We have created the #StoryScore to focus on what is meaningful on social media. It is our social media reporting tool developed by our wonderful Interactive Schools data team. They have pulled every platform apart, combined with our social media expertise and strategy to create an algorithm to accurately measure your social media presence. Your #StoryScore reflects how well your school is performing on social media in terms of the quality and breadth of your stories and even whether you are living into your School values.

It is a numerical value between 0 and 100 based on our proprietary weighted algorithm.

At any school, headteachers take on the role of ‘Ship Captain’ ensuring that morale is high, teachers are pulling together in the same direction, and that their cargo is the most valuable plunder on the high seas! So why is it so important that they themselves have a strong social media presence? We’re so glad you asked!

It’s important to remember that the Head should be running their own accounts and telling their own stories, in order to share authenticity and a familiar tone of voice. As part of an effective #ContentStrategy, Heads should be using multiple channels to reach their intended audiences. As per our previous blog, Heads may also consider using a scheduling software to share their stories to multiple networks at once, while remembering to tailor the language to the requirements of those audiences:

Here at Interactive Schools, we understand that when working in school marketing, you often find yourself snowed-under and it can become difficult to prioritise your tasks. If you find yourself in this predicament, why not consider using social media scheduling tools?

What is social scheduling and why use it?

YouTube and Vimeo are both video sharing platforms. Both facilitate a smooth viewing experience, and both have options for free or paid-for accounts.

So what’s the difference? Should schools use one, the other, or both? We’re here to share our recommendations of how to use both platforms in your #ContentStrategy.

Overview

Since 2016, Instagram has allowed users to post stories, which are publicly available for 24-hours at the top of their profile. This has become a popular feature, with 500 million active users every day. Wish there wasn’t a time limit on how long this content shows on your profile? Then allow us to introduce you to Instagram Highlights!

Stories have an extensive history. They’ve been part of human culture ever since the beginning of time. From oral traditions to cave paintings, humankind has always been drawn to a good story - it’s how we learn, how we connect with others, and how we leave behind a lasting legacy. The same idea applies to telling the story of your school.

In today's digital age, storytelling has evolved to encompass a variety of formats and channels, with social media being one of the most effective platforms for educational institutions to showcase their rich history, accomplishments, and the vibrant communities they nurture. Every school has a unique story worth shouting about, and at Interactive Schools it is our purpose to inspire you to tell yours.

Twitter has undergone significant changes since Elon Musk bought the platform for a staggering $44 billion. The little blue bird is no longer, verification is the order of the day, and sadly, Twitter is no longer: so we’re reintroducing X!

Meta has also undergone its fair share of changes, with the introduction of collaborative posts on Instagram and of course, the launch of their direct competitor to X, Threads. Read on for Interactive Schools’ breakdown of these platforms, and our recommendations on how schools can use them.

Most people will have come across a Google review in their lives. They’re written by people to share their experiences with a business and can be used to build credibility. Schools are no exception to this, with reviews often coming up in a prominent location on a search engine results page (SERP) as soon as a school name is searched.

In the last few weeks, Interactive Schools has received an email from Google letting us know that they will be deactivating Universal Analytics (UA) on July 1st 2023 in favour of the newer Google Analytics 4 (GA4).

We’re here to support you every step of the way with transitioning your website to this new version of Google Analytics and answer any questions you may have.

What is Google Analytics 4 (GA4)?

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) has several advantages over the previous Universal Analytics. Google has told us that GA4 is:

• Privacy-focused

• Durable for the future

• Intelligent, using machine learning to discover insights about how customers are using your website across platforms and devices

• Able to seamlessly integrate with Google’s advertising platforms to optimise campaign performance

Which Google Analytics version is installed on my website?

Your website currently uses Universal Analytics. This will stop processing data on July 1st 2023.

What does this mean for me?

With Universal Analytics being deactivated next year, you’ll want to switch over to GA4 as soon as possible. This is because GA4 tracking on your website starts from the day it is installed, and not retroactively.

We would also recommend saving downloads of your data from Universal Analytics so you can retain a copy of it. These will remain accessible.

How do I change over to GA4 on my website?

First of all make sure you are able to access both Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager. From here:

Step 1: Google Analytics

1. Login to Google Analytics at analytics.google.com

2. Navigate to the admin area