Building community relations with social media Part 2

Social media strategy for schools part 2 is a continuation of a post we started last week. See Part 1 here 

“Social media is more proactive than reactive; schools today need to understand that.” Paul Hays – School Head, JPGS

Twitter
Teachers may use Twitter to celebrate what noteworthy activities were done during the week, ask questions, and share resources. It can have a profound effect on our staff. By creating a school hashtag, you’ll be able to thread all of your school-based tweets. It doesn’t have to be anything special just make it memorable, and of course start using it. Be prepared social media is not some all powerful device used to control people’s minds. For it to have any effect your content has to be top notch and your posts have to be consistent. It can only grow slowly but over time you will reap the benefits.
Many schools are just starting to explore the opportunities available to them, and how they can make their voice heard on a global stage.

LinkedIn
LinkedIn may be used to recruit potential teachers and reach the other working members of your community. By following the major employers in your area, you develop a sense of camaraderie within the business community and consolidate on strengthening your network. In addition to posting about major school events, you may also share articles related to leadership, corporate social responsibility, and team building. Posts on LinkedIn have a more formal tone.

YouTube
I can guarantee that there are already many videos of your school and students on YouTube. Once again, if you are not telling your story, someone else is. Since you may not be able to police the other videos, you should have an official YouTube channel.

Blogs
Most schools dismiss blogs as a viable medium of information and often times relegate blogging to end of term newsletters. Blogging can be so much more, if executed properly. Ideally, your school’s blogs should be constantly updated, also let’s not forget that content is king. Once you have a constant stream of blogs it’s time to start engaging your community by integrating your blogs with social media.

Once your school has developed a proactive social media campaign, you will witness the renewed commitment from community members in school related events. Your community will be much more connected and parents will stay better informed.

Community refers to anyone within your immediate surroundings; you need the support and good will of this community to carry out your school activities with peace of mind. As a partner in progress schools should take a more proactive stance towards relating with their community. After all it is from this same community that teachers, parents and even their students come from. Social media will compliment outreach efforts and create a foundation for the school which long term relationships may be built on.