School Communications Scoop: Recent Episodes
Bonnie Leedy, CEO
Your School Communications Scoop covers topics and best practices for K-12 schools. Whether it is tips for improving school customer service, strategies on how to market your school, or ways to use your school website and social media to build a respected school brand and increase enrollment, you'll find proven, effective advice from the experts at School Webmasters, LLC.
You just launched your brand-new school website! Congrats! The homepage sparkles, the photos look fantastic, and every link works like a charm. But now comes the hard part: getting people to actually use it.
Let’s be honest. In the hustle of school life, parents aren’t going to your site just because it’s there. They’ll go when it’s useful, easy to navigate, and, most importantly, when they’re reminded to.
So how do you make your school website the go-to hub for families and staff? Buckle up. We’re about to break down school website launch strategies, engagement tips, and clever ways to promote your school website all year long.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
Does Your Website Need a Little R&R?
Close your eyes (well, after reading this). Picture your school building—hallways freshly painted, classrooms sparkling, bulletin boards ready for fall. But wait, what about your website? While your campus gets its summer makeover, your digital presence deserves its moment too.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
When families are exploring school options, they aren’t just scanning report cards or curriculum charts—they’re searching for connection. They want to see joy, safety, pride, learning, and community in action. And nothing brings that to life better than video.
The good news? You don’t need a film crew, fancy lighting, or a drone (although hey, drones are cool). With the camera in your pocket and a little creative planning, you can turn your school into the star of its own highlight reel, attracting new families and building trust with the ones you already have.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
Have you ever walked into a school and instantly thought, ‘Wow, they really take pride in this place’ (just from the logo, colors, or displays)? That’s confirmation bias in action: you believe something, see clues that support it, and your judgment locks in.
Let’s face it. People bring preconceptions. They’ll interpret everything based on those first impressions, consciously or not. That’s why branding is confirmation bias. The smart part? You get to create it.
In this post, we’ll unpack how clever branding builds positive bias, share quirky and relatable examples that’ll make you smile (and maybe nod a little too hard), and offer actionable strategies to help your school own its brand.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
Picture this: It’s Sunday night. A new family just moved into your district, and mom is frantically Googling your school website looking for enrollment info. She scrolls, clicks, scrolls again, and…nothing clear. She sighs, makes a sticky note to “call the school Monday,” and hopes she’ll remember between unpacking boxes and finding her kid’s missing sneakers.
Now picture a different scenario: As soon as she lands on your site, a friendly little chatbot pops up: “Hi there! Looking for enrollment info? Here are your steps, plus the documents you’ll need to bring with you.” Mom gets her answer in 30 seconds. She’s relieved, she feels supported, and your school just made a fantastic first impression—without anyone on your staff lifting a finger.
That’s the power of an AI chatbot for schools.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
When you think about your school logo design or mascot design, what comes to mind? Maybe it’s the fierce falcon on the gym wall, the smiling sun on your elementary letterhead, or the elegant crest on your district website.
But these visuals aren’t just decoration—they’re powerful storytelling tools. A great logo or mascot captures who you are, what you stand for, and why your school community belongs together. Find out why professional mascots and logos matter.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
Managing your school website in-house can seem like a cost-saving, straightforward approach at first—but lurking beneath the surface are several hidden costs that can quietly drain your resources, time, and staff morale. These costs go far beyond what you see on your monthly expense sheet or staff schedules. Understanding these hidden costs is key to making an informed decision about your school’s website management strategy.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
If writing school social media posts feels like one more thing on your already bonkers to-do list, we’ve got good news: AI is here to help you write like a pro, post like a boss, and maybe even reclaim a few minutes of your day.
That’s right—artificial intelligence isn’t just for tech bros and sci-fi movies anymore. It’s your secret weapon for writing school-friendly, parent-approved, engagement-boosting social content… all without sounding like a robot.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
So, you’ve got your school social media pages humming. You’re posting regularly, you’re sharing great photos, and your hashtag game is on point. First of all—high five. That alone puts you ahead of the curve.
But now what?
school social media tracking
If your goal is more than just likes and smiley-face reactions—if you actually want social media strategy to move the needle on parent engagement, school pride, and even enrollment—it’s time to shift into strategy mode. Because social media isn’t just a digital scrapbook—it’s your school’s most public-facing brand ambassador.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
Let’s face it—there’s nothing sadder than a school Facebook page that hasn’t posted since the last solar eclipse. (Totality was great, but your social media presence shouldn’t be eclipsed too.) In today’s world, families are online more than ever, and your school’s social media channels are one of the most powerful tools you have to engage parents, inspire students, and build trust in your community.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
You know that moment when someone walks into your school office, clicks onto your website, or calls for the very first time?
That’s it. That’s your big moment. Your school’s first impression.
It might last five seconds or five minutes, but it’s already shaping how that parent, prospective teacher, or community member feels about your school. Do they feel welcome? Confused? Impressed? Ignored?
In the world of school communications, that first contact is the equivalent of a first date… and no one wants theirs to end with, “Thanks, but I think I left the stove on.”
Let’s make sure your school comes off like a confident, caring, and capable partner—not one that forgot to brush its teeth.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
Congratulations! You’ve launched a sleek, redesigned website that showcases the heart and soul of your school or district. But guess what? The work isn’t over yet. Building awareness—and engagement—is just as important. Your new website should become the central marketing hub that connects your school with parents, students, staff, and the broader community.
Let’s explore tested, smart strategies to spread the word, draw traffic, reinforce your brand, and build ongoing trust using your new website as the anchor.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
Let’s be honest: the public isn’t exactly throwing a parade for the U.S. education system right now. While many parents trust their child’s individual school, the broader perception of K–12 education? Not so rosy. But here’s the silver lining—this is your chance to show them what’s really going on behind the scenes: the dedication, the innovation, the everyday wins that don’t always make the headlines. And your school website? That’s your front door. Your 24/7 handshake. Your always-on brand ambassador.
In this podcast, we’ll talk about why trust is the secret sauce to school branding—and how administrators like you can foster it with intention, consistency, and a little storytelling magic.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
Let’s be honest—education has changed. Big time.
Gone are the days when families simply enrolled their children in the neighborhood school by default. Today, parents are exploring options, doing their homework, and making informed decisions about where their child will thrive. Thanks to the rise of school choice, schools are no longer just places students are assigned to—they’re places families choose.
