Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Why a Drone is Good for Your School PR Business [Marketing in the Sky]


Napster, MySpace, sliced bread... we are under constant pressure to find the next big thing, and then capitalize on it.  A few months ago it was Periscope, which has fizzled out a bit, but here recently, Drones have been a topic of conversation on the #SchoolPR hashtag.

What's a Drone?

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone and also referred to as a remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), is an aircraft without a human pilot aboard. Its flight is controlled either autonomously by onboard computers or by the remote control of a pilot on the ground or in another vehicle. - Wikipedia

What once was popular on military bases is now becoming a hobby as lower costs models are popping up on Amazon, Best Buy and even Toys R Us. Here is one from Amazon that features 4K Camera [Better than HD] for $1,253.00


How Did We Use It?

Luckily one of our teachers owns an UAV that we were able to use at band practice a few weeks ago.  The response was tremendous! Not only does the footage look awesome, we were able to use the footage to post on Facebook [Native, don't link it to YouTube yet], where video is highly engaging.


Our post garnered hundreds of likes and was shared by many, many students and parents. One because it was video, and two, it was showcasing students using technology in the classroom. Anytime we can engage our audience with visuals, we are going to do it.

What Policies Do We Have in Place  

Just like the Wright Brothers, this was our first flight using UAV's. Our district does not have a policy in place to use it as a Public Relations or communications tool. We are researching the guidelines setup by the government and UIL [Our school sanctioning body]

There was a ruling passed before the football season started that in Texas, UAV's or Drones are not allowed to be flown at sporting events of any kind.  Make sure to see what policies are in place in your city, state and school community.

5 Ideas for Using a Drone in Your District 

1. Summer Football Two-A-Days

Football is the most popular sport in the United States.  People can't get enough of it.  Why not give your district followers a preview of your upcoming season by filming summer practice. It might be just enough to wet their whistle before Friday Night Lights in the fall.

2. Marching Band Practice

Just like football, everyone enjoys a good halftime show.  Show the public what hard work goes into fine arts by recording overhead visuals of your bands hard at work.  It's an awesome perspective from high above.

3. New Construction Builds 

Keep the public up-to-date with your bond projects by doing flyovers of construction sites.  Show everyone what great things are to come at their schools and facilities.  

4. Elementary School Field Days

What looks like mass chaos on the ground, might look a whole lot better from high above.  Parents and students will get a kick out of seeing their son or daughter do the tug of war or the three-legged race.  Kids always love seeing a drone fly too.  Could get some kiddos interested in physics.

5. First Day of School Videos

The first day of school is always exciting.  More families are on campus than pretty much any other time of the year.  Mom and dad are usually seen walking their kids through the front doors.  Why not get a great drone shot of all the families dropping off their kids.  Great shots... great stories.

First in Flight

Just like anything in communications and marketing, you have to take risks and test the results. I do know one thing, it is certainly a fun way to spend my School PR days.

Do you have any questions about our Maiden Voyage? Leave them in the comment section below. 

Links to Articles 

Drones Are Creating Social Video Buzz From Cali to Cannes: Content marketers are smitten with airborne robots

5 Industries Where a Drone would Make the Best Marketing Video 

Drones take real estate marketing to new heights

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Meet Tom Jackson - School PR Pro

Tom Jackson, APR
Tom Jackson Public Relations
 
1. How did you get you start in education and School PR? 

I have 23 years of experience leading public relations and communications in nonprofit settings with missions that were child-focused. School PR seemed like a natural progression, and an opportunity to blend my passion and experiences.

2. What is your favorite part of the job?

There are many enjoyable parts of the job, but my favorite is telling the story of student achievement or success. Quite often we get caught up in other tasks …talking about school boards, snow days, or head lice, but when we successfully tell the story of a student making progress, well, we have done our profession and the local education community a service.

3. What piece of advice can you give other School PR pros?

Work on your writing all the time … practice, practice, practice. Be curious about new technology. Learn from every project. And getting back to telling stories … look for the story taking place every day in your schools.

4. What are three things you think will change the landscape of School PR in the next five years?

More than anything, I believe technology will change the landscape of School PR. The principles will remain the same, but the tools we use to effectively communicate with our key audiences, will continue to evolve.

