The last day of the school year is fast approaching and you can almost smell the Christmas turkey. Finally, a well-deserved holiday for everyone… but not on social media!
Just because the holiday break is around the corner, it doesn’t mean that your School’s social media and marketing efforts should be paused. The Christmas period can provide your School with the perfect opportunity to get creative with your social media channels.
Being creative with your Christmas campaigns can be a great way to express your School’s personality in a fun and engaging way. It’s also the perfect time to showcase the talents of your School and show gratitude to your students, staff, and the community.
Plus, creating ‘Christmas’ content is a brilliant way to grab the attention of prospective students, showing them that school life is not just about academic acumen. Everyone can appreciate a bit of fun.
Digithrive For Schools have put together four ways to maximise your School’s social media during the Christmas break:
1. Prepare and schedule
Use the weeks before the Christmas holidays to prepare and schedule your social media posts. First, create a holiday content calendar that matches your most important school dates. Key dates can include any deadlines, last day of term, Christmas day, New Year’s day and the week before the start of the new school year. With a content calendar, you can plan your School posts effectively, consistently, and stay in touch with your audience during the break. The advantage is that your School’s marketing team can also have a break because everything is already planned!
2. Repurpose the years’ top content
A popular strategy at the end of each year for many school marketing managers is to share some of their top posts from the year in a countdown format. You could post your top 12 best blog posts to run with the 12 days of Christmas. You could mix this up with the most-liked photos or the top school highlights from the year. Or use a Throwback Thursday or Flashback Friday hashtag. Digging into your archives and sharing your School history can encourage your wider community to share their memories, and can also provide you with a wealth of interesting content during the season. Another idea could be to perhaps try some lesson recaps, showcasing class projects or creative lessons by sharing highlights on your School’s Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter accounts.
3. Connect with parents
Use your School’s social media platforms to ask your audience what they might have planned over the Christmas break and encourage them to engage with your posts. Ask what they have planned with their children over the break or where they are heading on holiday. These simple questions and open conversation directed at parents will reinforce the strong community presence and encourage authentic engagement.
4. Create an unforgettable School Christmas marketing campaign
Tis the season to be jolly, festive, and of course socially savvy! Take inspiration from these following tips and help spread some joy:
Christmas Fair
- Your Christmas fair is one of the biggest and long-awaited events of the year so get sharing before, during and after this event. Take pictures and videos and interview some of the attendees and helpers. Show off your great stalls and the colour and festivities of the event. It goes without saying, the opportunities for social sharing are endless!
- You don’t need to spend lots of time and money promoting Christmas on your social media; sometimes, a visually appealing feed is all you need. Make sure your Instagram account is a-glow with festive vibes – conjuring up images of log fires, butterbeer and even the School dog dressed as Santa. You could even start as early as November to build the anticipation of perhaps a big Christmas party or video reveal.
Charitable Campaigns
- The festive period is also a great time to reflect on those who are less fortunate and try to make a difference through acts of charity. Whether it’s a food bank campaign or sending shoebox gifts to your local community or overseas, make sure you capture these moments amongst the students and staff and get sharing. Highlight ‘good deeds’ – the Christmas season is a great time for giving, so shine a light on students, teachers, and alumni making a difference.
A Christmas Message
- Creating a simple yet touching Christmas message is a great way to connect. Create a montage celebrating your school’s diversity, featuring messages from the students and school leaders. Capture any school plays and make sure to feature your school’s choir’s beautiful singing in your festively lit school hall.
Hopefully, we’ve given you plenty of inspiration to start scheduling your posts for the Christmas season. Getting your Christmas social media calendar scheduled through November and following these tips, can help to ensure your School’s social media is kept running smoothly while you enjoy the Christmas festivities.
And don’t forget to start focusing some of your efforts on the New Year. January is a great time to start thinking about new beginnings and how you can take advantage of this through things like your School’s open days.
If you would like more professional tips on marketing your School do get in touch with the Digithrive For School’s team who are always happy to help. Contact us here