The power of social media only continues to grow, begging the following questions:
- “What social media channels should our school use?”
- “Who should run these accounts?”
- “Who should approve the content being posted?”
- “What other rules should we have in place regarding social media?”
Unfortunately, there are no one-size-fits-all answers to these questions. Your school has to assess the needs of its community, including students, parents, faculty, and staff, to make decisions based on their interests.
However, all schools should create a social media policy that can be referred to when situations arise. This policy should go beyond how school channels will be used, and answers questions about what is and isn’t acceptable in your community. Be sure it addresses the following concerns.
School-Related Accounts
- Who can post content on school-owned channels, and who can’t?
- What school-related accounts are acceptable (for instance, student-run sports team accounts or parent association accounts) and which are not?
- Are multiple people responsible for posting?
- Who has final say on the posted content?
Personal Accounts
- Are faculty and staff allowed to maintain public accounts? Does your policy vary by platform?
- Can faculty and staff identify themselves on their personal accounts as school employees?
- Are faculty and staff allowed to share photos and student work on their personal accounts?
- Are teachers allowed to friend students? Parents?
- How can faculty and staff expect their digital presence to be monitored by school administrators?
- What is considered inappropriate?
- How will faculty and staff be held responsible for policy infractions?
Answering these questions is a good start to creating a social media policy that supports your community at large.
For more information like this, attend our upcoming webinar Design Your Website With Marketing in Mind. It will cover the factors necessary to ensure your website design not only drives inquiries, but also converts leads. Join us on Wednesday, October 30 at 3 PM ET.
Additional ISM Resources:
The Source for Advancement Vol. 17 No. 6 Is Your School’s Social Media Strategic?
The Source for School Heads Vol. 17 No. 2 Media Use Among Young Children Continues to Rise
Additional ISM resources for members:
I&P Vol. 43 No. 4 Establish Best Practices for Managing Social Media Accounts
