Social Media can be a difficult thing to navigate if you are doing it on behalf of a school. You may be a pro at managing your personal accounts, but when it comes to school social media, it’s a little different.

The good news is that social media can be an absolute blessing to your school and really change the way your institution is viewed by your school community. Check out my tips below on how to make social media a success for your school, and bring your community closer together.

1. Choose the Correct Platform

There are so many great social media platforms out there, that choosing what to start with can be a bit overwhelming. Don’t be tempted to sign up to Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram all at once, because managing social media on that scale is a full time job in itself. Start with one platform, and do it well.

The one I always recommend to start with is ClassDojo because it is designed for schools and it is also free. Parents have to enter a code to join, and so you can ensure student privacy as posts are only visible to your school community. If you choose to use another social media app, you may have issues with security.

ClassDojo offers loads of great features, but I strongly suggest that you start by just running the School Wall, which is just like Facebook, as you can have control over what is posted and Parents cannot contact Teachers through it. You can turn off parent comments on posts, which I also recommend to start. The Class Dojo website has all kinds of tutorials etc that will lead you through set up, and also offer support if you are struggling.

2. Treat It Like A Business

Take your social media seriously. If you post saying that you will send something to parents on a certain date, make sure you do it. If you ask them to send something into school, make sure you post again afterwards to thank them. You want parents to keep checking back for news etc and so make sure it is reliable. If you post something, you should be 100% sure it is correct and that it is something you would be willing to send out to parents in paper form. Just because it’s digital, doesn’t mean it’s disposable and that you can go back on promises etc. Social media can be great advertising for your school, so do it to a professional standard.

3. Use Language That is Welcoming

If this is your first foray into speaking directly to parents on a large scale, or even if it’s just your first adventure into school social media, it is a chance to rework the way you communicate with your school community. The words you use can have a massive impact on how your school is viewed and so you want to choose your words carefully. Try to keep language formal but friendly. Instead of writing ‘We expect parents to arrive on time at pick up’, try ‘The school day is long and at 3pm our students are often tired and need to rest. Please do your best to pick up your child on time so that he/she can rest and come to school refreshed in the morning’. It gets the message across, but in a more friendly and approachable way. You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar, right?

4. Be Careful What You Post

Social media is a window into your school, and so you want to show the best bits. Be very careful when posting photos etc to make sure that they present the image you want. I’ve seen many posted photos over the years of students showing off certificates, but in the background you can see messy desks, a dirty wall, and kids running about. If your school isn’t in good shape, take the students to a nicer area where the walls are decorated etc to take the photo. Make sure you have scrutinised every pixel in your photos, because you can be sure there will be parents who will. Never ever use social media to shame students or parents for poor behaviour or achievement. It should be a positive platform that parents are excited to check regularly, not something that creates fear.

5. Post Regularly

When you start posting, you want parents to keep checking back regularly. The best way to do this is to make sure you post regularly. Set yourself a target and then stick to it. If you can, posting at least once a day is a good way to go, because it makes parents feel more connected to what’s going on in school. It doesn’t have to be a long post, but just a photo with a few words is enough to make your community feel involved in what’s going on.

Many schools are satisfied with one social media platform, and so long as your needs are met there then there’s no need to double up. If you are aiming to reach a wider audience than your school community then that’s when other platforms may be of use. Remember though that student security should always be at the forefront of what you do. Personally, one has always been enough for me, and easier for parents as they don’t have to check multiple sources. Getting your school out there can be loads of fun and be appreciated by everyone when done well.