And that shift can feel overwhelming.
But it doesn’t have to.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
When a family starts shopping for a new school, their first “campus tour” almost always happens online. Long before they shake hands with your principal or see a classroom in action, parents are clicking through your website, judging whether you’re organized, communicative, and worth trusting with their child’s education. In other words, your site isn’t just a digital brochure—it’s your hardest‑working admissions officer, guidance counselor, and reputation manager all rolled into one.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
This article is a continuation from School Website Photography, Part 1, which was to help you capture, curate, and use real school website photos to advance enrollment, retention, and community pride—without pro gear or a pro budget. The goal of part 2 is to keep the compelling images you created in Part 1 ADA compliant, legal, accessible, fast, and trustworthy—so they serve all families and keep you clear of complaints.
So, lets jump into Part 2 now!
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
Picture the last time you scrolled a website on your phone. Did you read the paragraphs first—or did the images tell you, in a heartbeat, whether you were in the right place? Parents judge a school site in the same way. A shot of engaged students in a bright makerspace shouts innovation! long before a headline can.
Visuals build emotional connection, speed comprehension, and make information stick—key reasons we’ve urged schools for years to show their mission, not just describe it. Let your school website photography do the work!
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
If Parts 1 and 2 explainedwhat terrific service looks like, Part 3 shows how to teach it, practice it, and keep it pulsing through your halls long after the kick-off workshop. Because the best school customer service training isn’t a PowerPoint—it’s a living, laughing, problem-solving culture.
Training tactics that work (and don’t bore anyone to tears). Here are five proven ways to turn mandatory PD into “Can we do this again next month?” excitement.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
Great school customer service training doesn’t stop at catchy greetings and mission statements. Today, we’re sharpening the tools that turn everyday conversations into relationship-building moments:
- Active listening – hear what’s said and unsaid
- Grace under pressure – defuse difficult situations without breaking a sweat
- Intentional word choice – use language that moves people toward solutions
By the end you’ll have concrete drills, toolkits, and 30-day action steps you can roll into staff meetings or PD sessions tomorrow morning.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
Parents, students, staff, and community partners judge your school long before anyone sets foot on campus. A snappy email reply, a friendly “How can I help?” at the front desk, or a quick website update can build trust—or break it. In public education, good enough is yesterday’s news. Families today expect concierge-level support, and the schools that deliver consistent, positive school customer service win enrollment, loyalty, and word-of-mouth gold.
Here are the first three building blocks of School Webmasters’ customer-service playbook.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
In the world of education, communication is everything. Whether it’s a parent checking on enrollment requirements, a student looking for the bell schedule, or a teacher needing quick access to a district policy, the flow of information can make or break the user experience. And let’s be honest—school websites are often overflowing with information, yet still leave visitors feeling overwhelmed and underinformed.
That’s where an AI chatbot steps in—not as a gimmick or tech trend, but as a practical, reliable, 24/7 communication tool that can revolutionize your school’s online experience.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
Ever clicked on a broken link and felt that pang of frustration, like biting into a cookie expecting chocolate chips and getting raisins instead? (Sorry, raisin fans!) Or did you spot a glaring typo on an otherwise awesome website and wonder if anyone else noticed? Your school’s website visitors feel the same way. That’s why quality checks on your school website are as essential as morning coffee on a Monday—trust us, you don’t want to skip it!
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
Creating a school website is more than just piecing together pages online; it’s about telling your school’s story in a professional, user-friendly, and visually compelling way. At School Webmasters, we’ve been perfecting the art and science of school website development for over 23 years.
Our streamlined, step-by-step approach ensures that every project is handled with care, expertise, and attention to detail. Whether you’re looking for a complete redesign or starting from scratch, our professional school web design process is designed to make your experience simple and stress-free.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
In our last article, we discussed the importance of storytelling to improve your school’s reputation, public relations, branding, and possibly even your enrollment. Let’s build on that information now with five lessons to improve your storytelling.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
Every school has a story to tell. From the triumphs of its students to the dedication of its staff, a school’s unique identity is shaped by the people’s experiences within its walls. These stories aren’t just anecdotes; they’re powerful tools that can transform your school’s website into a compelling gateway, inviting families to explore and engage with your community. Understanding the power of storytelling can help you effectively share these experiences.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
How can your school website make or break parent engagement?
In today’s digital age, school customer service is more than answering phone calls or resolving in-person concerns. It’s about providing a seamless, accessible, and user-friendly experience for parents, students, and the community—and much of that experience happens online. Schools that prioritize customer service through their websites build trust, enhance communication, and strengthen relationships with families.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
Attending a tech school, trade school, vocational school, or other job training program offers various advantages that can benefit many individuals. Are you sharing these benefits and effectively marketing your vocational school to increase enrollment and attract students and staff?
If you haven’t already one so, here are some key benefits you should be sharing on your school website and in your marketing your vocational school:
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
Many parents are looking for the best educational solution for their children. Some are looking for pre-schools, others are selecting the right K-12 district. Either way, they are making choices, and for you to become one of those choices, you need to take ongoing steps to boost your school’s enrollment.
With many states making school choice an option, parents have choices and are no longer required to put their children in the nearest neighborhood school. So, you need to ensure your school stands out as a school of choice.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
The concept of school choice has gained significant momentum in recent years, reshaping the educational landscape. It introduces a competitive dynamic, urging schools to adapt and innovate to attract students. However, this competition must remain ethical, prioritizing transparency and student welfare.
By embracing ethical strategies, schools can position themselves as institutions that not only provide quality education but also uphold the integrity and trust of the communities they serve. School choice marketing done right will be essential in the coming years.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
Let’s be honest: your school’s website is one of your most important tools for communication and engagement. It's often the first impression prospective families get of your school, and it's also where your current families turn for information.
But is it serving its purpose? Are parents actually using it the way you hope they are? Let’s explore what parents look for in a school website and how you can make sure yours hits the mark.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
In today’s competitive educational landscape, a strong reputation is key to attracting prospective families, retaining students, and solidifying community trust. One of the most powerful tools in the arsenal of school marketing, school public relations, and school communications is testimonials. These authentic, first-hand accounts from students, parents, alumni, and staff provide a credible and relatable endorsement of your institution.
