One look around a gym full of people at any school event, and what do you see?
All eyes on the athletes on the court? The full attention going to the cute kids on the stage?
Probably not. Some siblings are playing games on a phone. Some parents are tweeting score updates; other students are sending Instagram selfies while sitting in the crowd.
Social media is a part of our life, and it is here to stay. Schools may have a love/hate relationship with it, but let’s put some numbers around the “good” and not just continue to gripe about the “bad and the ugly.”
In a 2015 survey of three different districts using social media as a daily routine in celebrating their students, we found that 89% of the respondents felt more informed about the school.
School websites, newsletters, notes to parents – all of these are still being used. But the use of social media led nearly 9 out of 10 people to respond that they feel like they know more about the daily activities at the school.
Yahoo!
Another remarkable statistic is that 93% of respondents said they check social media at least once a day, with 2/3 of fans checking it several times per day.
What does this mean for schools? Posting once a week or even once a day isn’t enough.
We find the most engagement in schools that are posting and tweeting about three times per day. You have a captive audience interested in t-shirt sales, tomorrow’s lunch menu, old yearbook photos, and the 11-year-old author who talked to the elementary students that day. Give it to them!
When asked in open-ended format what followers liked the most about the school’s social media presence, the top five responses were summarized as:
- Staying informed
- Great photos
- Positive achievements
- Sports
- Throwback Thursday photos
Your school has a story to tell. Who is telling it?
Grab ahold of the free tools available and get those messages out to thousands with just a click of a button. Then get ready for great feedback from your fans like this:
“I love seeing the pictures of the students learning and having fun.”
“Our family is very active. The school being active and up-to-date with social media helps organize our activities.”
#SocialSchool4EDU’s mission is to celebrate students and connect communities.
Contact Andrea today so she can put her expertise and team to work for your school. From training your team to full-service updates on social media, #SocialSchool4EDU can help you seize the vast opportunities found on social media.
