Mastering Social Media for Schools

1. Back in 1980, Connie landed her first role in a very new position for schools with Putnam City School District. She remembers back to being the first with an electric typewriter and eventually had one of the district’s first computers!
2. Throughout her career, there has been a lot of change, but crisis management has probably been one of the most challenging areas. Connie spends some time talking about how the Norman Public Schools handled the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing.
3. Networking is critical, and Connie shares how she first became involved in her state school public relations association, OKSPRA. She shares several tips on getting involved.
4. Continuous learning is critical if you want to stay on top of your game! Connie pursued her APR and also obtained a master's degree when she was in her 50s, proving that it is never too late to learn!

SPECIAL GUEST

Connie Blaney, APR

CEO- Blaney Communications & PR, Inc.

Email: [email protected] 

USEFUL INFORMATION

• National School Public Relations Association
• Find your state chapter - click here
• Interested in our membership program? Learn more here: https://socialschool4edu.com/ 

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Free Video Training: Learn the simple secrets behind social media for K12 schools!

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www.SocialSchool4EDU.com

1. Are you new to the world of school communications? So is Maci! She’s the first one to ever have the specialized role in her district of 2,000 students, and she shares how she got set up for success.
2. Visiting classrooms is important, but it’s hard with all of your responsibilities. Maci shares her “Media Day” setup and explains how it has helped build relationships with both students and staff.
3. Facebook Ads can be intimidating, but Maci wasn’t afraid to jump in. She shares her strategy, including frequency and budget.
4. Branding is critical for every school. Learn the tools Maci uses to keep Clinton Public Schools recognized in the digital world, whether it has a school logo on it or not!

SPECIAL GUEST

Maci Stover

Communications Director

Clinton Public Schools, Oklahoma

Email: [email protected] 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/macianne.morton 

Website: https://www.clintonokschools.org 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OKClintonPublicSchools/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CPSRedTornadoes 

USEFUL INFORMATION

• Maci’s business card with QR code on the back - click here
• Check out the Canva Facebook group to learn more tips & tricks about the tool: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CanvaDesignCircle 
• Maci is part of our online virtual membership group. Interested in joining? Learn more here: https://socialschool4edu.com/ 

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Free Video Training: Learn the simple secrets behind social media for K12 schools!

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www.SocialSchool4EDU.com

1. Aubrey runs Easy School Marketing, a company that specializes in helping small, independent schools stand out. She understands that with limited resources, small schools need innovation to survive. 
2. The social media strategies that are key to independent schools are the same strategies that all schools need to implement. She breaks down how to focus on the right social media channels, and I even get her to share what channels the majority of schools find the most important.
3. There are 4 types of content that schools should be sharing on their social channels, and I bet your school is missing at least one of them! Learn what they are and hear examples of each type.
4. To have great social media, you must create systems. Aubrey and I break down some systems that we suggest for the schools we each serve.

SPECIAL GUEST

Aubrey Bursch

CEO & Founder, Easy School Marketing

National Consultant, based in Maryland

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aubrey_bursch/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aubreybursch 

Website: https://www.easyschoolmarketing.com 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/easyschoolmarketing 

Podcast: https://mindfulschoolmarketing.com/ 

USEFUL INFORMATION

• Join in the next small-school leader meet up by clicking this link: https://www.easyschoolmarketing.com/leaders 
• The Social Media and Instagram for Schools Bootcamps are now being incorporated into our Membership Program. Learn more about our membership here.

MORE RESOURCES

Free Video Training: Learn the simple secrets behind social media for K12 schools!

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www.SocialSchool4EDU.com

1. Many schools have new leadership this school year, and getting them on board with your social media strategy is important.
2. Don’t tackle your new leader on their first day on the job. Schedule 30 minutes with them during their 2nd or 3rd week.
3. Highlight the impact social media is making. Bring numbers and talk about the importance of celebrating the district.
4. Heidi also talks through frequently asked questions from new leaders and what NOT to talk about during this first discussion.

SPECIAL GUEST

Heidi Feller

Chief Inspirational Officer

#SocialSchool4EDU

[email protected]

Twitter: @heidi_feller

USEFUL INFORMATION

• Example of a #SocialSchool4EDU Report Card
• Blog - How to Create a Social Media Report Card in Less than One Hour
• Video Introduction to the New Reedsburg High School Admin Team
• Blog - How to Use Social Media to Introduce Your New School Leader

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Free Video Training: Learn the simple secrets behind social media for K12 schools!

