Like it or not, what people think of your school matters. The way that your school comes across in print, online and in person will shape the opinion people have of your school.
A distinction must be made however. How your school is perceived does not necessarily correlate with the quality of your school, your content or your leadership and management. You might have a great academic record with superb leaders and educators, but if the delivery of your content lacks finesse, these qualities can get lost. This is where the quality of your content and how it is marketed is important.
Given that you have a wealth of avenues to create excellent content open to you, you should be tapping into them. Be sure to consider the following tips on how to create and market content for your school.
Content is created all around you
There is a myriad of sources of content at your school for you to utilise as a marketer. Content can (and should) come from:- Students. Students can be the subject as well as the producers of content. They help offer insight into student life, provide perspective and context. Some examples of this include a student recount of a significant school event, interviewing a student for qualitative research purposes or employing a student to write as a mentor, offering advice and insight for younger students. The added bonus of student-created content is that it showcases the school’s creative talents and promotes a sense of community and strength, and you get free content!
Classroom Teachers and Heads of Department. Depending on the week-by-week subject focus of your school blog/content, the odds are that you have teachers and educators throughout your school who specialise in a relevant area and can provide credible insight to boost your post.
Non-Teaching Staff. The beauty of a school is that a part of the makeup of its workforce includes a cross-section of demographics. Not only do you have educators, you have cooks, cleaners, accountants, events and communications specialists. Providing this additional perspective builds the image of your school as rich with unique voices, character, tradition, culture, and community.
Diversify where you publish content
It should be obvious by now that the broader your reach, the more impressions you will make. Be audacious and scrupulous with where you post your content. Use your existing school platforms like your website and newsletter and (presumably) your school Facebook, YouTube, and blog. You might also like to consider Twitter, making a podcast series, and Instagram. Your management of all of these platforms and their overall synchronicity leads us to our last point.
Have a regular publishing routine
Having a solid publishing schedule is a foundation for success in your content marketing. A quick google search of each platform and you’ll be able to find data on optimal posting days and times (down to the minute). Creating this routine will ensure that new content is posted regularly and efficiently. Remember too, that saturating your audience is counterproductive to your intentions. Post strategically.
It is worth considering the quality of your schools’ education, educators, community and student support and that this is reflected in the quality of your content as it is here that the image of your school is born.
