Mastering Social Media for Schools

I recently got to hang out with Erin McCann, cohost of the School PR Happy Hour podcast. She was kicking off season 3 of the podcast and we recorded a fun episode. It was so jam-packed with nuggets you could use that I asked if I could reshare it with my audience. She said YES!

IN THIS EPISODE, ANDREA AND ERIN DISCUSS:

• Andrea’s journey of starting #SocialSchool4EDU and what her company does to help schools
• How to best handle negative comments on your social media pages
• New trends that schools should be paying attention to, like Instagram Reels
• Advice on how to become a speaker for your local, state, or national chapters

USEFUL INFORMATION

• Subscribe to the School PR Happy Hour podcast here: https://wavve.link/SPRHappyHour 

MORE RESOURCES

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

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www.SocialSchool4EDU.com

Want to learn some real social media strategies that work? Then you’re in the right spot! Holly McCaw, APR is going to provide some guidance that you can use right away in your district.

IN THIS EPISODE, HOLLY SHARES:

• Why she runs only district social media accounts and not separate school accounts for her district of 2,400 students
• How she gets great stories to share from her five different schools, including a strategy that I have never heard before
• What she included in her back-to-school talk with staff in order for them to get more involved in social media
• Two of her best social media posts so far this school year.

SPECIAL GUEST

Holly McCaw, APR

Director of Communications

Otsego Public Schools, Michigan

Twitter: @McCawHolly

Email: [email protected] 

School Website: https://www.otsegops.org/ 

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

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCImMSTnXYmVkMOsqCGUnmoQ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/OtsegoSchools 

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

USEFUL INFORMATION

• Social Media Guidelines for accounts associated with the school
• Here are the slides that Holly used to talk to her staff about social media - click here
• 9/11 social media post - reached over 20,000 people
• Football kindness post - reached over 55,000 people

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

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www.SocialSchool4EDU.com

You can showcase your school’s mission through social media, and Erica can show you how! She had no background in school communications before joining Pulaski Academy back in 2019, but she put her marketing experience to work and has made an impact. 

IN THIS EPISODE, ERICA SHARES:

• How she uses social media as a welcome mat for prospective students
• What methods she has found helpful in getting staff involved in storytelling
• Why branding is so much more than colors and a logo
• The impact Instagram Reels is making in her independent school.

SPECIAL GUEST

Erica Gregory

Digital Storyteller

Pulaski Academy in Little Rock, Arkansas

Email: [email protected] 

School Website: https://www.pulaskiacademy.org/ 

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PulaskiAcademy 

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

YouTube: www.youtube.com/PulaskiAcademy 

USEFUL INFORMATION

• Class of 2020 stories:
  • Favorite Memories
  • Senior Advice
• Instagram Reels to check out:
  • https://www.instagram.com/pulaskiacademy/reels/
  • https://www.instagram.com/newauburnschool/reels/ 

MORE RESOURCES

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

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www.SocialSchool4EDU.com

Let this be your warning. There is a right way and a wrong way to set up access to your school’s social media accounts. This take-action episode will help you avoid the common pitfalls of other social media account managers around the world.

IN THIS EPISODE, HEIDI AND ANDREA DISCUSS:

• The difference between how you access your accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
• Why you need to use your personal Facebook profile to help manage your school Facebook page
• What Facebook is doing regarding fake or shared-login profiles used to manage your school’s Facebook page in order to increase security
• How Facebook Business Manager can make assigning users to your page even more secure

SPECIAL GUEST

Heidi Feller

Chief Inspirational Officer

#SocialSchool4EDU

[email protected]

Twitter: @heidi_feller

USEFUL INFORMATION

• Blog - Managing a Facebook Page Without a Fake Profile
• Blog - Personal Facebook Privacy Settings: Tips for Educators
• Blog - Everything You Need to Know About Facebook Business Manager for Schools
• Learn more about our Membership Program here - www.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

We all are both mentors and mentees. Learn exactly what this means and how it can help you in your own journey in school communications from this thoughtful interview with Susan Brott, APR.

IN THIS EPISODE, SUSAN SHARES:

• Her recent surprise and humbled celebration after being named as the 2021 Barry Gaskins Mentor Legacy Award recipient from NSPRA
• How mentorship has shaped her career
• What she gains in providing mentorship to others
• Why being vulnerable is the first step to seeking out a mentor

SPECIAL GUEST

Susan Brott, APR

Senior Strategic Consultant

CESO Communications, Minnesota

Email: [email protected] 

Follow Susan on Twitter: @susanbrott

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ceso-communications

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CESOcomm  

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

With more than 24 years of experience, Ian Halperin has seen the world of school communications evolve. Join us for a fun chat about providing the tools and information that your community needs to have at its fingertips.