Sign up for our free e-newsletter - click here

www.SocialSchool4EDU.com

1. Oconee County Schools is a district of 8,500 students and 1,000 staff. Anisa has helped elevate their storytelling and communication efforts after conducting a communications audit that she carried out on her own.
2. Anisa shares her data collection, analysis, and delivery strategies in this conversation, and even includes links to some of her audits (see below).
3. If you are a communications department of one, you are going to want to find out how Anisa gets great stories from her communication ambassadors. She also continues to support them through small but effective professional development opportunities.
4. When Anisa started at Oconee back in 2018, she was the first-ever communications person to serve in the district. She focused on social media and the website because those are highly visible. She also spent time in schools building critical relationships. 

SPECIAL GUEST

Anisa Sullivan Jimenez, APR

Director of Communications

Oconee County Schools, Georgia

Email: [email protected] 

Twitter: @AnisaSJimenez    

Website: https://www.oconeeschools.org 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oconeecoschools 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oconeecoschools 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/oconeecoschools 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/oconeecoschools 

USEFUL INFORMATION

• Example of the Communication Audit Report - click here
• Example of the Monitoring Report - click here
• One of Anisa’s secret weapons is that she is involved in our membership program. Interested in joining? Learn more here: https://socialschool4edu.com/ 

MORE RESOURCES

Free Video Training: Learn the simple secrets behind social media for K12 schools!

Sign up for our free e-newsletter - click here

www.SocialSchool4EDU.com

1. Public schools across the country are facing divisive communities. As the communications person in your district who is so passionate about this job, it’s hard not to take it personally.
2. Julie has extensive experience in this arena and shares how she has survived the personal attacks. She shares many tips to help you.
3. It’s time to get back to building relationships, telling stories, and focusing on the people who love and support our school districts. 
4. A key to thriving in your role as a school communicator is to network! You are never alone. Organizations like TSPRA and NSPRA have been a lifeline for Julie. She also is active in the free Twitter group #K12PRchat. Her former district was a part of the #SocialSchool4EDU membership program, as well. All of these serve as helpful resources to survive the challenges of school communications.

SPECIAL GUEST

Julie Thannum, APR

Senior Strategist (with more than 30 years of experience in school PR)

CESO Communications, Minnesota

Email: [email protected] 

Twitter: @juliethannum    

Website: https://theceso.com/communications/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CESOcomm 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cesocomm/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/theceso

https://twitter.com/CESOcomm  

USEFUL INFORMATION

• Join in the free networking group - #K12PRchat
• Learn more about NSPRA and state chapters at this link: https://www.nspra.org/nspra-chapters 
• Interested in our membership program? Learn more here: https://socialschool4edu.com/ 

MORE RESOURCES

Free Video Training: Learn the simple secrets behind social media for K12 schools!

Sign up for our free e-newsletter - click here

www.SocialSchool4EDU.com

1. Afraid of spending money on advertising? Don’t be! Megan is going to break down how she spent $1,000 to run a multi-month campaign to promote school enrollment.
2. Grab yourself a good advertising partner, maybe your local cable or TV station, and work with them on ad messenger. Batesville has seen promising results from their ads and Megan is going to share some of those stats.
3. Have a story that you think deserves to go viral? Megan has a story for you and shares her strategy that eventually landed them on the Kelly Clarkson Show!
4. Students and staff should be the stars of all of your videos and stories. 
5. Interested in starting a podcast? Megan shares their simple method of transforming a short radio clip series into a podcast that now has more than 58,000 downloads!

SPECIAL GUEST

Megan Renihan

Communications Coordinator

Batesville School District, Arkansas

Email: [email protected] 

Twitter: @megan_graddy    

Website: https://www.batesvilleschools.com/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BatesvilleSchoolDistrict 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/batesville_schools/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BatesvilleSD 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd-BrhoAXPPKodXJcruHb0Q 

RSS Feed (podcast): https://rss.com/podcasts/bsdpioneerupdate/  

Pinterest: https://pin.it/2aZWCk5 

USEFUL INFORMATION

• Megan’s journalism days:
  • Flavors
  • Adventure Arkansas
• School Choice Video
  • 8.7K Views
  • 11.7K Reach
• Solar Panel Project:
  • Kelly Clarkson Show Clip - 56K views
  • Other national media attention we received can be found here! 

