in the top 5!
6. Consistency and Quality of Content
   Respondents want to ensure consistent quality, including better photography, better storytelling, and a uniform “look.”
7. Strategic Planning and Policy Development
   Goals include creating social media policies, organizing content calendars, and implementing strategic plans for content distribution. This isn’t always the fun part of your job, but it will certainly provide the framework for you to execute your responsibilities when it comes to social media content, handling comments, and more.
8. Community and Alumni Engagement
   Many respondents want to spotlight community members, implement alumni features, and focus on enhancing school-community connections. I love this! I’m sure these things are happening, but we need to focus on capturing and sharing it on social.
9. Improving Fundraising and Public Relations
   Respondents mentioned that they want to use social media to support fundraising efforts and positively promote the school district.
10. Staff and Teacher Involvement
    Another goal is encouraging more staff contributions, providing better training for staff, and showcasing staff stories.

I think it’s important to set goals for yourself and your school’s social media. There’s always more we can learn in our roles as social media managers, and undoubtedly, the more we put into developing our skills and honing our strategies, the more effective our districts’ social media will become! 

Check out this treasure trove of FREE resources as you tackle your 2024 goals.

 

What Tools or Training Do You Use to Stay Up-to-Date on Social Media Best Practices?

• 81% – I subscribe to the #SocialSchool4EDU newsletter
• 56% – I am a member of my state SPRA (School Public Relations Association) chapter
• 50% – I simply search the internet to learn
• 42% – I am a member of NSPRA (National School Public Relations Association)
• 30% – I listen to podcasts
• 28% – I am a member of the #SocialSchool4EDU membership program
• 25% – I listen to the Mastering Social Media for Schools podcast
• 25% – I am in another organization or informal group that meets to discuss and learn the latest social media practices

There are countless ways to keep up with social media best practices for your school, and many of our survey respondents turn to several of these outlets for training and support in their roles. 

My challenge to you would be to add one more tool to your toolbox this year. One of the easiest would be to subscribe to my podcast! It’s free, and you can learn while you’re driving to work, walking the dog, or eating your lunch!

Here is a summarized list of the resources, podcasts, and groups/organizations mentioned by survey respondents:

Professional Organizations and Associations:
NYSPRA, MOSPRA, NCSPRA, OCSPRA, NSPRA, MSPRA, WSPRA, ArkaNSPRA, SPRINT, INSPRA, CalSPRA, Ohio SPRA, Texas SPRA, NebSPRA, TSPRA, MinnSPRA, AISAP, COSPRA, PennSPRA, NESPRA, TNSPRA, GSPRA, KanSPRA, WNYSPRA, Utah PIO Association, Long Island School PR Association, California Charter School Association, Canadian Association of Communicators in Education.

Facebook Groups and Online Communities:
School Communication Pros Discussion Group, Nonprofit Marketing and Comms Group, Catholic School Center of Excellence, School Communicators FB Group, SocialSchool4EDU Facebook Group, The Creative Coast, Marketing AI Institute, AI for School PR, Canva Design Community, Alumni Association, LinkedIn groups (CMO group, Corporate Social Media, School Marketing Communications), Class Intercom, Finalsite, InspirED, Easy School Marketing, School Marketing Communications, Catholic Communicator Groups.

Podcasts:
Mastering Social Media for Schools, School PR Happy Hour, School CEO, Reimagine Schools, School PR Podcast, #SchoolPR Drive Time, IEI Stories from the Field, Unsupervised Leadership, PRSA, School PR drive Time, School PR Podcast with Ryan Foran, Mindful School Marketing, Upgrade School Marketing, School Communications Scoop.

Newsletters and Publications:
#SocialSchool4EDU Newsletter, Jenn’s Trends, School Communications Pros Discussion Page, Marketing AI Institute Newsletter, Meta Business Suite updates, Hubspot’s social media newsletter, Brendan Schneider’s MarCom Society & weekly newsletter, Aubrey Bursch’s Easy School Marketing weekly newsletter, Emily Cretella’s The Story Starter weekly newsletter, Government Social Media Association, Social Media Today newsletter.

Local and Regional Groups:
Local women’s marketing groups, Local ISD monthly Zoom community, Regional RESA, Ohio Association for Career and Technical Education’s Public Relations group, Southwest Ohio PR, Ohio School Boards Association, Georgia School Public Relations Association, California Charter School Association Communication Group.

Webinars and Workshops:
Over 200 webinars are offered through the #SS4EDU membership group, various resources from professional organizations, FinalSite webinars, Niche webinars, Hootsuite workshops, Class Intercom webinars.

Other Resources:
Following popular content creators on TikTok and Instagram, Later Media on Instagram, Canva for design tips, Behavioral Economics resources, Sourcewell (Community Ed & Communications), various School Marketing Facebook and LinkedIn Groups, Numerous School Marketing and PR podcasts, AI for quick content creation on social media.

 

That’s a Wrap!

Well, what does this all mean? Share your insight below! I look forward to using this data to drive the work #SocialSchool4EDU does in 2024 to help all school storytellers!