How+to+Start+a+Successful+Social+Media+Plan

If you have some notes from the Best Practice session, post them here

Notes v1

WhippedHill Social Media Session

Use social media to get conversations started...engage in a dialogue with you users instead of just communicating outward.

Since people are already talking, this allows us to help shape the conversation. It actually gives the school a voice that it didn't have before!

Foursquare check-ins sound like a pretty good idea for parents, alumni, etc as they are expressing their involvement with the school when they engage with 4sq at our request. "Check in here!" signs make sense.

Social is just another channel in the communications loop. Make sure they're all tied in together. Users should feel like they can get to any of these channels at any time--your website should have the YouTube, Facebook, twitter presence, presenting a complete picture.

When creating content, it's good to reaffirm the school's brand. Positive reinforcement.

Example 1: McCallie School Facebook page. Example 2: Sewickley Academy Twitter page. Example 3: Worcester Academy YouTube. Example 4: Proctor Flickr. Example 5: Stratford School Pinterest

What are the school's goals in using social media? There needs to be a plan from the start, providing some overarching guidance for social.

Who's the target audience? What tools make sense for the school? What tools make sense for the staff? What tools make sense for the users?

Generating content: who, what, when, WHY

Create a social media policy FIRST Include policy online and in the handbook/directory Get administrative support Set SPECIFIC goals and have a TIMELINE Be consistent and committed. Don't give up or let the daily grind push you into setbacks! Content drives engagement. Users spike with new posts, so if you have a regular schedule, stick to it and if there's no content coming, make sure you offer a reason/apology. Measure and Reflect at the end of the year, which should provide a road map for the next year and beyond. See what worked, what didn't, and gets feedback.

Contact info for presenter: Jess Creach @jesscreach Jessc@whipplehill.com 