There’s no doubt that the Marketing Communications Office is busier than ever. There always seems to be a new tool or platform to use (Should we jump on Snapchat to communicate better with students? Do parents prefer to receive texts rather than phone calls or handouts for important updates or news?) and it can feel overwhelming.
All too often, marketing communications professionals can become so busy with their day-to-day work that social media becomes another thing that “has to be done.” So you do it—you post photos from the football game, retweet the information for the drama club’s upcoming play, and share details about next week’s open house. But you might go about this with no overarching social media plan or strategy. If you do, you’re missing a vital opportunity.
ISM believes it’s the role of the Marketing Communications Office to drive strategy for recruitment, re-recruitment, and fundraising. These are often the biggest drivers of revenue for your school. But if you’re not thinking holistically about the whole school picture—and incorporating a social plan in your mix—you’re probably not being as effective as you could be.
If you are strategic in the way you think about social media and plan for it appropriately, it can provide great benefits for your school. There are four key areas you must consider when assessing your school’s social media strategy.
- Purpose and audience
- Content
- Frequency and calendaring
- Measurement and metrics
Social media shouldn’t feel like “another thing we have to do.” If you take the time to plan your social media strategy, engagement can rise, reaching more members of your community and adding value to your school’s marketing efforts.
Additional ISM resources:
The Source for School Heads Vol. 17 No. 5 Three Social Media Tips for School Heads
The Source for Private School News Vol. 17 No. 3 The Impact of Social Media on Teens Today
Additional ISM resources for ISM members:
I&P Vol. 43 No. 4 Establish Best Practices for Managing Social Media Accounts
I&P Vol. 41 No. 7 The Marketing Communications Director: The School’s Bridge
