Have you ever noticed the little blue / grey tick next to certain social media accounts (usually celebrities or brands)? They mean that these accounts have been verified; they are the authentic account of that person / entity. 

Most social media channels now have a verification process. For schools, some are easily obtainable and some are more difficult to get - each channel has their own prerequisites for verification.

Facebook and YouTube are two of the simplest, taking no more, generally, than 10 minutes to obtain each one. We highly recommend that every school verifies both Facebook and YouTube, as there are benefits in doing so.

Facebook

Social media in itself is a big, wide world. While there are many amazing things you can use social media for, particularly in your school's marketing, you can risk spending too much time on it.

We have listed six of our favourite tools - which we use daily - to help combat issues of time, to make your marketing and social media use more efficient and productive, and to give you a boost in the content you create.

Social Candy

Social Candy is quick and easy way for you to get your #SocialScore - basically a number representation of your influence and reach on Twitter. Simply type in your Twitter username and hit Candify! to receive your score out of 100.

Schools! Marketers! Senior Leadership Teams! The fear of social media in schools is driven out of ignorance, not knowledge. Social media is not a fad. Unlike cassette tapes or CRT televisions, we will be seeing a lot more of social media over the coming years.

It’s time to pull your #Head out of the ground and start to truly understand how to use it! More importantly it’s time to leverage these content channels effectively as part of your school’s marketing.

Humans are driven by the need to be happy, part of a community and the need to share good news. Social media is the conduit to achieving this. Don’t let someone else’s negative story impact your brand. Start telling your own #SchoolStories, and watch your community share, like and retweet your content around the world.

Facebook is a marketing giant. In fact, if Facebook was a country it would be the most populated country in the world!

This means using Facebook as part of your school's marketing is simply a good idea. With a population of 1.86 billion users (as of the end of 2016) it is likely the vast majority of your community, the parents currently at or interested in your school, are Facebook users.

We have listed 5 advanced tips to help you get the most out of the marketing behemoth. 

[1] Verify the Page

With digital storytelling still being a relatively new concept, you could be forgiven for being a little confused about what it is or how it could benefit your school and your pupils.

However, it has grown in significance as digital technologies have evolved at an incredible rate. Now, as social media impacts most facets of our lives, the ideals and desires of good digital storytelling are larger than ever. Hiring a Digital Storyteller (DS) is something to take under serious consideration.

What is Digital Storytelling?