Which Social Media Channel Should My School Choose?

If social media marketing is new to your school, you may find it difficult to juggle several platforms at once. Good platforms to start with are Facebook and/or Instagram.  Both have large reaches and are popular among parent demographics (ages).

Two Options For Posting Content:

Option #1: Free (organic) content

These are posts that you do not have to pay for.  They will mostly be seen by your school community - students, families, faculty, and staff.  The main way these kinds of posts get in front of new viewers is when one of your followers shares with their friends. 

Consider posting a picture of the volleyball team at their school tournament, or share the flyer for your upcoming fundraising event.  Be sure to capture events and moments that show the life of the school. 

Your goal in creating posts should be to encourage comments and sharing.  To do this, try some of the following tactics:

• Ask questions - make them easy and fun to answer (e.g., What book did you read this summer?)
• Encourage comments - e.g., post a picture of the recent art show, a video of the winning basketball team, or a teacher who is retiring. Be sure to respond to comments, even with an emoji or simple thank you

Option #2: Paid Ads

If you want to get in front of new, and targeted, audiences, consider adding paid advertising to your social media strategy. You can manage when and where your ads will run. You can also adjust your target audience to be as broad or well-defined as you like.  For example, you might choose to show your ads to parents of school-aged children or Christian families.

Some Ideas For Social Media Posts For Your School:

1. Behind-the-scenes video tours  - Give prospective students a glimpse of what life is like at your school.  You can showcase aspects of your school that might not be gathered from looking at your school’s website.
2. Give your students and alumni a chance to speak - Any prospects would love to hear from current students or alums about their experiences.  This gives a window into what it is like to be a student at your school and can be highly effective in influencing prospective families.
3. Use social media stories to build connections  - by publishing a regular stream of content about school life and live events, your followers will feel more connected to your school each day and will help to drive interested prospects towards enrollment. Live streaming a band concert, graduation ceremony or sports game provides a detailed view of what it’s like to take part in your school’s activities.
4. Provide information  - Review your school calendar and keep parents informed about upcoming events.  This also is a great way to spread the word to your community about things such as open houses, fundraising events, school plays, and special speakers.
5. Remind parents of who you are  - with the right posts you can reinforce the high quality of your staff, your philosophy of education, the beautiful campus, your school’s mission, and the value of sending children to your school.
6. Communicate the enjoyment of learning and the positive atmosphere of your school - Have fun! Make your social media posts are ones that people look forward to and can go to be inspired and uplifted.

Since parents of school-aged children are on social media, this is a marketing tool that you can use to reach them.  You will be amazed at how effective it is to engage present parents, reach out to prospective families, and highlight your school in the local community. If you need help getting started, contact our social media experts today.