Let’s explore how testimonials, backed by expert insights and real-world success stories, can enhance your school’s reputation.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
When it comes to running a school, having a professional online presence is not just beneficial—it's essential. That’s why many institutions turn to School Webmasters, the trusted school website provider, and school web design professionals to manage their digital needs effectively.
Outsourcing your school web design projects and management to School Webmasters is a smart move.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
In the competitive world of K-12 education, effective school marketing can seem overwhelming. Discover how to simplify your school’s marketing efforts with daily, manageable strategies.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
So, now that we are heading into the second half of the school year, it is the perfect time to review the school website and refocus on how you can better communicate with and engage your parents and students.
Here are five New Year resolutions that you can use to improve your school communications. It is worth the effort, and you’ll realize long-term results that will benefit your school all year long.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
Many academics and school administrators hate to think of their institution as a business, so even the thought of marketing makes them uncomfortable. Somehow, they are convinced that attracting leads and customers detracts from their primary objective of providing a quality education.
But the reality couldn’t be more different. School marketing strategy is just another term that refers to practices for improving your community. School marketing and enrollment marketing will help establish your brand as an authority in the education industry and place you on top of the competition.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
While traditional high schools, colleges, and universities offer the necessary prerequisites for academic and intellectual fields, their offerings and curricula are often generic.
On the other hand, the vocational school can stand out from the crowd of choices because you can provide specific examples of what you offer and what your students can and should expect when they attend your school.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
There are advantages and disadvantages to immediate access. It is reassuring for parents to know they can reach their child anytime. However, research shows that the reassurance parents enjoy limits the self-assurance that this continual supervision denies their kids.
Let's discuss the advantages and disadvantages.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
In the digital age, a school’s website is more than just a virtual brochure—it’s a dynamic hub of information, school communication, and community engagement.
Keeping a school website updated is not merely a matter of aesthetics or professionalism; it has profound implications for student success, parental involvement, and the institution’s overall reputation. Here are a few compelling reasons schools must prioritize regular website updates.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
Okay, so this blog post isn’t targeting school administrators, my typical target audience. However, I thought the topic was so interesting that maybe schools could find ways to incorporate this kind of information into their websites.
For example, it might make an excellent website news article for back-to-school or even repurpose this information as an Inbound Marketing article to attract preschool parents.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
If your school is a trade school or vocational ed tech school, this is an excellent time to be one. Now more than ever, parents and students are considering alternatives to academic colleges and degrees.
Make sure your trade school stands out.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
Every school manager aspires to improve admissions. So, the question is, how can you improve your brand awareness and increase your student enrollment rate?
One of the most effective ways is school advertisement. You have numerous options to promote your brand. For instance, you can optimize your social media presence, start email marketing, create an eye-catching school website, or run Google ads. But before you do this, you should first learn about marketing strategies.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
Let's say you have a prospective student (or their parents) who might be interested in enrolling. You'd love to convince them you are the right fit, but you can't do that without knowing who they are, what they are looking for, or how to communicate with them. Enter the web form.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
As each the new year starts, every school is looking for ideas and techniques to level up its branding game. The high school newspaper is certainly one of the most flexible ways to keep students and faculty informed about what’s going on in and around campus while showcasing your resources to prospective students and parents.
So, let’s see how you can use this tool.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
As a school manager, you might wonder whether starting a school podcast is a good idea or not. Here are all the answers you need. Together, we’ll examine some of the key benefits of podcasting and see if it’s time to start your own podcast.
Let’s begin:
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
Strong brands can outshine the competition, build a broader customer base, and establish long-lasting brand loyalty. But how do we achieve this level of perfection? How, for instance, can a private school promote its educational services to stand out in the market?
This is where marketing plans and school marketing strategies can help us.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
An education blog is more than a platform to find written articles. It’s one of the greatest digital learning resources that can be integrated into schools’ teaching strategies. For school administrators, blogs can also be invaluable training for their leadership roles and their school’s success.
Check out these recommendations.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
School newsletters have proven to be one of the most effective virtual strategies for communication. Newsletters have the potential to become an engaging, informative tool for optimizing school life and building a tight-knit community.
At the same time, understanding the true purpose of school newsletters and finding the best practices to apply can be challenging. That’s why we created a comprehensive guide to help you make the best out of the school newsletter. Let’s begin.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
Today, a school marketing strategy formulation is essentially the science of survival in competitive markets. Designing a comprehensive marketing strategy incorporating your communication methods and channels, brand promotion techniques, and student enrollment strategies will help establish your brand in a new landscape.
However, meeting the new expectations of prospective students and parents can be challenging. That’s why you must equip yourself with the most sophisticated, market-proven, and efficient tools.
In this podcast, we will explore the importance of designing a marketing strategy, the steps you should take, and the effective methods you can apply to improve your online exposure.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
School websites are a vital necessity. But they are not a one-and-done event that you can take live and then not touch but once a year. It is a project that is well worth your time and planning. School website content management alone, done right, can save your school money and staff time, increase enrollment, and create a trustworthy reputation in your community.
So, let us help you answer the question, “How can I improve my school website?”
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
Many educational organizations, universities, and high schools have realized that Instagram is an excellent, free platform to showcase school spirit and boost audience engagement.
The user-friendly interface, efficient navigability, easy-to-understand search algorithms, and many other features have given Instagram a high rank among social media platforms. But having an account doesn’t guarantee a high engagement rate. You must learn and apply a few tactics to optimize your Instagram presence.
Let's get started.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
Every social media channel has a lifespan. While new ones appear on the scene, others go out and die. However, some social media platforms have been major players for so long that they have become a part of our daily lives. Facebook is perhaps the most notable example, with nearly 20 years of experience.
Let us show you some of the tips and guidelines for your school's Facebook success.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
Nowadays, the internet and school websites, in particular, are major contact points where schools showcase their quality.
Therefore, it’s not wrong to think of websites as one of the main arenas where schools compete for talented students and highly qualified staff. There is also no denying that a lot of insights can be gained by studying the school websites of competitors.
That’s why competitive website analysis has become such a popular strategy among schools. You may be wondering what competitor website analysis is. And how can it help your website? Let’s find out together.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
Communication apps today are as prevalent as smartphones. School administrators, teachers, students, and parents rely on these communication tools to create groups and establish a more connected environment both online and offline.
