TIPS FOR USINGSOCIAL MEDIA

EFFECTIVELY IN COLLEGE COUNSELING

Meeting Students/Families Where They Are:

Meredith Britt, New Community Jewish High SchoolNicole Thompson, Sage Hill SchoolAviva Walls, Shalhevet High School

AGENDA

Why even try?Available PlatformsTypes of ContentShow, Don’t Just TellBuilding “Likes”Best PracticesInspiration

WHY EVEN TRY?

It’s where they are, why not use it?A way to share more engaging material

(articles, pictures, videos) without overloading email

Feeding the hungry sharksAnother way to advertise the great work we

do with the larger school community

Platforms

Photo heavy School Based/LMS

Blogging Platforms

Original Material Outside Resources

College of the WeekLingo - definitionsTriviaAnnouncementsRemindersGood Luck messages

ArticlesShared content Scholarship LinksGap Year programsLinks to outside

programs/fairs

Types of Content

College Visits and Social Media

Before the visit Post a few sentences about each college along with time and location Advertise with the school’s logo Could also use a relevant article/picture to draw interest

RSVPs There are pros and cons to having students RSVP to a visit using

social media Might get more/younger kids interested, but harder to then push to

NavianceDuring the visit

Take pictures of the rep engaged with students to post laterAfter

Gives the school community a better sense of the wide variety of schools visiting

Show, Don’t Just Tell

By far the most popular content See a surge in engagement with sites when post pictures Increase in followers when post pictures of a college tour or event

Pick Great Profile and Cover PicturesPost Pictures whenever you’re away visiting a collegeWhen in doubt, link a picture

Articles – use a thumbnail Find pictures for colleges using google images or use a screen

shotYou can also post inspirational memes and funny videos Be careful about posting photos of your kids

check if your school has photo waivers on file

Building a Following

Likes beget likes When close to a “milestone number” advertise it

Spread the word however you can Class meetings/Advisory Parent programs Email signature

Make it easy Put the direct link in an email QR codes on your handouts that link to your page

Use the resources of your school Links/shares from the school’s account (if available) Weekly roundup email Advertise to incoming students??

Incentives A raffle or coupon to school store Give away college swag

Best Practices – Consistency is Key

Posting regularly builds credibility and “likes”Pre-Schedule Posts when Possible

Take advantage of slower times in your office to post ahead of time

Use the clock icon or ads.twitter.com Stay on track even when you’re away from the

office Use the Pages app on an iphone/ipad to do mobile uploads

and even schedule posts while you’re on the roadStay Organized

Keep a spreadsheet of what and when you’re posting This way you won’t post the same thing twice and you’ll know

you’re covering every topic, event and reminder

Best Practices – Cont

Only Post Monday – FridayUse your data!

You can figure out the days/times that are most popular for your families

If a post is for a specific audience, announce that ex: JUNIORS, SENIORS, PARENTS, etc

Create a fictional person for your facebook account Jenna Jaguar at NCJHS Will make it easier to pass along to another staff member

Avoid posting private and proprietary informationHave a Succession Plan and Emergency Plan in PlaceTake advantage of outside resources

“like” or follow as many relevant pages as you can

Inspiration

Professional Organizations

Colleges

High Schools

Contact Information

Meredith Britt – mbritt@faculty.ncjhs.org

Nicole Thompson –

thompsonn@sagehillschool.org

Aviva Walls – a.walls@shalhevet.org