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Free Video Training: Learn the simple secrets behind social media for K12 schools!

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www.SocialSchool4EDU.com

1. Not sure what to post this summer? Erica will be breaking down her #AfftonAroundTheWorld campaign that she does with her school district each year. This is a feature you could still implement this summer!
2. Beyond this one feature, Erica will share her other summer content plans that include summer school, capital improvement projects, and more. She even shares when she transitions to posting back-to-school information.
3. Erica is excited to be launching her team of Digital Media Coordinators at each school. These folks will be receiving a small stipend for taking care of social media and web content for their building. 
4. The school communication community is truly like family. Erica will share how networking has helped her survive and thrive in her 10-year career.

SPECIAL GUEST

Erica Chandler, APR

Director of Communications

Currently serving as President of Missouri School Public Relations Association (MOSPRA)

Affton School District, Missouri

Email: [email protected] 

Twitter: @ericajchandler

Website: https://www.afftonschools.net/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AfftonSchools 

Instagram: https://instagram.com/afftonschools 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AfftonSchools 

USEFUL INFORMATION

• #AfftonAroundTheWorld
  • Post to invite submissions
  • Post example #1
  • Post example #2
  • Post example #3
  • Post example #4 - reading to animals in the shelter
• Editorial Calendar from Erica
• The bootcamp is now being incorporated into our Membership Program. Learn more at the link below!
• Interested in our membership program? Learn more here: https://socialschool4edu.com/ 

MORE RESOURCES

Free Video Training: Learn the simple secrets behind social media for K12 schools!

Sign up for our free e-newsletter - click here

www.SocialSchool4EDU.com

1. As an educator, you know you need to communicate with your families, but it's hard to know what to say and how to say it...it's hard to know what to write and how to write it.
2. After a fifteen-year career in journalism, Patricia found herself in a room full of educators and discovered she didn’t understand the acronyms and words they were using. So how could families understand it?
3. Patricia shares simple tips to instantly improve your writing. Tips like:
   • Don’t use a five-dollar word when a fifty-cent word will do
   • Use the word “you” 
   • Check your tone by reading your words out loud
4. Grab Patricia’s book now on Amazon or at your local book store!

SPECIAL GUEST

Patricia Weinzapfel, MS

School Home Communication Consultant

Patricia Weinzapfel Communications and Consulting

Email: [email protected] 

Twitter: @pfwindy 

Website: https://www.patriciaweinzapfel.com    

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patricia.klinemanweinzapfel 

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/patricia-weinzapfel-9aab4878 

USEFUL INFORMATION

• Patricia’s book - Closing the Loop - A Powerful and Practical Guide to School-Home Communication 
• Patricia will be training our members in August and future members will always have access to the recordings. Interested in joining our membership program? Learn more here: https://socialschool4edu.com/ 

MORE RESOURCES

Free Video Training: Learn the simple secrets behind social media for K12 schools!

Sign up for our free e-newsletter - click here

www.SocialSchool4EDU.com

1. This episode is also known as ‘Keys to C2 with B2’ - and it is brimming with content creation ideas!
2. Brian shares his unique formula for a great Facebook post. It begins a certain way and ends a certain way - and he explains all the reasons behind it!
3. Building an army of storytellers is key when you are a one-person communication department. Brian utilizes a staff person at each building who receives a stipend and a student social media team. He breaks down how he trains them and what they are responsible for.
4. QR codes are back - and Brian puts them to use with his Jot Form that staff use to submit content for social media. It’s a genius idea that is actually working. You’re going to want to listen!
5. Authentic stories are the best, and the story shared about a high school student named Andy went viral for all the right reasons. Learn the steps Brian followed to share that story with the world.

SPECIAL GUEST

Brian Bridges

Director of Communications at Lake Hamilton School District, Arkansas

Past-President of ArkaNSPRA

Email: [email protected] 

Twitter: @brianjbridges 

Website: https://www.lhwolves.net  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LHSDWolves 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lhsd_wolves/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LHSD_WOLVES 

USEFUL INFORMATION

• QR Sticker to gather content from staff - click here
• Story about Andy - first story and the game!
• Interested in our bootcamp? It is now being incorporated into our Membership Program. Learn more about our membership group here!

MORE RESOURCES

Free Video Training: Learn the simple secrets behind social media for K12 schools!

Sign up for our free e-newsletter - click here

www.SocialSchool4EDU.com