Communication is easy...right?

Maybe you are asking yourself why a school needs to have a plan to communicate.  Communication is simple, right? 

First, don't take anything for granted.  When we talk about public education, we are also talking the the broadest sense about the community and it's future.  We are facing many challenges including state funding, college-readiness, new models of testing, and fundamental changes within education.  Voices from all sides are asking questions and expecting answers from us. 

Now more than ever we need to create understanding about what role public education plays in our community - in the success of our students - and how we are stewards to the promise of doubling the number of students getting to and through college or secondary education.  We face many challenges, and each of us needs to have a clear understanding of the roles we play. 

Start by asking questions.

When starting to create a communications plan, we first need to look backward instead of forward. 

What is the foundation on which your plan will be built?  Do you already have strategies in place you are using at the campus level to communicate?  Are they effective?  Do you who your target audiences are and the messages you need to provide to them?  Do you know what role your school plays in moving the needle of T-2-4?  Do you know what role you play in achieving that goal?

Getting Started

Step 1 - Assess Current Methods
List all the tools you are currently using to communicate with your parents and staff.
For example: Website, newsletter, social media, weekly principal blog

Step 2 - Effective or No?
Do you know if your methods of outreach are effective? How do you know your message is reaching the audience you want to target?  Do you cross market your media?   Do you track open rates or site visit? 

Step 3 - Ask
A great way to find out if your message is getting out is to create a working group.

Communications Tip: EDITORIAL CALENDAR - You need one!

The best advice as you head into the new year is to create a calendar of upcoming events, news and important information you need to share. This is critical in keeping track of all that important stuff you want to get the word out about!

Create an editorial calendar that outlines both the types of posts that you would like to see on your website, blog or social media channels (video, text, photo), and the post topics.

Make sure you've got at least two months of content covered at any given time, and that there is clear delineation of responsibilities, including someone who is actively maintaining the calendar. And don't be surprised when the topic pipeline changes, because it inevitably does. 

Don't forget to share!!! Make sure to loop in with departments and district office (like the SBISD Communications Department) to ensure you're hard work is being covered, shared and enjoyed.

Turning Readers into Viewers

Some of us may have the luxury of a video-savvy person on staff — but many do not yet. Not having a dedicated video pro doesn't mean you can't post videos, which are a great way to engage an audience. Videos tells a story in a way that text often cannot match.

Steve Garfield, author of Get Seen: Online Video Secrets and the first-ever video blogger, explains that video is easier than ever to capture. Any smartphone will do as a start. For example, capture a video on an iPhone, pull it into the iMovie app to trim the clips and layer in photos and sound, upload it to YouTube directly from the app and embed it in a blog post. Keep it short and sweet — 30 to 60 seconds at most. Garfield also recommends the Kodak Playfull, a simple camera with built-in editing and sharing features.

The best advice here is to be ready to experiment.  Content can be casual, and captured video can be real, authentic and less-than-perfect. Organizations are made of people, after all, and all of these same characteristics apply. Pick your device and take it with you and encourage your campus community members to capture video and share!

Something to think about...

Social Media 101

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January - February 2014 Web Analytics Report

Site Analytics for Jan. - Feb. 2014

As always, this report includes the top 100 pages for the district and campus sites combined.  Click here to download the web analytics report for www.springbranchisd.com. 

Web Stats for Jan. 2013 - Jan. 2014

Since the launch of the latest version of the SBISD website, we've been tracking web traffic.

With the site officially celebrating a year in service, now is a great time to look at an overview of web traffic.  Click here to download the web analytics for www.springbranchisd.com for 2013-14.  We will be watching traffic patterns in the coming year to see if they mirror the flow of this data.  We will also be working on ways to optimize our numbers in the coming year. 

If you have questions about this report, contact Melissa Wiland in the SBISD Communications Department.

Web Stats for Dec. 5 - Jan. 5

Site Analytics for December 2013

Here are the stats for the month of December. As always, this report includes the top 100 pages for the district and campus sites combined.

