PLYMOUTH PUBLIC SCHOOLS
COMMUNICATIONS
GUIDE
2016-2017
As our world continues to expand and evolve digitally, our district's communication efforts rely heavily on mobile-friendly websites and social media. Providing a window into the classroom, increasing communication among many widely-used channels and sharing important information at a faster pace will increase trust, loyalty and engagement among your school's key stakeholders. Combining mobile and digital tactics with traditional methods of communication is a proven recipe for success. In this guide you will find checklists, tips and resources to help with your social and web-based communication plans for your school.
CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION Not all channels are created equal. What might be shared via social media or newsletter might not require a text or voice message to parents. The idea is to be consistent and appropriate in which areas you are sharing information. Consider the chart below as a recommendation on what to use each channel of communication for when sharing information.
Website
Voicemail/ Robocalls*
Calendar
Mobile Push Notifications*
Social Media
Voyager Express or Newsletter
Send Home
Emergency Alerts PR
(classroom moments, recognition, event photos, sports, etc.)
Event Dates & Reminders Forms & Documents Special Announcements PTA *Keep in mind: Robocalls, voicemails, and texts should be used with discretion. While they are extremely effective methods of communication, they are often ignored when used frequently and for not‐so‐important notifications.
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WHY GO SOCIAL? Social media has become one of the fastest and most successful ways reach your school's audience. A post that takes only minutes to create and send out can be shared to thousands of viewers in the matter of seconds. Understanding and using these platforms will make the job of connecting with your key stakeholders more effective than ever.
Social media was named the second most effective aspect of community engagement, right behind district websites.*
76% of communications ⅓ of community members say that they leaders identified school or use school or district Facebook or district Facebook account(s) as a other social media accounts to learn method that is most effective for about what is happening in local communicating with parents today.** schools in their community.**
*Project Tomorrow, Speak Up Survey, 2016.
**Project Tomorrow, Speak Up Survey, 2016.
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE Each social media platform has a distinct audience. Knowing the demographics of each platform will allow you to tailor the content you share and the voice in which you share it. Below are key demographics for the three top social media sites for school communication.
CHANNEL
DEMOGRAPHICS
Facebook is popular with individuals in all areas and across all incomes and backgrounds.
Twitter users tend to live in more urban areas, and tend to be young adults or business professionals.
Instagram users can be found across all demographics.
ACTIVE MONTHLY USERS
1.7 billion
313 million
500 million
PURPOSE
Build relationships
News & conversation; networking
Build relationships; conversation
AGES
25-54; 60% female
15-29
13-29
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MANAGING YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES FACEBOOK PAGE CHECKLIST Upload a high‐res COVER PHOTO; 815×351 Pixel Size (Landscape) The entrance of your school, an engaging collage of photos, etc. Make sure they are seasonally relatable (no snow photos in Sept!) Upload a high‐res PROFILE PHOTO; 180×180 pixels (Portrait style) This could be your school logo or mascot. Make sure the picture is clear and visible; within the 180×180 square. Complete your profile details Name: your full school name Username: this is your personalized Facebook URL. Try to get your school name. You can only change this twice so think before saving. Contact: Add as much information as possible, including, your website link.
*There will be sections that do not apply to your school, therefore you can leave them blank. The sections you leave blank will not show to the public.
SETTINGS & SECURITY Consider the following recommendations when securing your settings: UNDER GENERAL SETTINGS Make sure your page is published and verified. Visitor posts: you can disable this setting so no one can post to your page. It is one less part of the page you will have to manage. Tagging Ability: Set to "only people who manage the page can tag photos." This will ensure no one is tagging photos of students you share. Profanity filter: set to STRONG UNDER MESSAGING SETTINGS If you choose to allow the public to message you, use the Response Assistance feature to create an instant reply, such as, "Thank you for messaging us. If you need immediate assistance, please call the school directly at xxx‐xxxx, otherwise, we will get back to you as soon as we can. Thank you!" UNDER NOTIFICATIONS SETTINGS You can set your settings to receive email and/or text notifications. We recommend turning on your setting to be notified right away when a new comment is made on your posts.
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Providing all contact information, emergency phone numbers, and website links will let your stakeholders know how to contact you and where to find more information. The setup checklists below will help guide you in creating complete and consistent pages.
