As the Head of School, you want to have a voice where parents, students, alumni and prospective families hear directly from you. While inviting them to campus a few times a year may allow you face-to-face interaction, people nowadays expect more frequent communication.
Watch the video below to learn how to set up your own Head of School blog in 15 minutes or less using WordPress, one of the most popular blogging platforms.
.In case you are new to blogging, here are 3 ways a Head of School can effectively blog for your school:
PERSONALITY – your school, especially to prospective families, is an institution. While you likely are familiar with the many families and faces of your school, to the prospective family, you are a building with brick walls and curriculum. Having a weekly or biweekly blog (or more often, but not less), these families get to your heart and your vision. Even current families and alumni (who may not know you if there were different administrators) will be encouraged by learning more about the individual leading their school. You can be serious, funny, or offer a combination of emotions that stimulate interest in your school. Let them know about your family, your hobbies, and the things you do outside the school, too.
MULTI-SENSORY – most of the time, we think of blogs as platforms for written content. However, from time to time, or exclusively, you can offer a video blog (or “vlog”) if you find this easier or more effective than writing. In a vlog, families and students are inspired by your words, but also captivated by your body language and eye contact.
CHALLENGE – when choosing your content to blog about, consider more than just boring announcements about the latest fundraising campaign. Rather, take trending topics (especially peruse Facebook and Twitter for what’s on the minds of people) and address these from your point of view. Perhaps there is education legislation that needs explaining, a spiritual examination of a controversial topic in the news or providing a unique worldview challenge for a global crisis making headlines. You are a leader so use this platform to show your students and families what kind of leader you really are!
As your marketing and admission season ramps up, you will likely place advertisements in local magazines and newspapers (and for some of you, you may also pay to advertise on Facebook as well.) Here are 5 tips to make your advertising more effective: (more…)
Hashtags are the rage on Twitter, Instagram and even Facebook (and yes, they are available on other platforms as well). There are alot of you out there who are still confused about what hashtags are or even how to use them effectively within social media or your printed materials.
Listen to our podcast on hashtags and enjoy the first minute or 2 if you’re a fan of Jimmy Fallon or Justin Timberlake!
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In the most recent article, I take a look at schools and social media during a Friday night football game. Written in September, this is timely, but honestly, the themes and practical suggestions have implication during any sport any time of the year.
Explore 4 ways you can and should be capturing the Friday night sports moments at your school.
Recently Facebook updated it’s policy regarding contests and promotions. In the past, for example, (to be “legal” under Facebook’s guidelines and policies), you were not allowed to ask people to LIKE your page and then make them eligible for a prize or giveaway. Well that has all changed. Click here to see Facebook’s announcement.
We’ve put together a series of articles and resources to help you navigate through this change (more…)
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