WHY TeacherS Should ManagE THEIR School’s Social Media
By Frankie Cilliers | 15 Feb 2020
Teachers are ambitious individuals who see possibility in every child. They have the power and drive to create innovation in schools. They adapt easily, have the patience and the extraordinary ability to use their creativity to enhance the lives of whole school communities using social media.
What if I told you today that you as a teacher should be the one managing your school’s social media pages.
You own the qualities of a successful school social media marketer and you have the patience, the communication skills and passion to make an impact.
You are already inspiring your students and parents. They love the fantastic work your school is doing, and it is time that you tell the world about these amazing things. You have the power to change the face of Education by using social media and to create exposure for your school on a global level!
We know that in today’s world, digital marketing is the way to go. Some of the biggest companies in the world are utilising digital channels to tell their stories and sell their products and services. Schools are following suit and the results are phenomenal! The market, however, is saturated – schools are ‘fighting’ it out online and telling the world how incredible they are, what makes their school unique and why students should be part of their communities.
Teachers can come up with ways that will make their schools stand out, they already make it their mission to do things differently in their classes. They know that the same way teachers should be promoting differentiation in class, they should also make use of a variety of methods to tell their stories on social media. They understand that parents are unique individuals and that they need to create a unique blend of content for social media that will appeal to all parents. In this article, we will explore why teachers should manage their school’s social media pages.
1. EXTERNAL MARKETING AGENCIES ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH YOUR SCHOOL’S CULTURE
Some schools decide to make use of external agencies to do their school marketing for them. These companies usually provide packaged deals which includes social media management. However, I always pose the following questions: Do these external agencies/individuals REALLY know your school? Do they truly care about the parents and the learners of the school, or are they only driven by numbers and reaching targets alone, and forcing initiatives onto teachers and parents which they think might work, without truly knowing the culture of the school?
One might argue that they have the knowledge and expertise to do research to try and implement marketing strategies to achieve a school’s marketing goals, this assumption might be true in some cases, however, what is on paper is not always a true and accurate reflection. One cannot always accurately predict results, especially if these agencies have not been part of the school culture for a number of years. If you do not truly know a school’s culture, implementation of these strategies might not always have the desired effect these agencies are aiming for. In the majority of cases, these agencies have not been part of your school’s culture long enough to design and execute social media marketing strategies successfully.
2. TEACHERS KNOW THEIR SCHOOL COMMUNITY ON A PERSONAL LEVEL
School social media marketing is about delving deeper, being part of the daily activities in schools where active participation takes place. It is about thinking of creative ways to market your school on social media using your school community who you know. If you know your audience, you can create content based on their needs and content that will inspire them. External marketing agencies do not always take the time to meet up with teachers on a regular basis and really connect on a personal level.
These agencies usually have a number of schools whose social media pages they have to manage, and their energy is sometimes scattered because of this.
They do not always have individuals that go to schools on a daily basis to really get to know the school community as a whole.
They do not attend school functions and fundraisers often enough to be able to connect with parents, learners and staff. Teachers understand that to really know your school requires a lot of personal interaction and time. You did not just start your job at the school and knew everyone’s names, how the school works, etc. It took time to really get to know what your school is about and to build relationships. Teachers are people persons, they love having a chat over coffee to discuss school-related matters, to see what they can do differently and to just catch up on daily activities.
Teachers who have been part of their school environments over a long period of time, know who they work with – sometimes their colleagues become lifelong friends in who they place trust in and who they want to create innovation with. They understand that they have to work towards one common goal.
3. TEACHERS WANT THE BEST FOR THEIR WHOLE SCHOOL COMMUNITY
Teachers know what good points to focus on, what parents want to see on social media and can use these points to market their schools effectively. They know their students and parents’ names. They are sensitive to the needs of their school as they understand that all learners need to be developed to their fullest potential – they know that in order to achieve this, one has to think of creative ideas that will make this happen, whether through fundraising projects or parent involvement.
Parents and staff are more motivated to be part of projects created by teachers as they link educational benefit to these projects. It is these projects that need to be showcased on school’s social media pages. Parents want to see their children thrive through innovative educational projects created by the school.
4. TEACHERS ARE ENGAGING
They know how to make an impact in the classroom through creativity and thinking boldly. Teachers have the potential to engage audiences through inspiring content on social media, just like they do in the classroom. They love to talk and being able to use social media as a powerful tool to engage with parents, enables the school to connect on a more personal level with parents online.
Parents value one-on-one conversations, they feel appreciated and by following the same example on social media by teachers at the school, will help reinforce the fact that the school truly cares about its parents.
5. TEACHERS ARE UP FOR THE CHALLENGE!
Be the innovation you want to see. Take that first step and use your school’s social media pages as a platform to uplift and inspire your whole school community. The world of social media marketing might seem a bit complicated at first, however, you must not doubt yourself, teachers are always up for the challenge! Isn’t that what you teach your students every day? To try new things, and to follow their dreams!
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