Figuring out how to create Instagram strategies for schools – that ACTUALLY work can get overwhelming. So what are 5 simple ways to use Instagram for schools that increase student retention rates, ramp up school pride, and boost your enrollment numbers? Read our favorite heavy-hitting tips to below!
Study after study shows prospective families trust like-minded people’s honest opinions. So why not make it easy for your current parents, faculty, and staff to become a powerful arm of your growth strategy?
When you have a school community with glowing school pride, they willingly sing your praises to their friends and family, having the potential to dramatically increase enrollment numbers.
So how do you get your school community sharing your school mission with others both online and off? Give them something to talk about AND make it easy for them to share!
Creating stellar Instagram posts allows parents to share your school messaging with a click of a button. What was once a one-to-one conversation has become a one-to-thousands conversation.
So how do you do this effectively?
Ask your school community to share upcoming events in your Instagram captions. Do this sparingly and strategically. When we asked parents to share one of our posts, we saw a 13X increase in our reach!
When your parents create posts and stories about your school, direct message them your appreciation, and when appropriate and helpful to your school’s image, ask if you can reshare their work with your school community! Other parents will see that you are watching and listening to THEM, which encourages your parents to do the same and start getting the word out!
Get in the habit of tagging each person responsible for creating a special event or post for your school. This loops them into the conversation and shines a light on their excellent work, increasing pride and helps them feel appreciated for going the extra mile!
Create thoughtful content on social media that shares the incredible things happening at your school. Do not only share the who, what, when, and how but the WHY! We have found that sharing the thoughtful background to the lesson or event and pedagogy that is singular to your school profoundly impacts school satisfaction rates.
Respond to every single comment and direct message quickly with a friendly, appreciative, and welcoming tone. This lets parents and prospective parents know that you are present – encouraging them to keep engaging!
This will also allow you to catch enrollment opportunities. When you make it a point to respond swiftly and thoughtfully, you help them take the next steps on the enrollment journey.
When you source quotes that support your school mission AND deeply resonate with your school community, you get a win, win, win.
Win #1 When your community resonates with your messaging, they get further confirmation that they have chosen the right school for their child, resulting in higher retention rates.
Win #2 When your school community feels inspired by your school messaging, school pride increases, making them more likely that your community will share your messaging.
Win #3 Our most shared posts have been quote posts. This lead to more followers, which equals more prospective parents!
Instagram for schools can feel a bit icky and overwhelming when your greatest priority is serving your students. Our Instagram strategies for schools focuses on building relationships – skill educators get an A+ in!
Founder of K12 Social Media.
Arias and Shauna skillfully captures the essence and spirit of our school and connects deeply with our parent community, teachers, and students. They have attracted new families to learn more about our school, resulting in a DRAMATIC increase in our enrollment numbers. I could not be happier with their work for us!
Executive Director, Journey School
Helping schools shine, one stellar social media post at a time! Some of the most inspiring stories come from within the four walls of your classrooms.
Our mission is to help schools safely, efficiently, and confidently share their stories on social media, attract prospective families, and boost school spirit.