Download: Site Stats (PDF)

Blogger Update Complete for High and Middle Schools
Before winter break all middle schools were wired up to the new BLOGGER feature. Our next step will be to work with elementary campuses to get their blogs in place. Numbers for all BLOGGER sites are going up - the key is to keep posting all your great news! Make sure to share your postings on your social media too. The more you can cross message your news, the better your numbers will be.

Does your campus have the new blog?
Do you like it? How is it helping your campus get the news out? Comment and let us know!

Thank you for your continued support of online communications in SBISD. The work you do is building important connections for your community, educators and students.

Web Stats for Nov. 5 - Dec. 5

Site Analytics for November 2013

Here are the stats (better late than never!) for the month of November.  As always, this report includes the top 100 pages for the district and campus sites combined.

Download: Site Stats (PDF)

Thank you for your continued support of online communications in SBISD.  The work you do is building important connections for your community, educators and students.

Web Stats for Oct. 4 - Nov. 4

Site Analytics October 2013

Here is the analytics report for the month of October.  This report includes the top 100 pages for the district and campus sites combined. If your campus isn't listed on this report, it's because traffic wasn't in the top 100 (usually less than 100 visitors) Don't despair! You have the next month to see if you rank. If you did make the top 100 this month...congratulations! Keep up the great work.

Download: Site Stats (PDF)

For campuses that are using the new BLOGGER feature, just a quick shout out on a few highlights:

• Stratford High can boast 4,275 reads for their 8 news postings!  Wow.  Great traffic Spartans.
• Memorial High is the next in traffic numbers with 2,455 reads for their 9 news postings. Go Mustangs!
• Spring Woods High and Northbrook High can each brag about their approx. 1,000 readers to date.
• Athletics is seeing an increase in traffic with 2,313 reads for their 15 news posts.

Numbers for all BLOGGER sites are going up - the key is to keep posting all your great news!  Make sure to share on your social media too.  The more you can cross message your news, the better your numbers will be.  For those of you who don't have the BLOGGER feature yet, it's coming.  I have 5-6 schools that I will be working with over the next month on site updates and new tool integration.  

Thanks again for all your hard work!  Have a great rest of the week.  

Great Tips for Using INSTAGRAM

In between the lo-fi selfies, the gratuitous food porn, and the #nofilter sunsets that often seem to define Instagram, smart brands are finding creative ways to distinguish themselves and gain targeted followings on this visual social powerhouse.

Brands including Nike, Starbucks, Victoria’s Secret, Oreo, and more are developing Instagram-centric strategies and promotions that tell their brand stories in a unique way—through image and (now) 15-second video.

 MarketingProfs reports that 67 percent of top brands are using Instagram, reaching more than 100 million active monthly users. That’s a 500 percent increase in users since last year, according to research from Simply Measured. (You can see the full list of the top brands on Instagram here.) So, what can we learn from these Instagram innovators?

Here are the top 20 tips collected that provide both B2B and B2C brands with tactics for creating a strong Instagram presence: Understand your brand story and how Instagram fits into your content marketing strategy: “Find someone creative that understands your brand and the different ways to treat each social network individually.”—Hootsuite

“Your photos should reaffirm the feeling and lifestyle of your brand. Remember, a photo need not contain a logo to be effective at promoting a brand.”—Phashtag

“If you must roll out a product photo, give it a human touch by making it creative, funny, or awesome. Treat Instagram like your brand’s lifestyle magazine.”—Hootsuite

Engage your fans and target your audience: “Try reaching out to some of the Instagrammers taking photos at your business. If there aren’t any photos on your location page yet, consider hosting a contest to get things started.”—Facebook

“If you can motivate your fans to submit photos of their own, like pictures of them using your product or just living your brand story, add them to your Instagram stream.”—Post Advertising

“You can also reward your loyal fans with contests and promo codes based on user-generated content.”—435 Digital

“Follow your target audience. Where are they? Find your competitors, and follow their followers. If it’s the correct audience, they’ll be interested in your posts and follow you back.”—Social Fulcrum

“Sharing your Instagram shots across your other social media channels is not only a great way to expose the fact that your company also has an Instagram account they should follow, but can help boost engagement with the fans and followers you already have on those channels.” —Postano