5. Where can people find out more about you? Twitter? Blog

 Follow me on Twitter at @tomjacksonpr or visit my website at tomjacksonpr.com

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

EMBRACING SOCIAL MEDIA FOR SCHOOLS [Guest Blogger: Kristin Magette]


www.kristinmagette.com
Looking back over the past few years in my school district, it's incredible to see how a few seemingly small conversations can yield big results. Back in 2012, the school district leaders in Eudora, Kan., decided that it was time to embrace social media as a broad tool in education. Not just a a communications tool, but also a teaching and learning tool. We had an established Facebook page, and a few teachers dabbling on their own time. (Because, of course our school district filters didn’t allow them on Facebook or Twitter. I had double-secret-probation-extra-special filter settings to manage our district page at work.)

The History of Policy

But three years ago, my superintendent realized that locking down social media was no longer the best option. No, the ostrich pose wasn’t going to serve our students well (at all). With the help of a nearby consultant with a hefty corporate social media pedigree and personal passion for local schools, we wrote policy and guidelines, we set up a few procedures to keep the internal lines of communication open, we provided training to our employees. And we reconfigured our network filters to allow adult users the privileges to access social media at work. Crazy, I know.

In the time since, I’ve shared our story with many different groups and contributed articles to trade magazines. I even wrote a book that was released last December, taking leaders step by step on the path of embracing social media across a school system.

What surprises me most, when I consider the road we've traveled in Eudora Schools and hear questions from colleagues around the country is, really, how simple our work has been.

Social media inspires enormous fear and loathing in the hearts and minds of people leading school districts, non-profits, public agencies and — especially — the boards that govern these groups.

What Scared Us

While a lot of things in social media have changed since 2012 -- increasing participation among older audiences, live streaming video apps and anonymous mean-spirited site flavor of the month -- what hasn't changed is what scares us. We read the stories and see the reports on television about people making really bad decisions on the social media stage. In education, we see teachers and administrators who lose their jobs, kids who jeopardize their future goals, and parents who go a little (and sometimes a lot) crazy.

Why We Have to Use Social Media

But the simple lesson that we’ve learned in Eudora — over and again — is that social media is no different than the other issues that we manage every day. We serve kids lunch every day because our food and nutrition services workers have been trained in safe kitchen skills and food safety. We transport kids on buses every day because our drivers follow specific vehicle, traffic and safety procedures. We facilitate town hall meetings, where people might hog a microphone to spread misinformation or angry opinions. But at the end of the day, our work is woven together with calm leadership and basic risk management. Social media programs included.

The Rewards of Social Media

I believe that social media offers a huge reward to districts of all shapes and sizes. We can engage with parents in a content-rich, real-time exchange. We can create legitimate relevance and rigor for our students as they learn. (Show me the student who won’t bring their “A” game if told his or her work will be on a public stage.) We can encourage our staff to seek professional development through the enormous opportunities on Twitter. And instead of policing the horizon for the next thing we have to lock out of our schools, we can be open to the next great opportunity to engage with our audiences.

The Eudora story I've been privileged to share means a lot of things to me. But I hope the most important take-away to you is this: Jump in (or wade in, or dip your toe in) and see for yourself — the water’s great!

Kristin is a wife, a mom, a friend. She’s also a communications professional in a small, rural public school district in Kansas.

You can follow Kristin on Twitter @kmagette

You can purchase her book here: Embracing Social Media

Friday, September 18, 2015

Meet Carla Pereira - School PR Pro

Carla Pereira, APR

Manager of Communications - Peel District School Board

 
1. How did you get you start in education and School PR?

While I was in university/college (I attended both at the same time), I had two free days in my schedule. Understanding that volunteering would help me secure future employment, I decided to volunteer two days a week in the Communications department at the Peel District School Board. I chose to volunteer in a school district because the work mattered to me, and it still does. Supporting student success in your own community? There could be no greater volunteer opportunity.

After I graduated, I went to work for a public relations agency in Toronto and worked with clients like Procter & Gamble and Hasbro. Although developing and delivery marketing communications plans for toys and shampoo was fun and great learning, I went back to my roots after four years.

I returned to the Peel District School Board as a School Communications Specialist in March 2003 and am now the Manager of Communications.

