Advice on whether company executives should have their own social media presence seems to waver. But after the last two years of polarization on COVID-19 topics and contentious board races, it’s more important than ever for school superintendents to establish and foster their brand in this space.
One primary benefit to hopping onto social is that it can help your various audiences feel more connected to you. This makes them more empathetic and likely to support your and the district’s efforts.
As with most things in life, there is an art to doing social media well. So before you dive into setting up your account(s), here are some things to consider:
- What’s your purpose? Is your goal to be seen as a thought leader in the education sector? Is it to share good news about your district? Is it to garner more community partners? Determining your purpose will dictate the type of content you create.
- What do you want your brand to be? Do you want to be viewed as funny or serious? Will you use casual language and even insert an emoji from time to time or keep it formal? Your brand should align with your purpose (see above).
- How will social fit into your schedule? There is nothing worse than developing a brand then abandoning it. It’s important to set realistic expectations for yourself. How much content do you have time to generate? Pro tip: Keep a running list of ideas. If you ever have writer’s block, follow other superintendents; there’s no need to reinvent the wheel. Posting one solid piece of content per week is better than posting multiple pieces of content that lack the components that result in high engagement (likes and shares). What kinds of posts get people to engage? Short and sweet is the name of the game. Also, videos are quickly becoming the content of choice with photos coming in at a close second. Research shows that pictures boost retweets by 35% and increase engagement on Facebook by 37%. It’s also important that you be timely. If your purpose is to be a thought leader and a new piece of legislation affecting public schools is introduced, share your thoughts sooner rather than later.
- How will you evaluate and improve your brand? Most social platforms provide free analytics. At a minimum, you should track your follower growth and total engagements. Watch for trends. Does your engagement go up when you post more frequently? What type of content are people engaging with the most? Adjust accordingly.
If you’re still feeling unequipped to “handle” your social media (see what we did there), however, one of our specialties is social media planning, training and management. And here are a few examples to help you get started in the meantime.
https://twitter.com/ofcssuper/status/1488630409382580228?s=21
https://twitter.com/TBowers3/status/1492231232490463244