IN THIS EPISODE, IAN DISCUSSES:

• His School PR journey that has now lasted 24 years
• How short videos of the Superintendent can help build trust in your community
• The app that has been so successful in getting information to their families
• Why the Wylie rebranding process has been so successful

SPECIAL GUEST

Ian Halperin

Executive Director of Community Relations and Marketing

Wylie ISD, Texas

Email: [email protected] 

Follow Ian on Twitter: @nikonboy1

School Website: https://www.wylieisd.net/ 

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/wylieisd 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheWylieISD 

USEFUL INFORMATION

• Ian mentioned their branding guide. Find it here: https://www.wylieisd.net/branding
• A few examples of video updates from the Superintendent:
  • https://www.facebook.com/149454761763622/videos/4118935194869614
  • https://www.facebook.com/149454761763622/videos/940193703107613 

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

A topic that every school communicator will deal with at some point is the death of a student or staff member. No matter what the cause of death may be, you might be wondering if you should share anything on social media. Listen in to a thoughtful perspective from Josh Burnette, who dealt with three different tragedies in three different ways on social media during 2021.

IN THIS EPISODE, JOSH SHARES:

• His unique path into school communications, which included seven years in the ministry
• How he has used social media to communicate when student deaths have occurred
• What is the most important response he looks for when sharing tragic news
• How he stays on top of his many job responsibilities as a one-person communications department in a school of over 11,500 students.

SPECIAL GUEST

Josh Burnett

Communications Coordinator

Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation, Indiana

Email: [email protected] 

School Website: https://www.bcscschools.org/ 

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

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BCSCSchools 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bcscschools 

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

USEFUL INFORMATION

• Sign up now for the Social Media Bootcamp - This bootcamp is now being incorporated into our Membership Program. Learn more about our membership here!
• Remembering Lily post on Facebook
• Andrea’s post honoring Hailey

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

Need help with content creation in your understaffed communications department? Then you’re in the right place! Christine Paik is going to share all of the secrets behind her successful student intern program.

IN THIS EPISODE, CHRISTINE EXPLAINS:

• How she manages communications in a district of 39,000 students with only a 3-person department
• Why she created a robust student internship program and how she selects her team
• The powerful storytelling that happens when students get involved
• Her COVID project - writing a children’s book in partnership with her mom as the illustrator.

SPECIAL GUEST

Christine Paik

Chief Communications Officer

Poway Unified School District, San Diego, CA

Email: [email protected] 

Follow Christine on Twitter: @christinepaik

School Website: https://www.powayusd.com/ 

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PowayUnified 

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/poway-unified-school-district/ 

USEFUL INFORMATION

• Interested in signing up for Social Media Bootcamp? It is now being incorporated into our Membership Program. Learn more about our membership here!
• Information describing Studio 701 Internship program
• Internship Application
• Christine’s book: The Girl in the Gold Dress

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

During last week’s episode (episode 72), we focused on seven steps to secure professional development funding in your School PR role. This week, we’re following that up with a list of opportunities for learning! Some are free, some are paid, but all will help you keep up with the ever-changing world of public relations and communications!

IN THIS EPISODE, JANET SHARES:

• Her personal journey of professional development that continues today
• The many advantages of joining organizations like NSPRA & PRSA
• Why a school communicator should consider the Accreditation in Public Relations (APR)
• How to find time for learning in a career that is already so demanding

SPECIAL GUEST

Janet Swiecichowski, APR, Fellow PRSA

Vice President at CEL

Follow Janet on Twitter: @jswitch

Email her at [email protected] 

Business Website: https://www.celpr.com/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CELcreative 

USEFUL INFORMATION

• Book a free virtual meeting with Janet - click here!
• National School Public Relations Association: https://www.nspra.org/
• Find state chapters of SPRA here: https://www.nspra.org/nspra-chapters
• Learn more about Accreditation in Public Relations (APR): https://www.nspra.org/professional_development/accreditation
• Public Relations Society of America (PRSA): https://www.prsa.org/
• Janet’s Masters program: https://hsjmc.umn.edu/graduate/degree-programs/professional-ma-strategic-communication 
• Janet’s Doctoral program: https://rossieronline.usc.edu/doctorate/edd-online/ 
• Free Certifications:
  • Mind Valley - a focus on wellbeing
  • Google Certifications
  • HubSpot Certifications
  • SemRush Academy Certifications

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

Confidently ask for the funds you need to support your role in school communications with these seven steps. I promise that it is not as scary as you may think!

IN THIS EPISODE, ANDREA SHARES:

• What to look for in a professional program when you are doing your research
• How to relate the ways students benefit from your training or membership
• Why cost justification matters in your decision
• A script for your conversation with your Superintendent or supervisor

USEFUL INFORMATION

• Blog - 7 Steps to Landing Professional Development Funding for Your School PR Role
• Learn more about our membership program here: https://socialschool4edu.com/services/membership-program/ 

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