Using Social Media Tools to Promote Your School District

Evelyn McCormack Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES November 2010 Using Social Media Tools to Promote Your School District

Where to Find This Presentation
1. Google docs: https://docs.google.com/present/view?id=ddcjvr4k_809g5rnmbds
2. Email emccormack@gmail.com to get the link
3. Slideshare: slideshare.net/evelynmccormack (live links won't work)

Social Media Tools
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
Flickr
Blogs/eNewsletters
Google Alerts
RSS Feeds

A Few Social Media Stats
Facebook (created 2004)
512 million active users, 250m log on daily
100,000 age 64+, 310,000 between 45-63
300,000 businesses now have FB fan pages, including hundreds of school districts

LinkedIn (created 2003)
60 million members
Twitter (launched 2006)
105 million registered users
How many tweets?

YouTube (launched 2005)
Every minute, 20 hrs of video uploaded

Publicize your achievements

Drive traffic to your District website

Control your own message. An alternative to print media in getting the word out.

Develop a Personal Learning Network -- share ideas, collaborate, professional contacts
What Can Social Media Do for Your School/District?

Social Media Myths and Mysteries
1. It's for Teens and Tweens
2. It will compromise internet security/viruses
3. It will jeopardize eRate funding
4. It's a waste of time
5. It's expensive
6. It's too hard to figure out

What I Tell School PR People
Establish Facebook and Twitter pages & keep them private until you click on the "publish" button.
When you're comfortable, publish and start building support.
Do one thing at a time until you're comfortable.
"Social media" says it all. Don't try to use a "traditional PR" mindset. It's a conversation.
Make it friendly, casual, invite interaction.
Make your website the center of coordinated communications plan.
Use social media as "headlines." Use websites for depth.

Are You Blocking? Filtering? Blocking = stopping access to a URL Filtering = stopping access to certain content

When your IT Department says it can't be done, show them this: --from whitehouse.gov

Scary, Scary Places Facebook, Twitter & YouTube

Higher Education on Social Media

Independent Schools on Social Media

White Plains Public Schools 1,061 fans

NYC Schools 10,800+ fans

Boston Public Schools 1,620 fans

Queensbury UFSD 531 fans

New York State School Boards 709 fans

National PTA 12,620 fans

So, What Happened Here? 1,100 fans

School Districts/Schools on Facebook
Durham, NC, Public Schools
Anchorage School District
Blue Valley Schools (Kansas)
Taylor County Schools (Florida)
Boston Public Schools
Ferndale, Mich., Public Schools
Richmond, Va., City Schools
Pendleton, Ore., Schools
Fort Worth, Tex., Independent SD
Plano, Tex., Independent SD
Portland, Ore., Public Schools

Akron Public Schools Crestview (Convoy) Local Schools Ohio School Boards Association (OSBA) Ohio Hi-Point Career Center Tri-Rivers Career Center Elyria City Schools South-Western City Schools Lorain County JVS Muskingum Valley ESC Warren County Career Center Pickaway-Ross Career and Technology Center Butler Tech Middletown City Schools Miami Valley Career-Technology Center

New York School Districts on Facebook
South Colonie CSD NY State School Boards Assn
Mohonasen CSD Goshen Central School District
Gloversville Enlarged School District Erie 1 BOCES White Plains City School District Valhalla Schools New York City Schools Queensbury School District Elmsford Union Free School District
Highland Central SD
Brewster Central
Orange-Ulster BOCES
Lower Hudson Regional Information Center
Southern Westchester BOCES
Schenectady City School District
Lakeland Central School District
Yonkers Public Schools
Sullivan County BOCES
Edgemont Schools
Capital Region BOCES

This Just In...

Facebook Insights

To Tweet or Not to Tweet Twitter in Public Education Photo credit: chriswallace.com

Micro-blogging tool (140 characters) that can be used to post news, links, photos and more.

A tool that can be used (along with others) to drive traffic back to your district website
Edmodo -- Twitter for Educators
Twitter

Janis Krums’ Tweet from his cell phone on Jan. 15, 2009 – aboard a ferry on the Hudson River in NYC

Who’s Using Twitter?
Largest age group is 35-49, comprising almost 42 percent of the site’s audience. (Nielsen Online)

Majority visit Twitter while at work, and 62 percent access it from work only. (Nielsen Online)

Twitter as a News Tool Stissing Mountain HS, Pine Plains, NY

Yonkers Public Schools

Elmsford UFSD

Southern Westchester BOCES Twitter's new look

Companies & Organizations Tweeting
Ford
Starbucks
Whole Foods
Southwest Air
Jet Blue
The Smithsonian
American Red Cross
Honda
NASA

Government Twittering
Centers for Disease Control
The White House
US. Dept. of Education
10 Downing Street
U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security
U.S. Senate
U.S. House of Representatives
World Health Organization

Facebook to Twitter

Twitter Lists @schoolpr/k12schools

Missouri Educators Twitter List

My Favorite Twitter List

Wisconsin Dept. of Public Instruction

Oak Harbor School District 5,800 video views

Harlem Children's Zone

Manfield ISD Texas

White Plains Schools

Check out Youtube EDU for ideas/inspiration

Who Else is on YouTube?
The Pope
Queen Elizabeth
Barack Obama
PBS
National Public Radio
The White House
Disney Parks
The Travel Channel
The New York Times

Commenting
Allow/encourage comments on Facebook (can see names & profile photos) Offensive comments can be removed
Monitor Twitter "followers," avoid "following" individuals but companies/organizations OK
Turn off comments on YouTube (they're anonymous)
Moderate!

Connect Your Sites

Social Media Policies/Rules of Engagement
Do you use the tools first, then write the policy? Or write the policy first, then start using the tools?
Three audiences for policies: public/parents, students, staff
Don't have to re-invent the wheel. Update Acceptable Use Policies and Code of Conduct to include use of social media

Lee County (FL) Schools Two parts: 1. district/professional use 2. personal use

Facebook Disclaimers/Rules of Engagement

New York State Internet Safety Page

Webinar: Policies for 21st Century Janell Hallgren, Erie 1 BOCES Policy Services jhallgren@e1b.org or 716-821-7084

Inspiration/Best Practices news releases social media links youtube videos contact info for the press

I Am CPS

Northfield Mount Hermon School

EdSocialMedia Lab

Great Resources Mashable's Twitter Guide Book Mashable's Facebook Guide Book

Facebook in Education

Email: emccormack@swboces.org Facebook LinkedIn School Communications 2.0 www.twitter.com/nylady

Using Social Media Tools to Promote Your School District

by Evelyn McCormack on Nov 12, 2010

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Using Social Media Tools to Promote Your School District — Presentation Transcript