“Experience Instagram as a consumer. Sign up for a personal account to experience what the users engaging with your brand will experience, how they’ll consume content, what’s most compelling, and interaction with other users.”—HyperText Mix media, add strategic messaging, and use #hashtags: “Overgram and other apps allow you to add text to your Instagram photos. Add a hashtag, give credit for user-generated content, or just add creative copy that will resonate. But use it for good, not evil, and not on every photo.”—Post Advertising

“Include captions that show your humor & wit, or to add some context to your photo.”—Independent Fashion Bloggers

“Take an editorial look at your Instagram feed, and create themes. There are a few already on Instagram that you can take advantage of, like Throwback Thursday (#TBT).”—Independent Fashion Bloggers

 “Monitor your hashtags and the photos shared from your account for feedback from your audience. Respond to comments in a timely fashion, and always aim to add value to the conversation so your follower walks away feeling connected with and respected by your brand.”—Social Media Examiner

“Instead of using a spray-and-pray strategy for your hashtag, you should define a few hashtags and stick to them. This will help your followers to remember and identify them with your brand. Apart from the obvious ones, such as the name of your brand or your best-selling products, it is a great practice to create campaign-specific hashtags that resonate with your brand.”—Business Insider

Develop creative, platform-specific storytelling strategies, and measure results: “People hunt for ‘how to’ do things. Six- or 15-second video format is a great length for that. Show me how a phone works, show me how to install a dishwasher, show me an item of clothing—and get on with it, please. The format works very well for both practical and engaging content.”—Jim Dowling, managing director of creative agency Cake, via The Guardian

“Give your followers something they can’t find anywhere else—something different from what you offer on Facebook and Twitter. Use Instagram to show off what you love about your business location and the surrounding community. Show your followers some behind-the-scenes shots to help them know and love your business. Show the pride you have in your brand.”—435 Digital 

“Show your followers what happens behind the scenes that makes your business work. If you’re a marketing company with traditional cubicles and office space, post occasional pictures of the goings-on at work. If you’re a restaurant, show ingredients being delivered the morning of a big event. Let your audience in on how you do what it is you do, and you have powerful content marketing that can help cement your bond with them, above and beyond a purchase.”—Content Marketing Institute

“Use tools to manage your account. Instagram’s interface, whether on mobile or Web, doesn’t offer the best options for brands to effectively engage with their community. There’s Statigr, Instagrid, Webstagram, Nitrogram, Simply Measured, and many other helpful tools for making the most of your Instagram community.”—Social Media Examiner

“Instagram Video lets you bring static moments to life. Think about the types of photos you may already be posting and how you can use video to add depth in a way that is consistent with your overall brand and messaging.”—Instagram for Business Blog

To sum up, a terrific quote: “The most important thing is to stop focusing on the delivery method—be it Instagram, Vine, or other apps—and talk more about what they’re being used to watch.

When Pixar released their first short film using their revolutionary computer-generated animation techniques, people kept asking what software they were using. Their success has never been down to the software, it was all about the storytellers. And so it is with short form shareable video. It may democratize the making process, but creativity is still a meritocracy.’”—Chris Baylis, executive director at Tribal DDB London via The Guardian

Are your FACEBOOK posts working?

To increase fan engagement on Facebook, brands should post content that fans want to share. Here are 10 tips for writing effective Facebook wall posts.

 1. Keep it short. People scan Facebook; they don’t read it. The longer the post, the less engaging fans find it. Buddy Media research shows that Facebook posts with 80 characters or less receive 66 percent higher fan engagement, and posts that are less than 40 characters in length receive 86 percent higher engagement.

 2. Avoid complicated wall posts. Interesting content can be added to wall posts in the form of links, photos and videos. The data shows that simple posts achieve the most engagement for the retail industry. The two most effective types of brand posts contain a single photo or use only words. According to Buddy Media, status-only posts receive 94 percent higher than average engagement.

 3. Consider your audience. Make sure you draw people into what you are saying by asking questions, editing and revising with the audience in mind. Discuss topics people love. Think that you are talking to a person, not a group. Even though you are speaking to your entire network, only one person reads your words at a time. Use personal pronouns and contractions and maintain a relaxed, friendly tone.

