How does your district use its social media platforms? Do you post regularly, or does your district post maybe once a month if you can find the time?
I challenge you to think about your district’s social media tactics. Ideally, districts should be publishing 3-4 social media posts per week to Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to keep community members fully engaged. Consistent communications take time and effort, but the result is well worth it. And that’s why we’re here to help with some tips on creating a content calendar!
Creating a social media content calendar eliminates the stress of worrying about what your next social media post will be. Even better, it can allow you to draft and schedule posts in advance! A consistent posting schedule will allow your district to strengthen its relationships with families, faculty and staff, community members, and other stakeholders. It can also boost morale within the district, shine a positive light on your school communities, and, most importantly, attract prospective parents.
When creating a social media content calendar, you want to think of what’s most important to your community. All posts should positively reflect your district and its mission. We’ve broken down three types of posts you should consider during your brainstorming session.
UPCOMING EVENTS AND HOLIDAYS
Drafting your district’s posting schedule for the month ahead may feel like a daunting task, but if you consider your district calendar for the school year, many of your posts are already predetermined. It’s always great to include posts about minimum instruction and no instruction days and school site and district-wide events as friendly reminders to your community. These events may consist of back-to-school nights, picture days, and parent conference days. Chances are parents already received an email or phone call from their school site regarding these events, but an additional reminder on social media will emphasize the importance.
National and cultural holidays are also posts you can immediately account for as the dates are predetermined. These posts are great to include as they reflect the values of and celebrate your district community.
DISTRICT AND SCHOOL SITE HIGHLIGHTS
Including posts celebrating your community is a great way to boost morale, increase engagement, and entice prospective parents. These posts may highlight school site and district accomplishments, such as state and national awards and recognitions, unique student curriculum and programs, student(s) of the month, and teacher and classified staff members of the year. The opportunities are endless!
The goal of these posts is to shed a positive light on your district. Parents, staff, board members, and community members want to show off all the great things your district is providing to students and being recognized for! Publishing these items on social media allows them to share these amazing accomplishments with their friends, thus increasing your engagement, followers, and visibility within your community.
HELPFUL FAMILY RESOURCES
To aid your students and families outside of the learning day, you may want to consider including posts that highlight local resources. Posts can include but are not limited to local COVID-19 testing and vaccination pop-ups, food drives, Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) town halls and informational meetings, and community events. Highlighting parent and community resources on social media is a great way to keep your district informed about local tools they may not have been aware of.
In addition, sprinkling in posts about fun student activities and learning tips is an excellent tactic to help families continue learning with their children at home. These posts may include sharing information about a family-friendly event at your local library, tips on nurturing social-emotional development at home, and aiding students with homework. The key is to show your community that your district is a resource and cares about helping students reach their academic goals in and outside of the classroom.
If you include a combination of posts in the three categories discussed above, your district is on the right track to fully engage its audience on social media! Maintaining a schedule of 3-4 posts per week will allow your district to become a vital resource to your community. Remember, constant communication via social media will take time and effort, but it will result in a fully engaged community and increase your rapport with parents, stakeholders, and prospective parents. Happy posting!