Keeping parents informed about their children's educational progress empowers them. They can help their child improve learning materials and overcome problems that otherwise would have been ignored. A positive parent-teacher relationship is of vital importance.
Learn about school communications apps, what they are and how to utilize them.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
Here at School Webmasters, we work for various school website providers. We are often hired to help schools that have switched vendors or are getting a redesign to migrate their old website onto a new design or platform.
So, what are the website design best practices for updating or redesigning your school website? What do we train our staff to incorporate into the school websites we design? Let’s dive right in!
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
In today's tech-driven age, website design plays a huge role in making a solid first impression. It's one of the most powerful tools available to schools to stand out from the crowd and convert visitors into eager parents and students who want to enroll.
Plus, the right website design can help a school boost engagement, promote its brand, and stay in touch with parents and students. However, not every school website is inspiring, and many scream mediocrity, lack of organization, and complacency.
There's no need to worry about that with your school because we've put together some excellent school website design ideas to help you look your best.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
Every successful school tries to live up to its high standards. These high standards may translate into different things, but creating a well-designed and structured school website and a school blog are among the most popular school marketing practices.
Find out how!
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
We all agree communication channels are critical in times of crisis. So, school communication is even more important, considering it usually involves children. Is your school set up to handle any communications needs that might arise quickly?
Find out what the most important aspects of an effective communications strategy and platform are and how to utilize them.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
People spend a lot of time researching online, whether buying shoes, choosing a restaurant, or even subscribing to a streaming service. It’s the same when looking for a suitable school for their kids. Here, the first source of information is always the school’s website.
It’s no wonder that so many schools invest a lot of money and time to design a website that perfectly reflects their vibe, values, and achievements. However, there’s no one-size-fits-all recipe for a great school website design because every school has different goals, needs, and target audiences.
That’s why it’s vital to have the right tools and guidance to create a school website that shows your visitors that your school is the right choice for their children. Here’s our guide.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
The holidays are a time to get in touch with people you love and show them how much you care about them. As a school, you can show teachers, students, and parents how much you appreciate their presence.
Holiday messages are the perfect tool to convey your best wishes while discussing your school’s mission and announcing new programs. However, it can be tricky if you’re new to it.
But there’s no need to worry because, with the right tips, you can draft a personal holiday message to parents. Learn how to write the perfect holiday messages to parents.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
What do you expect from a great school website? Excellent design and intuitive navigation? User-friendly interface? An appealing layout with a harmonious combination of fonts and colors. All of these factors are crucial. But the most important thing is making a long-lasting impression on potential students' families.
In a nutshell, a great school website must showcase your brand’s unique image while establishing an effective communication channel with the target audience. If that sounds like a daunting task, don’t worry. We will give you some valuable tips here to get you started. Ready? Let’s dive in.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
All private schools and educational institutions have some form of a marketing plan, but not every marketing plan produces optimal results. A successful private school marketing plan strikes a balance between realistic and ambitious. School marketing, like any other type of marketing and brand promotion, should follow the best practices in the field.
Here, we'll discuss some of the most brilliant school marketing ideas to give you a roadmap and help you navigate your adventurous journey in the education industry. But first, let's explore the meaning of digital marketing and the benefits of having a school marketing plan.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
Take a few moments and think of every fascinating school website you’ve ever visited. You can perhaps make a shortlist right off the top of your head. At first, they may appear only to share one thing: they are all school websites!
But there is more. Every great school website follows best practices in its design and development, including a user-friendly interface, appealing layout, harmonious font and color combination, navigability, and more. All these features help to create a long-lasting impression on potential students.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
In our digital age, a school’s website is often the first point of contact for prospective students, parents, and staff. A well-designed website reflects the school’s unique identity and values and is a powerful tool for communication and administrative efficiency.
How can your educational institution make the most of its online presence? This comprehensive guide on website design will walk you through the essential aspects of school website design, from the importance of first impressions and key design elements to tips and best practices for building and maintaining a successful website.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
Our collection of top school website design examples will give you some ideas about designing an engaging platform. Moreover, we'll explore why you should invest in creating a great school website for your parents and students.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
K-12 schools can benefit significantly from platforms like blogs. It can also help students develop their writing skills. If you still need to become familiar with these advantages, read on.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
One of the goals for K–12 schools is to engage their communities in ways that will improve student outcomes. When parents (and communities) engage with local education, studies show that students progress far better than those who don’t.
When teachers and administrators keep parents updated on activities at school, parents will discuss those activities and reinforce the learning that is taking place there, creating a positive learning environment where students thrive. Something every school hopes to facilitate in partnership with parents.
So, how can your school encourage such parent engagement? Use of a parent communication app will help!
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
CMS (content management system) is one of the most central aspects of marketing. More than 68 million websites are built with CMS and this could be a great solution to many problems you face with your website.
Here we’ll define what a CMS is and how it works. Then we’ll look at some of its benefits for educational organizations and some of the challenges. Make sure your school’s content management system is working for you and not against you. Let’s dive in.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
It doesn't matter if you click on a website belonging to a car dealership, a restaurant, or even a candle shop. The reality is that you'll quickly form an opinion about them based on how their website looks and feels.
The same logic applies when parents visit your school's website. But it's not just about first impressions.
Your website is a significant point of contact for parents to get more information about your school and find out what sets you apart from other options in the area. It's also the perfect platform to share news, lunch menus, summer programs, and upcoming events.
In other words, it's an essential tool to keep current and prospective parents satisfied. Therefore, it's no surprise that many schools invest resources in improving their website design. However, if you're new to this, you'll need a set of tools and tips to get started.
Let's get started.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
Learn about the essential components of school website design and what it takes to put your website to work for your school.
Competition for students and quality staff are at an all-time high, so make sure your school's website serves your purposes and effectively communicates to your audiences.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
A website is an excellent digital tool for schools to showcase their academic qualities in front of the entire community. Schools can provide up-to-date information about admissions requirements, offline and online courses, student academic achievement, and upcoming events.
But that’s not all. An informative school website can significantly promote the school brand, highlight special offers, and present the whole school vibe to potential students and parents.
However, all of that requires a reliable school website design, which you can achieve with the following ten steps.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
Attention to detail is the cornerstone of any great website design. You must know the website’s purpose and how it can help your school achieve its goals. In addition to looking professional and sleek, you want the website to portray your school’s brand and mission clearly.
