School communicators everywhere are turning to Instagram Reels to reach and engage their communities, and districts like Mahtomedi Public Schools have seen just how effective Reels can be!
Through creativity, smart planning, and a few best practices, Mahtomedi Public Schools Director of Communications Alice Seuffert has increased engagement and expanded her district’s reach on Instagram in a big way: From just 5,200 to over 62,000 over three years!
Mahtomedi Public Schools is a small public school district in Minnesota. With an enrollment of 3,200 students, Alice is a one-person communications department, and she wears all the hats that come with that role.
Alice recently led an excellent “Instagram Reels Made Easy” webinar, which is available for on-demand viewing within our membership program! Your membership unlocks access to hundreds of trainings and resources, all tailored to school communications and social media.
Follow along with Mahtomedi on these channels:
Website
Facebook
Instagram
Listen to our podcast episode featuring Alice! Using Your District’s Strategic Plan for Powerful Social Media Storytelling with Alice Seuffert
Why Reels? The Data Speaks for Itself
Mahtomedi Public Schools has seen a significant boost in reach and engagement by posting Instagram Reels, and Meta’s data about Reels supports this strategy. In fact:
- 91% of Instagram’s 2.5 billion users watch videos weekly on the platform.
- Instagram users spend 50% of their time on the app watching Reels.
- Reels generate 2x the reach compared to regular posts.
- 80% of Reels are watched with sound on, so be sure to select engaging audio.
For Mahtomedi Public Schools, utilizing Instagram Reels has proven to be valuable. Alice likes to ask: “What does our grid say about our school or district? How are we uniquely showing up?”
Instagram Reels have allowed her to showcase what’s important to Mahtomedi Public Schools’ families, students, and staff – all while building strong community connections.
Plus, this success has spilled over into Mahtomedi’s Facebook presence. Alice’s numbers have gone up on Facebook, too, thanks to the Reels she crossposts from Instagram to Facebook. In 2023/2024, Mahtomedi Public Schools had an overall reach of 261,000 on Facebook, up from 5,700 in 2021/2022.
Make It Joyful and Authentic – No Big Productions Needed
Alice’s approach is to focus on authentic, strategic, brand-focused storytelling. Think of Reels as a way to give an inside look at your school or district. Most of her Reels are created with footage captured on her phone and edited right in Instagram or Canva. No fancy editing skills or software are required!
Some of Alice’s most successful Reels feature:
- Quick staff/student spotlights of big or small celebrations
- Fun moments such as classroom activities or pep rallies
- Event recaps that capture the spirit of school functions
Her success highlights that Reels don’t need to be heavily produced—short clips on a smartphone highlighting the unique aspects of your school and district can go a long way.
Plan Your Content Around Your Goals
Alice breaks her content into five strategic topics, categorizing each Reel by its purpose:
- Informational/Awareness: Share something about your school that your viewers might not have known, such as courses or unique course activities, updates about a specific program or teacher grant, new construction, or the variety of programs you offer.
- Promotional/Take Action: Invite viewers to an event, share job posting videos, etc.
- Connection/Spotlight: Student spotlights, staff features, spotlight a specific group/club, alumni, business partnerships, etc.
- Event Recap: Highlight graduations, holiday festivities, homecoming celebrations, etc. Or special events like this Veterans event, surprise award, or special athletic tradition.
- Joy/Fun: Capture all the smiles, excitement, friendships, and fun that happen every day in your school! Like this morning mantra, parent gratitude cart for staff or a fun dry-erase board with messages from around your school.
Clarifying her focus in these five categories helps Alice create content that resonates, while staying true to her district’s mission and message.
Check out this Reel she created to raise awareness for the school’s recycling and composting efforts. It has been seen by nearly 40,000 viewers and truly shares the district’s priority to be eco-friendly!
Tips for Getting Started with Reels
Ready to dive into short-form video on Instagram? Here are Alice’s tips for getting started.
- Set a Realistic Goal: Start with one Reel a week or month if you’re new to the format.
- Check out Alice’s Instagram Reels Made Easy worksheet for a handy checklist to help you set up a system that works!
- Use Trending Audio: Save trending audio clips to use in future posts, which helps boost reach. *Be sure to review the lyrics to make sure the music is appropriate.
- Use a Creator Account: Switching to a Creator account gives you access to the full Instagram music library and other features that make Reels more engaging.
- Follow Other Schools for Inspiration: Here are just a few schools that are doing great things with Reels:
- Mahtomedi Public Schools – spotlight school classrooms/departments
- New Braunfels ISD – event announcement
- Claremore Public Schools – showcase school pride/celebrate a big win
- Dancing Moose Montessori – share an authentic look at student learning
- Batesville Schools – get your mascot involved
- Higley Unified School District – feature your staff members
- Just do it! Posted is better than perfect and unpublished – no one is seeing those Drafts that you’ve been hanging onto. Hit that publish button!
Tips for Seasoned Creators
For readers who have already been using Instagram Reels to celebrate your school and are looking for a way to take it to the next level, here are a couple of tips from Alice:
- Split the Story! Splitting the story allows you to create two different stories from one event – which means you can serve it to your audience twice! By capturing/sharing photos from an event AND creating a Reel with authentic, behind-the-scenes footage, you can really maximize the reach potential and get your stories out there. Here’s an example of Splitting the Story in action:
- Incorporate hooks to stop the scroll. Hooks let viewers know what they are getting when they watch your Reel. Alice makes her hook images in Canva and uses them in Instagram as the cover image for her Reels. Here’s a great example of a hook that stopped the scroll:
The Impact is Reel! Track Success and Adjust
To keep her Reels effective, Alice monitors data and adjusts her strategy. Her annual reach on Instagram has grown from 5,200 to over 62,000 by consistently posting at least one Reel every week. She is currently averaging ten Reel posts a month.
Here’s what Alice has learned by tracking the data:
- Meta’s algorithm rewards consistency and alignment with social media trends of short-duration videos (under 30 seconds) connected with trending audio.
- Cross-post Reels to Facebook and take advantage of collaborators when appropriate to maximize potential reach.
- Get extra views by including links to new Reels in electronic communications (newsletters, staff updates, etc.) and QR codes in printed materials to help your families find your content easily. Here’s an example:
For Alice, tracking engagement and reach is key to understanding which stories resonate most with her audience. She said, “It’s important to be a lifelong learner. Research, know trends, and engage in professional development. I’m ok with trying something new and learning from setbacks.”
Building Your School’s Story – Let’s Do This!
Are you ready to dive into Reels and share your school’s unique story with your community? Alice’s success is proof that with planning and creativity, Reels can make a big impact.
👉 BONUS Tip from Alice: Consider joining our #SocialSchool4EDU membership group!
Alice said: “Through the membership group, I’ve made genuine connections and relationships with professionals across the country. I regularly use ideas and tips from the group – and they work! I get the opportunity to engage in professional development related to communications, and our social media is dynamic and always improving.”
Learn more about our membership group on our website, or click here to sign up today!