TWITTER PAGE CHECKLIST Upload a high‐res HEADER PHOTO; 1500×500 Pixel Size (Landscape) The entrance of your school, an engaging collage of photos, etc. Make sure they are seasonally relatable (no snow photos in Sept!) Upload a high‐res PROFILE PHOTO; 400×400 pixels (Portrait style) Use the same profile photo as Facebook to keep your branding consistent. Make sure the picture is clear and visible; within the 400×400 square. Complete your profile details @username: Try to get your twitter username to be as close to your school name as possible. It can be up to 15 characters. Name: your full school name. Bio: Add a short bio, slogan and *hashtag for your school. *Always test a hashtag before using it. Website: add your school website link.
INSTAGRAM PAGE CHECKLIST Upload a high‐res PROFILE PHOTO; 180×180 pixels (Portrait style) This could be your school logo or mascot. Make sure the picture is clear and visible; within the 180×180 square. Complete your profile details Name: your full school name Username: this is your personalized Instagram URL. Try to get your school name, but abbreviate where it makes sense to. Bio: Add a short bio, slogan and *hashtag for your school. *Always test a hashtag before using it. Website: add your school website link. Make it a business account (NEW): You can now link your Instagram account with your Facebook Page. In doing so, you will be able to have clickable contact information in your bio as well as receive monthly analytics.
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WHAT TO POST Now that your profiles have been set‐up and you've identified your audience for each social media platform, it's time to post! The biggest hesitation when it comes to tackling social media is knowing what to share and how often. Facebook and Twitter audiences expect relevant content, social interaction. Your social media pages are used by parents and families as their connection to your school and district. CONSISTENCE IS KEY! If you share a "HALF DAY OF SCHOOL" announcement, you must continue to share it for each half day.
TIP: Use programs, such as Hootsuite, to manage your pages. In the Hootsuite Dashboard, you can post, schedule posts and manage all social media pages in one location. FREE! www.hootsuite.com
• Share timely news & announcements. • INCLUDE IMAGES & VIDEO ‐ for the highest engagement rate. • Show behind the scenes, things not everyone has access too. • Share parent and student resources. • Show students learning in creative classrooms. • Highlight honors and achievements. • Recognize staff. • Guess the first snow day contest. • Pictures from the first day of school sent in by families. • Throwback Thursday ‐ share archived photos of your school. Alumni LOVE this. • Summer/winter vacation picture contest. • Create a hashtag for your school and use it in every post on Twitter and Instagram.
NOTE: Photos or video with students on the Photo Restriction List cannot be shared on any social media platform, website, or newsletter.
TIPS • Try not to post blurry photos. • Retweet and share staff posts, but ONLY when relevant. • Always have your school's mission in mind when posting. • Respond to comments and show appreciation. • Use real words, not jargon. • Share among platforms. Link a photo from Instagram to Twitter or post an update from Twitter to Facebook with a link to the original Twitter post. P L Y M O U T H
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BRANDING YOUR SCHOOL Branding, often known as a business term, is important to recognize when planning your communications strategy. Branding is not only about logos and color schemes, but rather staying consistent in the story you are trying to share. It's about controlling the conversation and getting the CORRECT news out first. With that said, there are simple and user‐friendly tools that help in creatively sharing your school's story and engaging parents, families, students and the community. No more creating flyers in Microsoft Word or using stock photos INTRODUCING CANVA! as Facebook posts. Brand YOUR school photos and create beautiful flyers in minutes with Canva.
Flyers
Social Media Posts
Cover Photos
Photo Collages
Infographics
Posters
Letterhead
Save simple templates for flyers, posters, or important announcements and use them over and over again. Canva has a full desktop version with an iPhone app as well. www.canva.com
OTHER HELPFUL APPS
REPOST
OVER
PICMONKEY
LEGEND
WORD SWAG
Easily repost photos from other Instagram accounts to yours. Iphone & Android App
Edit photos. Add text & artwork to pictures. Iphone & Android App
Create photo collages. Add text to photos. Iphone & Android App Desktop picmonkey.com
Animate text. Perfect for promoting events and important dates. Iphone & Android App
Generate inspiring quotes on your photos. Iphone & Android App
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RESOURCES www.blogs.edweek.org/edweek/finding_common_ground/2013/12/why_leaders_should_brand_their_schools www.edutopia.org/pdfs/edutopia-home-to-school-guide.pdf www.schoolmessenger.com/TCPA www.content.campussuite.com/social-media-guide-for-schools www.blackboard.com www.campussuite.com
@plymouthpublicschoolsMA @plymouthsch @plymouthpublicschools
Emily Goonan, Media & Communications Specialist egoonan@plymouth.k12.ma.us