2. What is your favorite part of the job?

I love my job so choosing a "favourite part" is difficult. Up high on the list would be generating student engagement using social media. My personal PR philosophy is "Relationships are everything." At times, we can get caught up in serving other audiences--parents, community members, staff--and we forget that students are one of our key audiences. How they're feeling and what they say about their school experiences drive student attraction and retention strategies. More importantly, if we respect them as a key audience, they will feel valued and share in our district pride. This positively impacts student well-being and success.

3. What piece of advice can you give other School PR pros?

Don't forget the students. Meet them where they are...on social media. Seek their input. Implement their suggestions. Speak their language, bruh.

4. What are three things that will change the landscape of School PR in the next five years?


a) increased focus on storytelling to impact change
 
b) instagramming of PR - rise of visual communications to convey your story - images and SHORT videos
 
c) decentralization of PR role - with a smartphone and social media network, everyone in your district is an ambassador and journalist - School PR professionals need to be prepared for this and seek to provide guidance and model appropriate use of social media

5. Where can people find out more about you? Twitter? Blog?​

Best place is Twitter @Carla_Pereira2. Very quickly people will get that I love basketball, Cristiano Ronaldo, messages of hope and resilience, and that I am #PeelProud.

Saturday, September 12, 2015

The Awesome New Facebook Feature You Need Now [How To Video Included]

Have you noticed over the past couple of years you are not seeing all of your friend's posts on Facebook? That's because Facebook has created sophisticated algorithms that try to predict what you want to see in your news feed.

Marketing departments have really been impacted by these Facebook changes because it means not all of their fans are seeing valuable information posted on their page. School districts are in the same boat. Just because you parents have liked your fan page, does not mean they are going to see your posts.  Until now.

Facebook has rolled out a feature called "See First Feature" that allows Facebook users to tell their feed to always see a particulars page's (Hopefully your district's page) content first.


Here is a video from Social Media Examiner that explains how your fans can choose this feature for your page:


How to use Facebook's new "See First" feature
Facebook News Feed Changes: How to Get Your Page More Visibility from Your FansDiscover how to use Facebook's new "See First" feature for desktop and mobile users...
Posted by Social Media Examiner on Monday, July 13, 2015
 

Thursday, September 3, 2015

5 Must Listen to Podcasts So You Don't Lose Your School PR Job

In this day and age, you have to know the trends in the industry to be able to survive. School PR continues to adapt to new technology, new trends, and new marketing techniques.

Podcasts are a great resource to hear insight into marketing and public relations.


Here are 5 awesome podcasts that you need to be listening to:

1. Social Pros Podcast
Click Here for Show Link

Social Pros is one of the most popular marketing podcasts in the world, and was recently named the best podcast at the Content Marketing Awards. Listen for real insight on the real people doing real work in social media. You get the inside stories and behind-the-scenes secrets about how companies like Ford, Dell, IBM, ESPN and dozens more staff, operate and measure their social media programs.

2. Content Pros Podcast 
Click Here for Show Link

Welcome to the Content Pros podcast, where we unlock the strategies and secrets of the best content marketers in the world, and ask the questions you’ve always wanted asked. We talk to real people doing real work in content marketing, representing some of the world’s best brands. Learn their approach to strategy, operations, measurement, staffing and more.

3. Content Inc. with Joe Pulizzi  
Click Here for Show Link

This is one of my favorites. Joe Pulizzi is founder of Content Marketing Institute, the leading education and training organization for content marketing, which includes the largest in-person content marketing event in the world, Content Marketing World. Joe is the winner of the 2014 John Caldwell Lifetime Achievement Award from the Content Council. Joe’s third book, Epic Content Marketing: How to Tell a Different Story, Break through the Clutter, and Win More Customers by Marketing Less was named one of “Five Must Read Business Books of 2013” by Fortune magazine.

Each episode runs right around 10 minutes and will have one lesson or key takeaway that you can use in your business or life. Joe shares personal anecdotes from his life as well as lessons learned from others that have shaped his entrepreneurial style.

4. Marketing Smarts Podcast 
Click Here for Show Link

This weekly podcast features in-depth interviews with smart marketers from all walks of life. Hosted by MarketingProfs, this 30-minute, weekly podcast delivers actionable insights and real advice to help you market smarter.

