Over previous decades, supermarkets across the country housed community notice boards: pin-up boards often layered with flyers, for-sale notices, homes for rent, and local event posters. These boards were an eclectic mishmash without structure or design, featuring little tear-off slips with phone numbers for those browsing to take home to explore further opportunities. While they still exist, their popularity has waned as technology has developed.
With social media now the tool of preference, those notice boards have largely been supplanted by digital versions of the same. They still retain the ‘community notice board’ label, and the content once physically pinned to a cork board is now pinned within the digital space. Locals gather remotely to pick over the offerings and hopefully discover something of value to their own scenario. The challenge before schools is to avoid seeing their social media profiles as merely a community notice board. Rather, they should be tools that can reach the masses with the core values, beliefs, outcomes, and excellence that our schools embody every day. To be less than that is a missed opportunity.
Social media has transitioned significantly since its launch. Initially, platforms were targeted at the public and designed to help people connect digitally with friends. From its inception back in 1997 through to 2007, the platforms were text heavy. Download speeds were low, and the capacity for computers to work quickly was limited (Cheng, 2007). A survey by Anthony Cocciolo of the Pratt Institute, which looked at historical snapshots of some of the largest websites in the world prior to 2007, found that text was the predominant content (Cocciolo, 2015). In 2007, the rise of smartphones and fast mobile networks sparked an explosion in the use of images. By 2015, improvements in technology boosted image content to sit behind the latest trend of video content, with TikTok emerging in the wake of Facebook’s ineffective video pivot (Chapman, 2023). From here, we now see social media dabbling in the sphere of Augmented and Virtual Reality.
So, what does any of this have to do with school marketing in the social media space? Quite a lot. Our modern-day audiences expect more than the digital equivalent of the community notice board from our schools. Time and time again, I see schools recycling bland content others have generated or posting story-less messaging that does not inspire any action. The school’s social media page is not the space to announce that there was a lunchbox left behind at a sports carnival (true story!). The public, who access your social media page to explore the school’s viability for their children, don’t need to see mundane communication. Your families, who love seeing school events unfold and find pride in what is happening each day, have their experience minimised with the trivial. No school would put an advertisement in the local press regarding homeless Tupperware—and the same should apply to what we put on our social media. Equally, sharing a recycled flyer for an event or bland text no longer excites anyone.
The opportunity to create engaging and fresh content that enhances the school experience, effectively reaches prospective families, and builds school pride is enormously powerful.
Key Concepts to Consider for a School’s Social Media Platform
There are some fantastic examples of great use of social media out there, and some common mistakes to avoid. Let’s briefly look at the good first.
The Good
Visual Storytelling
• High-Quality Snapshot: Most schools don’t have the capacity to consistently generate world-class videos that capture a snapshot of school life. However most schools can generate one critical piece of video content that showcases the best of their school. That piece should be pinned to the top of your social pages for every visitor to discover as their first encounter with your school. Profile it on your website as well.
• Use the Best You Have: Invest in good photography and videography. Visual content should be clear, vibrant, and engaging.
• Consistent Branding: Maintain consistent branding across all social media platforms. This includes logos, colours, and messaging.
Interactive and Engaging
• Live Videos: Use live videos to broadcast events and conduct Q&A sessions.
• Virtual Walkthrough: If you have the resources, generate a virtual walkthrough of your school that can be housed on your website and profiled on social media.
• Stories and Reels: Utilize Instagram Stories and Facebook Stories for temporary, day-in-the-life content. Reels on Instagram can be used for short, engaging videos.
Community Building
• User-Generated Content: Encourage the school community to share their own content and tag the school. Feature this content on official channels.
• Hashtags: Use and promote specific hashtags to create a sense of community and make content easily searchable. There is a risk of overuse, so be wise.
Consistency and Regularity
• Regular Posting: Maintain a consistent posting schedule. Regular updates keep your audience engaged and informed.
• Content Calendar: Plan your content in advance using a content calendar. This ensures a steady flow of content and helps manage time effectively.
Authenticity and Transparency
• Be Genuine: Authenticity resonates with audiences. Share real stories and experiences from your school community.
• Transparency: Be open and transparent in your communications. This builds trust and credibility.
Successful Case Studies
It's sometimes useful to see what others are doing in this space, and recognising concepts that could be applied within your context. Here's a few leaders in this space, some of which come from our own CSA network.
1. Harvard University: Harvard’s digital marketing strategy is a benchmark in the education sector. Their use of platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube showcases student life, research breakthroughs, and campus events through high-quality visuals and compelling stories. Their YouTube channel features a range of content, from virtual tours and lectures to interviews with alumni, helping engage prospective students and maintain a connection with the global community.
