My Six Job Title Predictions for School PR [Updated May 2017]

The landscape of public education is changing. New job titles in the field of School Public Relations are popping up every day.  With changing technology and the increased competition from charter and private schools, I predict School PR to be very different in the next five years.

How will your district prepare for the changing landscape of School PR? 

In this article I will give my thoughts building your School PR team for the 21st Century.

Here are my six job title predictions for School PR in the year 2020:

1. Chief Marketing Officer

I tweeted this thought from Sergio Zyman, former CMO of Coca-Cola, that marketing is not an expense, but should be viewed as an investment.  That thought can be very hard for many people, including board trustees, but it is now a reality for school districts across the country. 

 "...marketing is not an expense, but should be viewed as an investment"

In the past five years my district has seen over 15 charters, Montessori or private schools built inside the boundaries of our district.  Coke and Pepsi had their “Cola Wars”, we are now in the middle of the “School Wars”.  And just like those corporations, you need marketing to stand out from the crowd.  Marketing is vital for public school districts to take part in. Get ahead of the curve now.

2. Data Scientist/Futurist

In God we trust; all others must bring data. That is a very powerful quote.  People want proof that something we are doing is going to make an impact.  We must use analytics and data to drive our decisions, and prove our campaigns are awesome.

We need to constantly look at the trends, and make our decisions based on those predictions and audience insights.  With increased focus on social media and digital marketing, the tools are out there to analyze data and make it work for your school district.  Most of us will need someone smarter than us to gather the data, analyze the data, and make predictions from the data.  Do you have your Data Scientist?

3. Content Manager

Content is king.  One of my first initiatives when I took my role in my district was to shift much of our focus to Content Marketing.  People don’t trust advertising like they use to.  They want content that will help them feel like confident parents making smart decisions about their children’s education. Providing them with that information or content is key to forming a trusting relationship.

"... a large school district will buy its local newspaper to produce and distribute content."

Don’t laugh, but it is my prediction that in the next five years we will see a large school district buy its local newspaper to produceand distribute content.  They will use the journalist and the newspaper’s traditional and digital distribution to provide the community and parents valuable information in a timely manner.

4. Digital Designer

Visual storytelling is a must this day and age.  You cannot post a story, highlight an event, or create a social media post without a picture.  All districts will need an expert to createvisually appealing, digital content that will resonate with their audience, as well as fit the criteria for all things social and digital media.

There is still a small place for traditional, hard copy advertisements and promotions, but digital will be king in the next five years. You need an expert in the field. You need a digital designer.

5. Mobile Webmaster

If your website is not already mobile responsive then you are in trouble.  More and more people are using their smartphone to find information and browse the web.  In next five years the percentage of people ditching their desktop is going to explode.  You need an expert that can make all of your online content and websites jive with smartphone technology.

It is even my prediction that in five years apps will be a thing of the past.  Essentially, your website will be your app.  If done right, a website will flow just like any app in the marketplace.  Find your mobile expert now before they are snatched up by Corporate America.

6. Community and Media Relations Coordinator

And yes, there will still be a need for all you APR’s out there.  Dealing with the media will never go away.  Stuff is going to happen.  However, it will not be the same media we work with today.  It will be fractured, and it will be very niche. 

You will also need someone who can work with the community and business partners.  With more and more school budgets being cut across the nation, we will need community support and corporate sponsorships more than ever.

**BONUS - 7. Video Producer

 

Video is king! If your district is not doing video, you better get on it. Engagement levels for video are through the roof. Most of the social media platforms are now embracing video and making it their top priority. This person should know video rules and techniques, but also needs to be well versed in Live Video.


Telling a story is key. You don't have to fancy equipment to get the job done. Tell an emotional story, and your audience will watch. Hire a storyteller first, and then a video expert.

What are you thoughts on the future of School Public Relations?  Leave me your thoughts in the comment section below.

Your Quick Summer School PR Guide to Beating the Competition

The main thing I remember from all of marketing classes in college are that you have to market during the good times, and you have to market during the slow times. For us as communicators in education, it is crucial that we conduct our business during the school year, but it is especially important to concentrate our efforts during the summer months as well.

Why is this the best approach? Because most of us don’t do it. By putting in the extra effort during the summer, you can beat your competition that is sleeping in and not working on Fridays.

