A growing number of companies and institutions rely on social media. That is because social platforms are a great way to connect with people and share information about work activities and events. But social media is not popular among everyone.
According to latest statistics, schools which use social networks are very few. In addition, most schools even avoid social media out of fear that they may harm their reputation or that they may receive negative feedback. Angry parents voice their complaints easily on the schools’ Facebook and Twitter pages, and often get better results than going to the school to discuss with some one in private.
However, educational institutions can largely benefit from social media. It is true that social platforms and social communication have their risks, but that applies to most things in life. That is why now we will focus on the advantages of social media in the work of schools.
Fast and Easy Way to Inform
With social media schools can quickly share updates and all sorts of information. Posting a link or a photo takes only a few seconds and it reaches large audiences.
Connect with More People
More and more schools rely only on their websites to inform and connect with people. Schools often send also email newsletters. However, on the corporate or company websites many of the schools do not have a comment option or a forum. Therefore, they don’t receive feedback. But if they incorporate social media in their work they will reach more students, parents and even teachers. There are many social platforms out there and it is best for schools to use at least 2-3 of them.
Track Opinions
Many social websites have search tabs where you can enter the name of your brand and see what people are saying about it. Schools can also use this option. The more advanced of them are already doing it. There are even cases when teachers get fired after they regularly receive too many negative comments from parents on the social media platforms. In addition, there are special tools and applications which can help schools monitor the social discussions like Social Mention and Tweetdeck. In the long run, negative feedback should push schools to put more efforts for better performance, while from short perspective it may cause them to loose students and revenues as it happened with Repton school in Dubai in the past.
Improve School Reputation
Schools that have social media pages and maintain them well can become popular not only in the social world, but also outside of it. If you regularly post creative and thoughtful content you will get more “likes” or “followers”. Then when parents start to research possible schools for their kids and find well recognized ones on the social networks, they may decide to choose your school. In addition, by using social media you will show that you are a school open to the new and advanced world.
Yes, social media can be a risky undertaking. However, when you put it on a scale, the pros are more than the cons.
*By New Media Group – the most powerful independent content marketer and social media services provider in Dubai and the wider region. The firm publishes www.dubaichronicle.com, www.bride-wedding.info and it is preparing the launch of www.abudhabichronicle.com. For inquiries, please write to Info@newmediagroup.biz.
