Earlier, we talked about why schools shouldn’t use Facebook to communicate with parents. Today, we’re focusing on the benefits for schools that come with using Facebook and Twitter to communicate with parents.
- Since so many parents already use Facebook and Twitter- for keeping up with old friends, staying informed about the latest news, or stalking their favorite celebrities-schools already have a digital audience that they can rely on. Most parents are already familiar with the website, and check their pages often. Facebook makes it easy for schools to stay in touch with parents, and vice versa.
- It’s tempting to ignore the costs that schools incur through paper communications such as flyers, but they still matter, especially to struggling small and mid-sized schools. Replacing paper communication with free social media websites would allow schools to save money, which they could use towards other purposes.
- Facebook updates are quick to send out and easy to post; they allow administrators to post updates in many different formats (videos, pictures, links) and make it easy for parents to respond. They can be engaging in a way that papers cannot, and they help administrators save valuable time.
- Facebook pages can create a “digital community” around your school by providing a positive space for parents and administrators to interact with one another. Parents can post questions directly to a school’s page and take advantage of the social nature of the website by collaborating and getting in touch with other parents.
Given our posts about both the pros and cons of using Facebook (and other social media sites) for parent-school communication, what do you think? Can social media truly replace paper communication? Could a real school rely on a “digital community”?
-shubha@schoolcues