But it’s not just about style. Several elements go into creating a perfect school website design. As with anything, you can learn more about web design by reviewing some of the best school websites and their major characteristics.
That’s precisely what we’re going to do here. But first, let’s see why your private school needs a great website.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
Just like a fast food chain or a car company, schools need to market their brand. Every year, fierce competition over attracting the top students is fierce, so schools need to showcase their values.
Of course, every school and organization in the world wants to do that. That's why they set up websites, create social media accounts, and discuss their great school and excellent programs. In most cases, they fail.
Why is that? Because with so many pages, websites, notifications, and emails, their message gets lost in the noise. Plus, they usually don't know their audience, goals, and challenges.
What's the solution? A reliable school marketing strategy. Here's why.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
Marketing strategies can serve as a success roadmap for your school in the long term.
However, putting the ideas into words and actionable steps can be unfamiliar and confusing for many schools that are doing this for the first time. If you and your team feel the same way, keep listening because we will give you 10 school marketing strategies that work. But first, let’s touch on the importance of marketing for your school.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
It doesn't matter if you're running a sandwich shop or a private school. The reality is that without a solid marketing plan, you and your business will not go as far as you hope. In today's ultra-competitive market, your private school faces a lot of competition to attract top students.
Therefore, no matter how good your school, programs, and teachers are, you can't expect families to flock to you without a dependable marketing strategy. You need a reliable marketing plan to create solid engagement for your school.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
It's no secret that schools in the education sector are in fierce competition to attract and retain talented students. Logically, students and their parents will only consider schools that promise them a bright future that fits their goals and gets them where they want to go.
This means that school branding has never been more critical. Today, schools must communicate their values and highlight their unique advantages to differentiate themselves from others. However, this can't be done without a successful branding strategy that creates a sense of trust, belonging, and purpose in the community.
That's not an easy task, but it's achievable. We've created the roadmap for it here.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
So, your school needs to maintain regular communication. Constantly. Continually. Sending monthly or weekly newsletters to your students' families is a wonderful way to maintain this communication. Let's see how we can use this to your advantage.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
Schools need to improve their interactions with these families more than ever. One crucial strategy may be website localization, as parents and students visit it regularly for information. There are seven steps to creating localized websites.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
Many schools' social media platforms look like they've made the initial effort but have been long since abandoned. In turn, they focus mainly on building their website since it is a major point of contact with parents, students, teachers, and staff. But while that may be true, we cannot deny that we live in the age of social media—and Facebook is arguably the mother of all platforms.
When used correctly, Facebook can be a massive help for your specific goals. Whether you run a private school and want to improve enrollment or a public school looking to better connect with the community, you must optimize your school's Facebook channel.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
The school website is one of the first contact points between schools, parents, students, and teachers. The homepage is the front door to a school website; it draws a large share of traffic. After all, it's only logical because it is the face of the school, but it's surprising how often it's overlooked.
Many think by mistake that the homepage can be designed just like any other landing page, but that's far from reality. An excellent homepage should be specially designed to attract, educate, and convert different user groups that visit your school website. So, let's discuss how to do just that!
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
Like all businesses, schools use their websites to promote their brand and attract top talent. That’s why website management has become such a popular approach among schools to drive traffic to their websites.
We all know the qualities of a poor website since we've all visited terrible school websites—but only for a short time and never returned. But, the question is, how can you manage your website so it does not fall into that category? That is the purpose of this article.
For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request a quote!
For schools, marketing strategies typically mean targeting prospective students for enrollment and recruiting quality staff. Whether yours is a private school, a public school, or a charter school, your existence depends on student enrollment and effective staff.
One of the most affordable and beneficial marketing efforts any school can utilize is an effective school website. So, let's talk about how to make your school website more effective.
A seemingly infinite number of websites are available for learning. Teachers know how difficult it is to find online materials that pique students' interests and improve their skills.
To help parents, students, and teachers find such resources, we've compiled this list of great free and paid websites. We've sifted through hundreds of educational websites to find the top 24 that we think will best meet the requirements and sensitivities of high school students.
When it comes to social media for schools, many school administrators may question whether or not the return on investment makes it worth the time and effort it requires to manage it.
Your school website is charged with serving many functions, particularly that of providing information to prospective and current parents of children in the grades your school serves. But, another important role is to recruit quality staff.
Learn how to use your school website to effectively hire top-quality staff!
From bite-size tweets to viral videos and website blog posts, content is the first point of contact between you and a student or parents. Pique interest by showcasing alumni success stories, your cool campus vibe, and your program offerings.
In addition, content is the foundation for ranking well on search engine results pages (SERPs). That's why many schools use content marketing strategies to show prospective students they're a perfect fit.
You already know that your school's website is a major contact point between you and a visitor. As a common rule, the internet is the first place your target audience will go to understand who you are and what you want to do. So how do you attract more visitors, generate interest, and stand out from other schools' websites?
Whether it's a teacher looking for a potential position at your school, a parent thinking about the right placement for their kids, or a student researching the best school to help him reach his lofty goals, they need to understand your strengths and the benefits of going with your school. That's where your school website comes in!
What are you most proud of at your school? What are your stand-out programs? Does your school offer amazing extracurricular activities that your students especially enjoy?
Do you use this information to market your school to prospective parents and students?
The critical goals of any school website are to:
1. Engage and inform your existing students, their parents, and your staff
2. Market your strengths and successes to potential students and staff
To achieve these goals, your school's website must be designed with intuitive navigation and easy-to-find content—and be kept current and informative.
How is your school's website doing?
When it comes to marketing strategies as they pertain to student recruitment, we're talking about promoting the services we have to offer that will lead to increased enrollment to meet our enrollment goals.
Whether primary, secondary, or higher education institutions, our goal is to educate students in a world in need of caring, responsible individuals, well-prepared for the future rigors and challenges of the world. Learn how to integrate your school website and social media to improve your school marketing.
Pinterest has a reputation as a platform women use to plan their next home renovation and learn to make mason jar salads. But hang in here with us for a minute or two as we make an argument for why your school should add Pinterest to your social media platforms.
All school districts are looking for ways to make their school websites more relevant. They are designed to be the go-to resource for parents and community members as well as to serve as the primary marketing tool for your school.
