School Communications Scoop
129 episodes - English - Latest episode: 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 2 ratingsYour 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.
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Episodes
Using Online Calendars to Promote Your School
March 02, 2022 02:00 - 12 minutes - 8.51 MBWe 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! 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 to write an effective photo caption
February 24, 2022 04:00 - 13 minutes - 9.35 MBIt 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. 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 to write website headlines your readers will love
February 09, 2022 21:00 - 12 minutes - 8.74 MBYour 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. 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!
Why you may not need an app for your school website!
December 31, 2021 00:00 - 10 minutes - 7.4 MBYes, 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. For more information or...
Give Your School the Gift of Reviews
December 04, 2021 22:00 - 7 minutes - 5.47 MBI 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 y...
3 Steps to Expert School Website Management
October 21, 2021 23:00 - 13 minutes - 9.63 MBYour 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. 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 Logos and Mascots Done Right!
October 20, 2021 22:00 - 9 minutes - 6.54 MBBranding 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 dis...
Creating School Brand Guidelines: what school leaders should know about branding
October 20, 2021 22:00 - 9 minutes - 6.63 MBCompetition 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. For more ...
Using Google Analytics to Improve Your School Website
October 14, 2021 01:00 - 9 minutes - 6.71 MBYour 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 more information or help with ...
School customer service matters...especially those initial interactions
August 12, 2021 04:00 - 7 minutes - 5.42 MBOkay, 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. For more information or help with your school web...
School Social Media: a beacon of hope when done well
August 12, 2021 04:00 - 6 minutes - 4.45 MBFor 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 you...
5 Steps to Craft the Perfect Social Media Post
August 12, 2021 02:00 - 5 minutes - 3.63 MBManaging 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. 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 Website Management Done Right
August 03, 2021 23:00 - 11 minutes - 8.2 MBMany 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 dr...
School Website Redesigns Done Right
August 03, 2021 19:00 - 12 minutes - 8.58 MBEvery 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 ti...
Pick Me! Pick Me! (How Google My Business can benefit your school)
June 04, 2021 00:00 - 10 minutes - 7.39 MBUnless 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! For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters...
Marketing Your School with Strategic Communications
May 20, 2021 22:00 - 9 minutes - 6.54 MBOkay, 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). For more information or help with your school website, contact Sch...
Internal Marketing: Critical School Communications Strategies
May 19, 2021 20:00 - 9 minutes - 6.31 MBOften 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. 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!
Are Parents Using Your School's Website?
April 29, 2021 04:00 - 8 minutes - 6.07 MBAre 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. 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 Website Management: It May Be Time to Get Some Help!
April 29, 2021 03:00 - 12 minutes - 8.56 MBMost 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? C...
It might be time to update your school's website if...
March 31, 2021 20:00 - 14 minutes - 9.87 MBYou 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? For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at ...
School Websites: Leader, Lemming, or Loser?
March 02, 2021 03:00 - 11 minutes - 8.06 MBThere 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! For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or vis...
Using Surveys to Improve School Communications
February 26, 2021 06:00 - 13 minutes - 9.24 MBWe 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! 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!
Collecting Testimonials—a School Marketing Success Story
February 25, 2021 04:00 - 7 minutes - 5.13 MBIn 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. For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at...
10 Brain Training Tips—rewiring for an attitude of gratitude
February 22, 2021 20:00 - 8 minutes - 5.98 MBIt’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. 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!
4 School Communication Goals or 2021
February 17, 2021 01:00 - 11 minutes - 7.67 MBWith 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.
4 School Communication Goals for 2021
February 17, 2021 01:00 - 11 minutes - 7.67 MBWith 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. 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!
Communications! It's All About Customer Service
February 05, 2021 04:00 - 9 minutes - 6.4 MBCommunication 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! 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!
Enhancing Online Learning by Elevating Virtual Connections
January 23, 2021 01:00 - 13 minutes - 9.45 MBLike 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 instr...
Home Page Makeover—The Power of An Effective School Website
November 10, 2020 18:00 - 11 minutes - 8.23 MBYour 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. For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888.750.4556 or visit www.SchoolWebmasters.com and request ...
Does Your School Website Need an FAQ Page?
November 10, 2020 18:00 - 10 minutes - 6.98 MBDoes 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. 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!
5 Tips to Upgrade Your School's Image
October 30, 2020 03:00 - 16 minutes - 11.4 MBWith 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 confid...
Raising a Healthy, Happy Social Media Page
October 13, 2020 16:00 - 8 minutes - 5.79 MBIt 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....
Keeping It Positive: How you say it matters, especially in your website content.
October 07, 2020 22:00 - 11 minutes - 8.08 MBYour school website content matters, especially how you say it. Get some tips for keeping it positive! 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 to Minimize Stress (for your website readers)
October 05, 2020 22:00 - 8 minutes - 6.01 MBMeditation, 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. 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 Social Media Managers: A Calm Voice amidst the Storm
September 30, 2020 22:00 - 12 minutes - 8.84 MBHow to use your school social media posts to help your community cope when tragedy strikes! 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 Public Relations is All About Influencing Perceptions
September 29, 2020 19:00 - 12 minutes - 8.96 MBIt 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. 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!
Practical Public Relations Advice for Reopening Your School Amid COVID-19
August 09, 2020 22:00 - 8 minutes - 5.9 MBThe 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. 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!
Providing Outstanding Virtual Customer Service During a Crisis
May 07, 2020 04:00 - 7 minutes - 5.47 MBK–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. For more information or help with your school website, contact School Webmasters at 888....
Distance Learning Accessibility During the Coronavirus Pandemic
April 17, 2020 23:00 - 10 minutes - 7.6 MBWhile 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 studen...
Video Conferencing: Connecting Remotely
April 17, 2020 20:00 - 8 minutes - 6.11 MBWhile 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 studen...
Sustaining Your Message Through the Pandemic
April 02, 2020 06:00 - 9 minutes - 6.47 MBYou’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. 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 blog topics to engage and convert
March 31, 2020 01:00 - 8 minutes - 5.92 MBA 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. 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!
Using COVID-19 Downtime to Ramp Up Your School Communications Strategies
March 27, 2020 21:00 - 9 minutes - 6.33 MBNow’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! For more information...
School Blogging and the Art of Storytelling
March 20, 2020 04:00 - 11 minutes - 8 MBIf 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! 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!
Effective School Communications During a Crisis
March 20, 2020 02:00 - 7 minutes - 5.26 MBCrisis 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. For more information or help with your school website, contact S...
Share Your Photos! But keep your website accessible.
February 12, 2020 00:00 - 10 minutes - 7.1 MBThe 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. 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!
20 Tips to Create Amazing Customer Service at Your School
February 11, 2020 20:00 - 16 minutes - 11.1 MBNo 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! 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!
Optimizing Your Parent Notification System
February 04, 2020 23:00 - 10 minutes - 7.38 MBEmergency 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. 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!
Is Your School Website Hard to Keep Current?
January 23, 2020 00:00 - 10 minutes - 7.52 MBStruggling 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. 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!
Digital Marketing for Schools in the 2020s
January 21, 2020 15:00 - 13 minutes - 9.39 MBDigital 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. 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!