2. Emmanuel Christian Community School: Located in Western Australia, Emmanuel is a multi-cultural school that effectively uses Facebook and Instagram to share their values, celebrate their students, and allow those outside their community to get a taste of who they are.
3. Brisbane Grammar School: Brisbane Grammar School uses LinkedIn to connect with alumni and share professional achievements. They also use YouTube to share videos of school events, helping to build a strong online presence and community.
4. Australian Christian College - Moreton : ACC uses Facebook to highlight its vibrant campus life and student achievements. Their Instagram Stories feature day-in-the-life content, student takeovers, and real-time event updates, providing a dynamic and engaging look into the school. They also use Instagram Reels to share short, impactful videos that resonate with current and prospective students.
5. Mundaring Christian College: Mundaring CC is a school community that uses Facebook video content exceptionally well. They use featured profile pieces that are posted to the page for visitors to immediately obtain an overview of who they are. Their Instagram account is also inviting and well structured.
These are all aspirational in various aspects of their use of media, but there are some key things to avoid as well.
The Not-So-Good
By avoiding certain mistakes, schools can use social media more effectively to engage with their community, share important information, and enhance their overall reputation.
• Don’t post the same content repeatedly: If your school has an event coming up, don’t be tempted to share the same message over and over again. If you need to push for ticket sales or remind people to take action, use events, post boosts, and paid advertising. This keeps your timeline fresh. If people encounter the same content repeatedly, they will stop dropping into your feed.
• Avoid regular sharing of content for other organizations: Yes, it’s great to help support others and tempting to direct your audience towards a resource—but you risk losing your voice on your profile. Your page can start to resemble the community notice board approach if you have ‘adverts’ appearing. It’s your page. Use your content.
• Don’t rush and miss typos and errors in grammar: Also, avoid using lazy techniques like emojis. As a school, grammar and professionalism are important.
• Lack of clear policies: Not having a well-defined social media policy can lead to inconsistent messaging and potential misuse by staff or students. In your policies, define how you will deal with negative feedback, crisis management, and content selection, and the protocols in place to ensure consent is given for those featured on the site.
• Inconsistent posting: Irregular updates can lead to reduced engagement. Consistency is key to maintaining an active and engaged audience.
• Ignoring analytics: Not using social media analytics to track performance and engagement can result in missed opportunities for improvement. Analyzing data helps in understanding what works and what doesn’t.
• Overloading on platforms: Trying to maintain a presence on too many social media platforms can spread resources thin and lead to subpar management. It’s better to focus on a few platforms and manage them well.
• Lack of engagement: Simply posting information without interacting with followers can make the account seem impersonal. Engagement through replies, comments, and interactive content is crucial.
• Ignoring student voice: Not involving students in social media efforts can result in a lack of relatability. Students can offer valuable insights into what content will resonate with their peers.
Conclusion
In the dynamic landscape of social media, Australian schools have a unique opportunity to move beyond the traditional community notice board approach and harness these platforms to effectively communicate their values, achievements, and vibrant school life. By focusing on authenticity, transparency, and visual storytelling, schools can create engaging and memorable content that resonates with their diverse audiences. Interactive and engaging methods, such as live videos and virtual walkthroughs, along with consistent branding and regular posting, are essential for maintaining an active and connected community.
However, schools must avoid common pitfalls such as repetitive content, overloading on platforms, and inconsistent messaging. Clear policies and a strategic approach to content curation and community engagement are crucial for leveraging social media effectively. Learning from successful case studies, such as those from Harvard University and Brisbane Grammar School, as well as so many of our CSA member schools, provides valuable insights into best practices.
Ultimately, a well-executed social media strategy can enhance the school experience, attract prospective families, and build a strong sense of pride and community. By adhering to these best practices, Australian schools can utilize social media not just as a tool for communication, but as a powerful platform for storytelling and community building, reflecting the excellence and diversity of their educational environment.
References
Chapman, H. (2023, August 31). Evolution of social media part 1. https://www.infegy.com/blog/the-evolution-of-social-media-part-1
Cheng, J. (2007, May 29). CWA survey: average broadband speed in US is 1.9Mbps. Ars Technica. https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2007/05/survey-average-broadband-speed-in-us-is-1-9mbps/
Cocciolo, A. (2015, September 15). The rise and fall of text on the Web: a quantitative study of Web archives. Informationr.net. http://informationr.net/ir/20-3/paper682.html#author