So, let's discuss some fun and unusual ways to increase your website traffic while improving the effectiveness of your school communication and possibly your school enrollment by using Senior quotes.
Designing an effective school website for your target audience, parents and students, can be confusing and even stressful. So, let's explore some of the points one should consider in order to find the information that will lead to the website that parents and students will visit often.
Every school in America depends on school announcements to communicate with its teachers, parents, and students. Many schools disperse these important messages using daily reminders broadcast to the whole school via a P.A. system or weekly printed reports sent home in Friday folders. Others have opted for higher-tech email blasts or student-led, closed-circuit television "news shows" to share morning announcements and communicate upcoming events. Regardless of how a school chooses to communicate, their goal remains two-fold: to keep families informed and to create community.
The same should be said of announcements housed on your school website.
You know what makes your school great. You know your school's struggles. You know what you want your parents and prospective parents to know. But are you sure you know what they want and they need from your school website?
Let's take a look at your school website from a parent's perspective. Whether current parents or prospective parents, what are some things the best school websites will always include? Let's explore by focusing on what parents need.
Parents are far more aware of their choices, which means schools, whether public or private, have to earn most of the students who enroll. It means that schools need to market themselves to parents and future students.
This applies to your school as well. There used to be one school in the neighborhood, and only those few families who could afford to send children to a boarding school had any choice about where to send their children.
Now, there are myriad choices, and income or location are not the only deciding factors. School marketing, done right, is a multi-prong approach, and putting together a comprehensive marketing strategy is necessary.
We all live by our calendars these days. That includes the parents of your students. So, what can you do to make these parents' lives easier and keep them involved with their child's education at the same time? Yep, you guessed it. Create and manage an effective school calendar!
It is important to remember that photo captions enjoy some of the highest readerships in a publication, second only to headlines. So, when we want our readers to be engaged and informed, our use of captions matters. Learn how to do it right.
Your school website’s purpose is to inform existing parents and to attract prospective parents. You can’t do that without attracting readers, which means writing a compelling headline that will grab the attention of those desired readers.
Yes, we know. Apps are all the rage, at least according to the salespeople say that your school needs one. Well, we’re here to tell you that it’s not necessarily the case. Beware the slick sales pitch and take a look at your website before jumping into the app jungle.
Before considering an app, take a look at your website. Since your website is your face to the public (an app is only available to existing parents), your efforts here should be your highest priority.
I know it doesn't sound like much, but word-of-mouth marketing is key to the success for local, family-owned businesses. More than ever, people are checking online reviews for goods and services, and your opinion matters.
Frequently—and, at times, unfortunately—customers only leave online reviews for bad experiences. No one wants to be judged by their worst day, which makes your good, positive review all the more valuable to your local businesses.
And it's not just businesses that need your online feedback—your local schools need it too!
Your school’s website is that critical intersection between public relations, customer service, marketing, media relations, communications, and branding. Website management is the process that makes it all work.
Competition and choice in education have changed everything. The neighborhood school is no longer the only game in town. In fact, online schools have made being in the same town not even a requirement. This means school leaders need to continually make the case for their school and find ways to stand out from all the competition.
One important strategy is to create and manage a consistent brand for your school. How do you do that? Begin by creating and using a branding guideline.
Branding goes beyond your colors and school logo, of course. It is inclusive of the entire customer experience and includes everything from your school website design and layout, your school social media interactions, and your mascot to how your staff answers the phones. Your brand is that cohesive identity that you want to solidify in your customers’ minds. It requires establishing a look and feel that supports your brand goals consistently and avoids variations that will dilute or even disintegrate your brand identity.
So, let’s talk about how to use school mascots and logos to contribute to your cohesive brand identity.
Your school website is only as effective as your users think it is. If parents complain that they can’t find what they are looking for, there’s a problem. We could claim user error—that they just don’t know what they are doing—but if there is a problem, it is our problem and we need to own it.
So, what can we do to make our website user-friendly for all? For starters, we can analyze our website. Google Analytics is a great tool designed to help us do so.
For thousands of years, sailors and travelers have relied on lighthouses to lead them to safety. For them, the lighthouse is a beacon of hope. If the light were to fail, creating a cloak of darkness, the leaders, the navigators, the doers, the encouragers would step forth to give direction and hope to those in their care.
Currently, we may experience some “cloak of darkness” moments. As a business owner, a school leader, a teacher, a part of your community, you have an obligation to use your talents and experiences to be the navigational aid to warn of and navigate through dangerous areas. You can be that beacon. And you can use your social media platforms to do it.
Okay, you are a school administrator and schools are serious business, right? Professional and no-nonsense? Well, I agree with the professional part, but I think some schools (whether it is established by the school culture, the HR department hiring policies, or maybe the school leader) may want to consider factoring a little joy into the mix. It isn't an either/or proposition because professionalism and happiness are not mutually exclusive.
Managing your school’s social media can be a challenge. To make your posts engaging and effective is even more so. But, there are some basics you should know and use with school social media strategies. In this blog, you’ll learn five steps to get it right.
Many school leaders struggle with how best to manage their school’s website(s). Often they decide to go with the status quo—what they are accustomed to is good enough. At least until parents or the governing board complains that it isn’t as effective or informative as it should be, or maybe it is a flat-out embarrassment. Then it becomes a top priority if for no other reason than to eliminate complaints.
So, if one of those scenarios describes your situation, or if you want to avoid the drama and set up strategies to provide a website that continually serves your parents and community well, let’s look at what constitutes best practices in school website management.
Every few years, schools decide they need to update or redesign their website. Sometimes it is because there has been a change in administration and they want to put their own “stamp” on things. Sometimes it is because someone thinks they should update their school’s brand image. But the best reason is that you want to improve the experience your website visitors have when they visit your school’s online presence. If you don’t make that your primary goal then the effort will be a waste of time and money.
Unless your school is a boarding school, you are hoping to attract local students. That means you need to show up on the local internet searches parents might use to research local schools whether private or public. If your school doesn’t show up in their search, you are missing out in a big way. Learn how Google My Business can help your school and your enrollment!
Okay, okay, we know it has been a tough year. What we need for this new school year is a restart, and we hope you’ll rise to the challenge by doing just that. While students return to full in-person learning and you scramble to help students who may have fallen behind catch up, this is a perfect time to institute some marketing strategies to increase your enrollment (and encourage any lost students to return to your school).
