Why social media matters to schools

At last count, 72 percent of Americans routinely use social media to connect with each other, news, information, and entertainment. That number continues to rise.

Facebook alone has over 270 million daily active users accessing their accounts and most of those are via mobile phones and tablets. Just because people are on the go, doesn’t stop them from sharing news and information. 

According to Nielsen, the media insights watchdog, YouTube reaches more US adults ages 18-34 than any cable network, and one out of every four Americans views at least one Youtube video every day. Everyone likes videos to help learn about new things, and share stuff they like. How much school content of yours is on Youtube?

LinkedIn, the world's largest internet-based professional network has around 200 million U.S. users. Imagine a LinkedIn group of influential supporters of your school whom you could instantly share achievement results with, school levy info, alumni and fundraising news. 

The growing number of social media users is creating more and better ways to connect. If you’re not down with words like: trending, hashtag and re-tweet, you’d better finish reading this section. 

You get the point. Social media has become the lingua franca and it ought to be part of your school’s communications strategy. It's a quick and efficient way to reach parents, staff and students. After all, it’s right there on their phones.

There are three major obstacles to why social media strategies have not been universally accepted as a powerful communications tool for schools.

1. Underutilization

Even those schools that are using social media are hardly maximizing its potential to tell the school stories that can shape their image.

While Facebook is by far the most popular social network being used as a communications tool for some districts and schools, it’s safe to say they are only scratching the surface of its potential. Frequency of posting and quality of content constrain many schools from optimizing Facebook. Sporadic posting that's not aligned with communication goals can be fruitless. It's not just about sharing calendar events and sports scores.  

Social media is a potentially powerful ally for schools looking to generate grassroots support and project a positive image. It’s the fourth estate.

Public schools, for example, might be able to swing the vote their way when they factor strategic social media into their school’s levy campaign strategy. Likewise, private schools can tap some rather simple social media tactics to build and strengthen bonds with alumni, parents, and prospective families.

2. Lack of control

Even when social media is being utilized by a district or school, managing it can be a daunting task. It takes time and staff resources to do so, and few schools have the luxury of dedicating the personnel to manage a school social media program.

Sometimes, determining just who is in control can be difficult. Some school districts may have as many as half a dozen or more Facebook pages that are "associated" with their schools – each managing their own content. It's not uncommon for 'rogue' pages to exist (e.g., departmental, school board, PTO, alumni, etc.). While most of these pages are well-intended, such a scattering of school content can be confusing to your school community.

There are liabilities too associated with publishing social content. The information posted on your "official" school Facebook pages needs to conform with school and legal policies. Making sure everything is accurate and complies requires diligence.

3. Fear of engagement

Yes, ironically the very goal all educators strive for–improved engagement–is what often holds school administrators back from really kicking their social media into gear.

Social media, after all, is often associated with negative connotations when it comes to schools. Negative comments from parents or students, protecting students from cyberbullying, privacy issues, swatting. No superintendent, principal or school board member wants to start a conversation if they don't have to. So it's no surprise then that some schools prefer to just crawl along with their social media.

Many schools don't even have a social media policy in place. And while more and more schools are beginning to adopt social media plans, the defensive stance some schools are taking may limit the true potential of all the positive things a sound social media program can do for a school or district.

Educator and blogger Mark W. Guay, author of Schools Gone Social, has a pithy quote that any educator who is struggling these days with that jump into the social media world: “So, go ahead and get started. Enjoy the likes, the retweets, and the re-pins. You have nothing to lose besides progress.”

Get out in front of social media, before you find yourself behind it.

Taking an active role in your school’s social media gives you the ability to tell everyone about all the great things happening in and around your school. It helps build your school 'community' in a way that's authentic.

Social media encourages the dialogue that brings everyone closer to your school. Students, staff, and parents can all take part in generating and sharing the stories that shape your school's image.

Empower your staff.

Schools will forever be associated with being a cornerstone of the community, so telling your school’s story – putting your best foot forward – helps position it as a community asset for educating future generations.

Much more than a way to just tell your story, social media is also a way to listen. We all know how important listening is in the communications process. And creating better ways to listen is an important benefit of a social media program that helps strengthen the family-school-community partnership.

All the social media channels and the mobile, 24-hour access to them give teachers, school administrators and all your school’s stakeholders so many more chances to learn more about the issues percolating among parents and the school community. 

The ability to create online surveys in an instant, and just as instantly know where your audience stands on any number of school issues, facilitates immediacy in gauging opinion, gathering input, and simply listening better. Tools to monitor what’s being said about your school – and who’s saying it – creates untold opportunities to not only listen, but respond strategically with the right message. 

Time was, a news release sent to the local press or a posting on the school website was the primary way to get the broadest reach for school news – create the release and hope parents and the rest of the community finds it. Post and pray. If you’re real lucky and your public relations or communications manager has a good rapport with the local media, the community paper picked up the release and ran the story. Social media changes all that.

You manage the message.

While social media can do wonders to strengthen your school’s media relations, it’s a powerful tool in and of itself, enabling you to publish and share while maintaining the utmost of editorial control. 

Social media is multi-faceted in that it can be used to do much more than deliver messages. It can be used to galvanize your audience and build a following in and of itself. It can also be used to drive traffic to your website, for example, through the use of embedded links, giving your audiences more chances to learn more about your school and dig deeper. 

Facebook advertising for schools is much more affordable than you might think, and a cost-effective way to boost activity around key messages you want to promote.

Facebook pages, YouTube videos, Tweets – all these vehicles and others can be utilized to surround your audiences with the content to get your message across. These channels create countless opportunities to start one-on-one and one-to-many dialogue.

Social media creates personal and responsive conversations with all your audiences – parents, staff, students and the community – and helps strengthen your school’s image and place in the community.