Building a presence on LinkedIn is something that should be considered by a school as part of their broader social media strategy.
LinkedIn is a social media platform that is generally used for professional purposes and employers can use LinkedIn to post jobs, recruit staff, and form professional connections.
All the school’s faculty, especially key members, and those within leadership positions, should be encouraged to LinkedIn. Being active on this platform and posting regular engaging content can show how deeply you care about the teaching profession, the reputation of your school, and its position in the market.
Effective use of LinkedIn will position members of a school’s faculty as ‘thought leaders’ within the education industry. Connecting with other leaders and experts within the field can help you stay updated on education industry news.
Principals can use it to form relationships with other leaders and influencers within the education field, growing their professional network, and opening the door to many opportunities for their school. They can use this platform like a personal blog, documenting daily or weekly thoughts and generating discussion among like-minded professionals.
Blogs could delve into topics about the process of becoming a leader within your school, why fostering the next generation is important and the challenges it brings, the latest pedagogical practices, the future of education, and the general happenings of their school. Meetings and brainstorming sessions can be filmed, and if appropriate, shared online.
LinkedIn allows for the ability to create company profiles for schools, which can be a tremendous resource for encouraging former students to reconnect, strengthening the school’s brand. Research could be conducted about how to best serve alumni, such as hosting school reunions.
Engaging with former students and asking about their favourite memories or most valuable lessons can also assist in future marketing pursuits for the school. A high profile graduate of the school can be a great marketing resource; they are valuable brand advocates. It could lead to opportunities for former students to deliver speeches at the school about their success in the world of business, sports, arts, etc.
It can be a great way to connect and engage with local businesses nearby. The increased engagement with local business owners could lead to student career development or work experience opportunities. It could also lead to potential sponsorships and donations.
Of course, LinkedIn can also be used to post job offers and other opportunities at the school. The platform also allows for great talent identification and recruitment resources.
There are currently tremendous opportunities on LinkedIn with the platform experiencing a period of growth and offering great engagement for users. LinkedIn can also help with a school’s search engine optimisation as it generally features highly in search rankings.
Building a brand online is vital in today’s world, as more and more importance is placed on a school’s and individual’s digital presence.