Often when we consider our various target audiences, we don’t consider the ones closest to us—teachers, staff, and administration. These important people are your “internal publics,” and marketing to them is one of the most important things you can do.
Are parents in your community really using your website? If they are, you’ll want to make sure you know what they use it for most often so you can stay on top of those services. If they aren’t, then you’ll want to know why so you can make changes to better serve them.
Most schools outsource the design of their school’s websites. Very few schools have the skill sets among their staff members to get a professionally designed school website with effective layout and navigation. But, there are content management systems that provide templates and editing software to use. Sometimes these are sufficient.
But very few supply you with the staff to keep your site current, professional, and informative on a day-to-day basis, which is what really matters, right? Consider another option: you can let School Webmasters become your trained staff of professional webmasters for as low as only $189 a month.
You certainly don’t need to overhaul your school’s website every year, but you do need to make sure you're presenting your school in the best light by keeping up with current website trends. Your school website is the key component to all of your digital marketing efforts and often the first impression prospective parents have of your school and your values. So how do you know when it’s time for an update?
There are always leaders and lemmings in the world. Of course, you want your school website to be viewed as an asset and representative of your outstanding educational services. But often, unbeknownst to many respected educators, their school websites are lemmings, or worse, they are losers, and the school administrators are not even aware of it.
Find out how to fix your school website!
We often think we know what our parents and community think—and sometimes we’re wrong. The only way to find out how people really feel is to ask the right questions. If we don’t know what people currently believe, we can’t possibly improve communication, services, or perceptions. Consider using surveys to get the information you need!
In today’s social climate, people are all about sharing how they feel about companies, products, and services. In fact, folks are more inclined to trust another person’s opinion or experience over traditional advertising or marketing materials. That’s not to say traditional marketing doesn’t work; it simply means you also need to start gathering positive testimonials from parents and your community members.
It’s been a tough year. We can all agree on that. So, it’s probably time to look at what we can do to turn things around. We can’t control the world around us, pandemics, weather, or most economic conditions, but we do have some control over our perspective on our world and our lives. Gratitude is just such a control mechanism.
With 2020 now behind us (thank goodness), it is time to address some of the issues left in its wake. For one thing, many schools have seen decreased enrollments, and since your sustainability is based on enrollment, it’s an issue you have to take seriously.
Here are some tips to help you succeed.
Communication is the bedrock of customer service. Good customer service requires effective communications, and that requires listening to your customers' needs as well as communicating your own. Here are some tips to improve your school's customer service!
Like a roller coaster, the learning curve was fast and steep. In ten really long short months, we all got a crash course on what works and what doesn’t in an online classroom setting. I don’t want to belabor the obvious; we figured out quickly that to achieve success, students need routine and a place of their own.
Overall, teachers and parents did a fabulous job of adapting to meet the needs of their students and children. There are, however, a few areas that may benefit from deeper instruction. So let’s get down to business and talk about how teachers and parents can guide their children toward effective virtual learning.
Does your school website need a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page? The short answer is yes. But let’s consider the reasons to include it and talk about how to create an effective FAQ page.
Your school website is your face to the public. It’s your chance to create a favorable first impression. So it’s imperative that you know going into your website development who you want to attract and what impression you want to give. No matter what population you represent, it’s important to incorporate best web practices into your school website.
With so many issues to worry about when managing a school, foremost of which is educating students, worrying about your school’s first impression might seem like a rather petty problem. However, first impressions are critical because people tend to become attached to their initial impressions (people and organizations). We find it very difficult to change those initial opinions, even when presented with facts and evidence.
To make it worse, this means that earning parents’ trust and confidence usually begins before they ever set foot within the doors of your school.
So, let’s look at a few areas that contribute to a positive first impression, each of which we have considerable control over.
It feels as if social media can take on a “life of its own.” It’s somewhat like a child. When your child cries in the middle of the night, your first instinct is to run to see what’s happening. You get that feeling of impending doom if you can’t get there quickly enough. Are they sick? Did they see a monster? Your job as a parent is to watch over, manage, care for, and love your child as well as ensure their success.
And as a steward over your schools' social media, the same tactics apply.
Your school website content matters, especially how you say it. Get some tips for keeping it positive!
Meditation, Yoga, exercise, blah, blah, blah. No. The answer is writing in the active instead of the passive voice. Using the active voice in website writing is much easier to read and comprehend, therefore making the reader’s experience more relaxing and yes, less stressful.
How to use your school social media posts to help your community cope when tragedy strikes!
It might be time to take the temperature of your stakeholders' opinions about your school. Is it a bit cold out there among your constituents or cozy and warm? You can't change perceptions if you don't know what they are.
The last thing you need is more items on your to-do list, but parents need to know your school is invested in the care and safety of their child. The good news is that for every tip we list here, School Webmasters can help you.
K–12 schools have never before had a situation like they are now experiencing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most are closed. Some have gone to virtual education while others are simply hunkering down and waiting for things to return to normal. But it is during a crisis that your school’s true colors come out, and your efforts now will influence future outcomes for years to come. What you do now matters.
While the world is fighting to find a cure for the Coronavirus (COVID-19), schools are scrambling to get their curriculum online and available to all of their students. Home-based distance learning has become the new norm for every school in the U.S. This raises concern when it comes to how accessible the learning materials are. Aside from the concern that every student must have access to a computer or other device to view the posted materials, there is also the concern that disabled students are denied access due to the inaccessibility of the school’s website or posted documents. How is your school managing these requirements?
While the world is fighting to find a cure for the Coronavirus (COVID-19), schools are scrambling to get their curriculum online and available to all of their students. Home-based distance learning has become the new norm for every school in the U.S. This raises concern when it comes to how accessible the learning materials are. Aside from the concern that every student must have access to a computer or other device to view the posted materials, there is also the concern that disabled students are denied access due to the inaccessibility of the school’s website or posted documents. How is your school managing this requirement?
You’re a principal or superintendent with no school in session, charged with continuing to communicate during a quarantine closure. What can you do to make this work? Check out the tips and resources to find out.
A few weeks ago, we talked about the power of storytelling to make your school blog interesting and engaging. To further encourage you to begin your own school blog, we’re going to share some topics that will inspire your own ideas.