In this article you’ll get a quick guide to rock your marketing during the summer off-season.

Here are six quick tips to out-market the competition:

1. Interview 10 Parents at 30 Seconds Each

Your parent ambassadors our critical to win over other families. What better way to broadcast the positive message about your district to the masses then by recording quick videos?

Videos are playing a big role in visual storytelling. Not only are they getting big views on traditional video platforms such as YouTube and Vimeo, but they are also doing really well on Facebook. Native video has taken Facebook by storm. Posted videos are in the top categories for user engagement and do really well in their Edgerank algorithm.

The key is to get honest, positive experiences from your parents.  In this day of cell phone videos, your recordings don’t have to be anything fancy. Just have them tell their story. Film 10 Stories that you can post for each of the ten weeks of summer vacation.

2. Fifty Dollars to Target 15,000 Eyeballs

There is no better way to target a specific audience than doing social media advertising.  Facebook seems to be the best when it comes to targeting specific cities or addresses. We have used this many times to narrow our reach. We have found that most traditional advertising can’t be as specific as Facebook and Twitter.

By boosting existing posts, or creating a specific Facebook ad, all you need to do is spend $5 a week to reach an estimated 1,500 people. Numbers will vary depending on the addresses and demographics you choose, but tell me a better plan to target specific groups with specific messages and I will make the switch. It’s a cheap way to reach who you want to reach.

Make it a goal to boost or buy a $5 ad each week during the summer. By targeting these groups when most districts are on vacation, you will get great traction for converting some parents to your school district from theirs.

3. Build a Landing Page for a Specific Program You Want to Promote

Programs can be the life-blood to differentiating your district from the competition. We all have special programs that make our schools stand out. By having a webpage for specific programs, you can create a central location to brag to potential parents.

In my district we created a stand-alone website for our STEM programs and classes called CFBSTEM.com. The landing page offers a brief introduction to STEM and STEM in our district, and then we offer links to our specific STEM programs.

The key addition we added to our website is the link for the parents to request additional information about our programs. In the form we have them fill out their name, child’s age, current school and what program they have an interest in.  By having this form, we can create a database of interested parents. We can then use that database to send them specific ads or content we have created about our programs.

4. Content Marketing Outside Your District

We are focusing on content marketing quite heavily in my district.  Our thinking is that if we help our parents, they will look at us as the experts in education. During the summer months, it is a good idea to have a broad range of topics. Give your parents some things to think about when they are home with their kids.

Our most popular blog post this summer is our write-up of how to have a “staycation” in Dallas for under $50. Our parents loved it. It drove traffic to our blog and our website.  In 24 hours we had over 15,000 impressions and 30 new people liked our Facebook page. We got great numbers from a simple, fun article.

It worked because our parents are thinking about more than education during the summer.  They had a need to fill, and we helped them fill it. Ten weeks is a long time to entertain kids.  Hopefully we provided our parents with a week of inexpensive activities to do with their kids.

5. Send a Phone Call Home with a Checklist

Four weeks before school starts, send a phone call home reminding your parents or important dates and information they need to start the school. Be excited when you record the message. Get your families pumped up about coming back to school.

Some things you might want to include in the message are forms they will need to start the school year, dates and times of major district events, and a list of new procedures that are in place for the new school year.

6. Study Your Insights and Analytics

Always be checking your analytics. You need to determine what is working and what is not working. Study them closely. Look for the trends that will help you develop a strategy for the upcoming school year.

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

Why 2:30 PM Was the Perfect Time to Blog

CFB Parents are Happy

In this busy world of high-tech gadgetry, there is little time to have a conversation for more than the obligatory head nod. That is why it is vital to engage your audience when they can fit you into their busy schedule. So when CFBISD wants to send out an article that we think our elementary parents will love like this blog post on STAAR Test Taking Tips, we get very strategic with our times.

That is why CFBISD has utilized the times of 7:15 AM and 2:30 PM to connect with our elementary school parents.  Why those times?  One simple word... CARPOOL.

Here is an article from this blog that goes into more detail:

Riding the Carpool Whale - A Very Useful Tip on Timing Social Media

Let us know how you use social media scheduling in your district. Jot a note in the comment section below.