Submitted to the newsletter for Oral Roberts University Educational Fellowship.
A few years b
ack, I needed to get in touch with an Oral Roberts University student for a newspaper interview I was setting up. I obtained the students phone number in the morning and left her a message. After patiently waiting until the afternoon, I left another message.The next day I thought I would send her a Facebook message as an alternate way to reach out. I was amazed at what happened. Within 15 minutes, I received a response back.
Social media has changed the core of how we communicate. Especially with younger generations, it seems letters and even phone calls have become as old school as the telegraph. Tweet, friend, follow, like and other terms have crept into our daily vocabulary. All organizations, including Christian schools, should ask themselves if they should have a presence in these spaces and, if so, to what extent.
What is Social Media?
Brian Solis, a thought leader in new media, describes social media on his blog as “Any tool or service that uses the internet to facilitate conversations.” Where traditional communication broadcasts a message, social media allows for constant two-way communication.
The most prominent examples of this are Facebook and Twitter. You have students (and a number of parents) that are on Facebook throughout the day sharing their thoughts and information. Other examples include Myspace, YouTube, Vimeo, LinkedIn, Foursquare, Wikipedia and blogs. This mix of social media vehicles will change over time, but the interaction will always remain.
Should Your School Dive In?
With all of these tools available, should your school have a presence in social media? The answer is in your customers and long term goals. Take a look at your students and their parents and determine how they like to get information. Depending on your school size, you could just ask around or send out a survey. See if your prospective students, parents or donors are engaged in social media. This could help you to grow your school enrollment and raise money for programs and buildings.
I think after a little searching you will discover the need to get engaged in this new media. Schools need to have a Facebook page for their organization at the least. There is a chance a motivated parent or student has already created this for you. If that is the case, you may contact them about transferring the account or helping post information.
The Power
Getting in the social media sphere can give you a powerful tool for your communications toolbox. These platforms provide a quick way to talk with your parents, students and employees. Many people have their Facebook and Twitter accounts tied to their phones. As soon as you hit send, they will get the information even if they are not at their computer.
Every school feels the squeeze on their budget in this economy. A huge benefit to your organization is most of the social media activities are free. It costs you nothing to set up an official page on Facebook or a Twitter account. YouTube is a fantastic way to post video for everyone to see free of charge. Embedding a blog into your home page allows you to update information without additional IT costs.
I think most schools will find this way of communicating incredibly effective. People seem to be much more responsive to messages sent out via social media. You will especially see the results when you ask people to share their thoughts or be a part of an event.
The Peril
The biggest hesitation that I hear from most organizations, especially Christian organizations, is the threat of negative comments. When you establish yourself on Facebook, Twitter, etc., you do open up your school to sometimes harsh, unfiltered comments. I understand how that could strike fear in the hearts of school administrators and teachers alike. I believe that if you approach it in the right way, you can turn any of these comments into a positive for your organization.
There are three ways you can deal with negative comments on social media. You can respond in a positive way and clear up any misinformation. Secondly, sometimes the best route to take is ignore it all together. Lastly, especially on Facebook, you have the ability to delete posts and ban users if necessary.
You should know that people are talking about your brand in social media now. Some comments are valid and some are not. Being engaged in the process allows you hear what is being said, recognize if it is a customer service opportunity, and possibly reshape those opinions of your school.
On a side note, I want to encourage all of you to talk to the young people in your school about the importance of their digital footprint. Everything that they post online—the good and the bad—will have a long shelf life. With the push of a button they can publish a picture or comment that could have unforeseen consequences. Encourage your students to use discretion and discernment on all social media platforms.
Another big hurdle in a school joining the social media bandwagon is simply a matter of not having the human resources. It is necessary to put someone on point at your organization to monitor Facebook and Twitter and be responsive. An office assistant or even a trusted volunteer that can check your social media accounts on a regular basis is all you need.
The benefits of building your brand on social media far outweigh the risks. I would encourage all schools to give it a try.
Put Your Toe In
If you have decided that you would like to test out the waters of social media for your school, I would encourage you to take two first steps. First, set up your own personal Facebook and/or Twitter account if you don’t already have one. Second, set up an official page for your school on Facebook.
How do you use social media at your school? What new applications could you think of to help your school?