Now’s your chance. While schools across the country are shut down for various lengths of time and staff and students work remotely to ensure students continue to learn, administrative staff can focus on improving communications. Without the minute-by-minute distractions of typical responsibilities, you can focus on the strategies that will help improve school communication when things are back to normal. And yes, they will get back to normal—or at least to a new normal!
If you've accepted the idea that a school blog can be beneficial, take the next step and add the power of storytelling to your blog articles. Here are some tips!
Crisis is the WORST time to stop communicating—especially on the front end. Those who were ahead of the game conveyed preliminary information, established expectations, and laid the groundwork for future critical communication.
If you dropped the ball on the early communication, that’s okay. But it’s time to dig deeper and improve your messaging moving forward. Apply best practices to crisis communications for your school.
The images you share on your school website and your school social media make a huge difference. But, to maintain website accessibility (which is the law) you need to follow these important guidelines.
No matter what service we provide, including K-12 education, providing excellent customer service is a must. Here are 20 tips to get started and improve your school's customer service levels. Start improving now!
Emergency notification systems have become indispensable tools for school communication. When used effectively, they do more than simply keep families informed and alert about emergencies—they help foster a sense of community and set the stage for increased engagement.
Find out how.
Struggling to keep those spinning plates of myriad responsibilties in the air? We'll talk about how to prioritize your communication efforts while streamlining the rest of your job and getting more done.
Digital marketing is this decade's marketing strategy. Learn some tips, hacks, and trends so you can stop managing enrollment and start designing it for a prosperous decade.
Learn about how to get and keep your school's website compliant and how to avoid being duped into paying for expensive services you don't need.
The moment you are in an emergency situation is not the time to prepare for an emergency situation. Prepare now for future emergency situations at your school.
Find out how to create processes and strategies to turn your school staff into a new gathering army that can help you deliver engaging and consistent communication for your parents and community.
Learn about what public relations is and its importance to your school. Make public relations a part of your communications strategies.
If your school doesn’t have a responsive website design yet, I’ve got bad news for you—your site is old and outdated! Let us tell you why it matters and is worth the effort to have a mobile-friendly website.
If your website hasn’t been updated in the last five years, chances are it may suffer from one or all of these issues: a lack of security, out of compliance with ADA requirements, or unresponsive. The right design will help your school put its best foot forward and create a smooth, accessible experience.
You already know the value of a school blog, right? It helps attract new students, engages the parents, and establishes you as an expert in education. Using it as part of your school marketing efforts with Inbound Marketing and search engine optimization can be a huge factor in increasing enrollment.
But...knowing and doing are two very different things, right?
So, to make this easier, let’s break it down. Let’s begin with how to get started on your own school blog.
Use these two simple principles to make sure your school's website is supporting your school's communication goals and improve parent engagement.
Just as you would use a map or GPS to take a trip to an unfamiliar location, you should use a map to reach your communication goals as well. That is what a school communication plan can deliver, and it is well worth the effort.
Learn the 8 simplified steps to implement a school communication plan that makes a difference.
Would you like to improve your school’s newsletter? Are you intrigued by the idea of making it a pillar of your overall communication plan? Here are some helpful tips!
Have a great school event planned? Want to get some positive media coverage? Find out how to engage your local media.
It feels like the media is out to get your school. The coverage of your district is always negative. They never care about any of the good things happening in your building. Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. Look, I’ve heard it all before—I’ve even said some of it before. As a former journalist AND school PR lead, I can help build some understanding in this space that desperately needs it.
It’s time to debunk the junk and help you build better relationships between your school and your friendly neighborhood media folks.
Why does getting the media to cover your school event seem like such a Herculean feat? It doesn’t have to be! As long as you’re willing to tweak your mindset, align your tactics, and show some patience, the rewards can be huge.
Learn some tips in the first of this three-part series of how K-12 schools can work with the local media and improve their communications.
What do U.S. schools need to embrace in order to earn the respect they want? Begin by understanding the perception gap and how to view the issues from the viewpoint of the public. Only then can you address those issues.
There are 7 areas that fall under the school communications umbrella. Neglecting any one of these can hurt your overall communications efforts. Which powerful influence are you failing to use and how can you change that?
Learn how to filter out the jargon and improve your school public relations. Learn how to be clear, avoid education acronyms, and make your messages clear and convincing.
Is edu-speak killing your school communications? Don't let your messages and content cause your audiences' eyes to glaze over? Find out how to avoid just such issues and improve your communications and better engage.
Putting in the effort to share your school's successes is well worth it. Improve your school communications by telling your school's stories.
Want to build your school's social media following so people will actually see your posts? Learn how to use your social media to improve communications and marketing!
Website content management systems alone won't improve your school communications efforts. But find out what will make all the difference.
As you consider which school marketing strategies are best for you, we’re here to help ensure your school marketing approach is well-rounded and effective. Get 6 of the most powerful tips here.
We’ve talked before about why school marketing is important, and we hope you’re already on board with the concept. Remember, marketing is the process we undertake to get our audiences to know, like, and trust us. So let’s take a look at why these three elements are so vital to your school or district’s foundation and how they can keep your marketing on track throughout the year regardless of your main focus.
Take a look at your school's communication strategies. Are you missing the point by maintaining the status quo? Find out how and why to look at your school's needs rather than wants and see real progress in reaching your school's goals.
Learn how your school website impacts reputation, engagement, and enrollment and how to create the most positive first impression.
How does your school website engage? When you recognize the value of your school's website to your school's communication efforts, especially when used in conjunction with your social media, you can create powerful engagement, trust, and loyalty.
Follow our bread-making analogy to find out what the essential steps are to effective website management and apply the steps you must take to enjoy the benefits of powerful communication.
With many K-12 schools across the country experiencing declining enrollment, what measures should your school take to attract and keep students? One of the most beneficial strategies your school can implement, and one with wide-ranging impact beyond increasing enrollment, is building a school culture where a customer service mindset is the norm.
Find out what poor customer service is costing your school. You might be surprised how critical to the bottom line, job satisfaction, and student success customer service is to your school.
How one public school manages their website, social media, and public relations without breaking the budget. Learn how they improved community engagement, tell their school stories, and create a robust communications strategy.
Working in a school can be a tough job. It is also one of the most important roles in American society. How can you show appreciation for these invaluable folks.