5. Social Media Marketing Podcast with Michael Stelzner  
Click Here for Show Link

This is a must listen to podcast. Michael Stelzner is one of the leading experts in social media. In this show, you’ll discover success stories and expert interviews from leading social media marketing pros in a weekly 45-minute podcast. Discover how successful businesses employ social media, learn new strategies and tactics, and gain actionable tips to improve your social media marketing.

Do you have a favorite podcast? Leave a link in the comment section below.

*Descriptions pulled from podcast websites

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Read These Books Before You Make the Same Old District Newsletter


You need to stop thinking the old fashion way. Just because we are in education, doesn't mean we can't be remarkable in our marketing.  Read these books to expand your horizons beyond a district newsletter.

1. Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable

You're either a Purple Cow or you're not. You're either remarkable or invisible. Make your choice.

In Purple Cow, Seth Godin urges you to put a Purple Cow into everything you build, and everything you do, to create something truly noticeable. It's a manifesto for marketers who want to help create products that are worth marketing in the first place.

2. The Art of Social Media

By now it's clear that whether you're promoting a business, a product, or yourself, social media is near the top of what determines your success or failure. And there are countless pundits, authors, and consultants eager to advise you.

But there’s no one quite like Guy Kawasaki, the legendary former chief evangelist for Apple and one of the pioneers of business blogging, tweeting, Facebooking, Tumbling, and much, much more. Now Guy has teamed up with Peg Fitzpatrick, who he says is the best social-media person he’s ever met, to offer The Art of Social Media—the one essential guide you need to get the most bang for your time, effort, and money.

For beginners overwhelmed by too many choices as well as seasoned professionals eager to improve their game, The Art of Social Media is full of tactics that have been proven to work in the real world. Or as Guy puts it, “great stuff, no fluff.”

3. Youtility: Why Smart Marketing is About Help Not Hype

The difference between helping and selling is just two letters, but those two letters make all the difference.

Jay Baer's Youtility offers a new business approach that cuts through the clut­ter: marketing that is truly, inherently useful. If you sell something, you make a customer today, but if you genuinely help someone, you create a customer for life.

Drawing from real examples of companies who are practicing Youtility as well as his experience helping more than seven hundred brands improve their marketing strategy, Baer provides a groundbreaking plan for using information and helpfulness to transform the relationship between companies and customers.

See why Jay Baer's Youtility framework is now a standard part of the marketing framework in many of the world's leading companies, powers the marketing approach of thousands of small businesses, and is part of the curriculum of dozens of college and university business schools. 

When it comes to world-class employees, few organizations rival Disney. Famous for their friendliness, knowledge, passion, and superior customer service, Disney's employees have been fueling the iconic brand's wild success for more than 50 years.

How has Disney succeeded in maintaining such a powerful workforce for so many years? Why are so many corporations and executives drawn to study how Disney continues to exemplify service and leadership standards?

Disney U reveals the heart of the Disney culture and describes the company's values and operational philosophies that support the iconic brand. Doug Lipp lays out 13 timeless lessons Disney has used to drive profits and growth worldwide for more than half a century.

To this day, the Disney University continues to turn out some of the most engaged, loyal, and customer-centered employees the business world has ever seen. Using the lessons outlined in Disney U will set your organization on a path of sustained success.

5. The End of Marketing as We Know It

Marketing today doesn't work. Or so says the "Aya Cola," Sergio Zyman, former marketing czar of Coca-Cola and quite possibly the most famous marketing gadfly in the world. Brilliant, irascible, unconventional, Zyman is best known for reinventing the Coca-Cola Company's marketing approach by spearheading the global launches of Diet Coke, New Coke, Classic Coke, Fruitopia, and Sprite. Now, in this brisk and revolutionary book, Zyman shows why old approaches to marketing have lost their fizz--and how to get a jump on the strateies that will work in the twenty-first century.

6. The Power of Visual Storytelling

Attention is the new commodity. Visual Storytelling is the new currency.

Filled with full-color images and thought-provoking examples from leading companies, The Power of Visual Storytelling explains how to grow your business and strengthen your brand by leveraging photos, videos, infographics, presentations, and other rich media. The book delivers a powerful road map for getting started, while inspiring new levels of creativity within organizations of all types and sizes.

Do you have any other book suggestions? Leave them in the comment section below.

*  Book descriptions taken from Amazon.com