Let’s be real: Social media can feel like a lot. Platforms change. Trends shift. The algorithm seems to have a mind of its own.

But here’s the truth: At its core, social media is simply about giving others a peek into what’s really happening at your school.

It doesn’t have to be fancy.
It doesn’t have to be perfect.
And it definitely doesn’t have to be overwhelming.

As the new school year is starting, I want to give you a little counseling session to reduce the stress and focus on what matters most.

Start Where You Are

You don’t need a full-time communications team or a viral video plan. Start with:

• The skills you already have
• The people who are willing to help
• The stories that are already unfolding in your hallways

When I started doing social media for the New Auburn School District back in 2014, I didn’t really know what I was doing. To illustrate that point, this is what my cover image looked like (in my defense, Canva didn’t really take off in the United States until 2016!):

If you scroll back to the very beginning by visiting all of my Facebook covers, you’ll see it took me over two years to finally get my collage to look professional. And that is also when I started working with my amazing graphic designer, Allison. I’m still not great after all these years, but I lean on others – and you can, too.

This leads me to my next key point: Working with people who are willing to help. 

There are staff members in your school who understand the power of social media. And many of them are really gifted digital storytellers! Lean on them to help gather content and create videos. They do it because they love it, not because they necessarily get paid to do it. It’s OK to ask for help!

And finally, you don’t have to stress yourself with thinking about elaborate video scripts to write or professional photoshoots to schedule. Social media is about capturing what life is really like in your school. 

In a recent podcast episode, Sandy Sutty, Admissions Marketing and Communication Manager from Salesianum School in Delaware, said it best:

Social media really allows me to showcase the school’s personality. I think the best way to learn about any school is by being inside the school, and people can’t see that if they don’t know it. And so you open the doorway and you show them what everyday interaction looks like. Anything from experiencing what the teachers are providing, how the students are supporting each other, to everyday occurrences that just happen naturally.

Listen to the full episode, here:

You don’t have to have it all figured out to get started, or to stay consistent!

My Best Advice to Reduce the Overwhelm

After training thousands of schools in social media for more than a decade, I have a few go-to pieces of advice for getting in the game without stressing out. I train staff members who are responsible for posting to social media – and by the way, that could mean all types of roles and backgrounds, including communication directors, communication specialists, principals, administrative assistants, librarians, teachers, and more! 

Here’s my best advice:

Focus on Your Most Active Platform(s)

If you’re trying to keep five different social channels going, then no wonder you’re overwhelmed! It might be time to focus on just one or two. I recommend Facebook, followed by Instagram. If you can add another one, I think LinkedIn is the spot to go.

Here’s the data around why these are the best platforms for K12 schools.

Create a Content Submission System

Put together a simple, easy-to-use system for staff to submit photos/videos. Start by setting up an email address just for collecting social media stories. This short video walks you through exactly why this is so important.

Then, communicate to your staff through a staff meeting, a lunch ‘n learn, or even a mass internal email about your simple submission process. Let them know that submitting stories is easy – you just need a sentence or two about what’s happening in the photo(s) or video they’re sending, and you’ll take it from there!

Post Social Media Features

One of my secret weapons for a consistent social media presence is weekly features. Select two to three social media features that will work at your school. These take a huge load off your shoulders because you can work ahead by creating months of content at once!

I’ve written many blogs on this topic, so I’ll link a few of my favorites below to get your creative juices flowing:

• #ThrowbackThursday (plus, this blog includes 52 plug-and-play #TBT captions!)
• “What I Learned This Week”
• Staff Features (read several ways you can approach this)
• Student Spotlights
• Question of the Week

Just POST It!

Have the courage to just post! You have a job where your work is there for the world to see – quite literally – and you can bet that I’ve made every mistake in the world. Seriously – I just did a new staff welcome for New Auburn and got this text from our brand new Superintendent:

ChatGPT is a great tool – but you don’t need to advertise that you used it to pull together a great caption. I’m not proud of this error, but I just want you to know that it still happens to veterans like me!

Perfecting the photos, editing the videos with the perfect songs and transitions… it can take too much time. My friend Ren Luebbering said it best:

Three Strategies to Make Your Job Easier

If you want social media to feel less like a burden and more like a tool, here’s where to focus:

1. Work on Consistency

Aim to post at least once a day. Already doing that? Go for twice daily! Just like sports, you don’t get better by watching, you get better by playing. Hit “post.” Then hit it again tomorrow.

The team at #SocialSchool4EDU manages social media for over 80 school districts nationwide. We aim to post on weekdays and not weekends. We believe in work-life harmony, and even though you can schedule posts to go out on Saturdays and Sundays without having to be online at those times, you do have to be ready for comments, questions, and other interactions. 

On average, we post about three times daily on Facebook, Monday-Friday. But that is after years of perfecting the system and training our staff to submit great stories. Start with where you are, today, and aim to grow. You will get better by doing!

2. Involve Your Students

Ask your students what they’d like to see. Let them teach you a trick or two. Hand over the phone (if you’re comfortable). Their creativity – and understanding of the platforms – might surprise you!

It may seem like there is no WAY that you would let students just post content on your pages, but you don’t have to hand over complete control to them to get them involved. They can submit content to you!

I have been running a social media internship program for the last two years in New Auburn – and I still don’t have it all figured out – but I am thankful I started it! Here is an entire blog to provide more insight into this: Empowering Student Voices: Launching a Social Media Internship at Your School

3. Join a Community

Frankly, social media is hard, and you shouldn’t have to do this alone. I did when I started out, and it took me years to get to where I needed to be.

Our #SocialSchool4EDU Membership Program connects you with hundreds of schools telling their stories online every day. Learn together, grow together, and laugh at the occasional typo together.

Don’t just take our word for it:

• “I thought I had social media down. I’m a millennial who grew up coding my own MySpace, but school PR social media is its own beast. #SocialSchool4EDU has really given me great ideas to up my social media game from a school district perspective when I was struggling to be creative. I recommend this membership for anyone new to social media or anyone who is in a slump. You will get so many great ideas to try out.” -Adelle Wellens, Duluth Public Schools, MN
• “I can’t imagine doing my job in school PR without being a part of the #SocialSchool4EDU membership program. I so appreciate Andrea and her team for giving us so many ideas, hints, training, and support to help me do a better job in my PR role. Thanks so much!” -Ken Schutten, McDonald County School District, MO
• “We were approached by our admin about becoming the managers of the school’s media pages. This was very daunting and a large undertaking as our district had multiple pages. With the help of #SocialSchool4EDU we have been able to merge pages, grow our following, add other media outlets, and receive assistance from the experts & resources they provide.” -Alisha Ray, Merkel ISD, TX
• “I have a community of people who understand what it takes. I am learning all the time. Everyone is kind and relatable!” -Carolyn Groendyk, Grand Rapids Christian Schools, MI
• “As a one-person communications director for a Kindergarten to Grade 12 school division in Alberta, having access to resources, training and practical tips for social media is invaluable. Being a member of #SocialSchool4EDU has been a game-changer! The resources, expert training, and practical tips provided empower me to stay ahead of evolving social media trends and effectively share that knowledge with our school-based social media managers. Beyond the robust resources, what I love most is the community! I feel as though I have 750 friends across North America who openly share their knowledge, challenges, and victories to support one another. #SocialSchool4EDU is my first stop on the road to learning and teaching more about social media.” -Cindy Nickerson, Christ the Redeemer Catholic Schools, Alberta, CA

You’ve got this. Stop waiting for perfect. Start posting what matters. And remember: Your community isn’t looking for flawless. They’re looking for real!