 4. Ask questions. People are twice more likely to comment on a post that poses a question. To drive comments, ask a direct question and ask for the response. This approach can help attract people who like to give their advice, opinions, or ideas. The key guidelines are brevity, ease of reading and answering, and interesting topics. Fill-in-the-blank posts are also extremely popular. They receive a great number of comments.

 5. Use an eye-catching image. There is no type of content that elicits a better response than photos. Posts with good pictures get better visibility in the news feed. When you share photos, make sure they’re eye-catching in a smaller version, as most people will see a reduced size in their news feed or mobile app.

 6. Add links. If links are good, topical, and regular, you’ll have friends clicking on them and leaving comments and likes. But avoid URL shorteners. Engagement rates are three times higher for wall posts that use the full-length URL. Use full URLs and let users know exactly where they’re going when they click a link.

 7. Keep variety in your posts. Don’t use images or links in every post. Keep it interesting by mixing in links, videos, questions, polls, and text-only updates. Don’t post about the same thing every time, especially if no one is responding or interacting. Mix up the type of text posts, too—some personal, fun, and some about current events.

 8. Choose the right time. The best time of the week to write is toward the end of the week. Weekend posts have higher engagement rates than other days of the week. Post one to four times per week. Wall posts written between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m. have 20 percent higher engagement rates. More people are on Facebook outside of business hours, so make sure to think of the time of the day when publishing. Posting one to two times per day produces 40 percent higher user engagement

 9. Tell fans what to do. Your fans will follow your instructions; the simpler the instruction, the better. Ask fans to share, comment, or tell you something—fans will listen and respond by commenting. Driving likes happens by asking for them. Simple calls to action such as “Click like if you agree” often work well. Tell users what you want, and your Facebook page will grow.

 10. Respond. Interact and respond with users. For example, if someone asked for a photo, give it to them! Say something like “you asked for it, so here it is!” Acknowledgement is really important. It’s not only polite to acknowledge people’s interest, but it can take things to a new level if you continue to interact about a particular topic. You never know what you might learn or what good might come from it.

Upcoming Training Opportunity: PHOTOSHOP 101 (OCT. 10)

There will be a Photoshop training offered for Campus Web Publishers on Thursday, Oct. 10.  The training will last from 3:30 - 5:00 pm.  The session will focus on basic program use and how to apply those skills when creating new graphics or updating existing banners on your site.

Please bring a laptop with you and be ready to work on your graphics!  The session is tentatively scheduled for Room 150 in the SBISD Administration Building.  If you plan on attending, make sure to sign up in Eduphoria.

Questions? 
Email Melissa Wiland, SBISD Web and Digital Media Specialist.

Site Analytics September 2013

Here is the analytics report for the month of September.  This report includes the top 100 pages for the district and campus sites combined. Note that campuses/campus pages are highlighted in YELLOW on this spreadsheet.

If your campus isn't listed on this report, it's because traffic wasn't in the top 100 (usually less than 100 visitors) Don't despair! You have the next month to see if you rank. If you did make the top 100 this month...congratulations! Keep up the great work.

Download: Top 100 SBISD Pages (.pdf)

Site Analytics August 2013

Each month we will release analytics for the SBISD website INCLUDING campus website stats.  This report will include the top 100 pages for the district and campus sites combined.  Note that campuses/campus pages are highlighted in YELLOW on this spreadsheet. 

If your campus isn't listed on this report, it's because traffic wasn't in the top 100 (usually less than 100 visitors) Don't despair!  You have the next month to see if you rank.  If you did make the top 100 this month...congratulations!  Keep up the great work.

Download: Top 100 SBISD Pages (.pdf)

Upcoming Training - Submit Your Time

We are offering 2 opportunities for training coming up in September.

Do you:

• Need to brush up on your DNN skills?
• Want help with setting up new pages or making general site updates?
• Want to learn how to use the new Blogger editor to make posting campus news a breeze?

Want to discuss strategies on implementing social media on your campus website?

If you answered 'yes' to any of the above - plan on attending one of the following workshops:

• Thursday, Sept. 12 from 3:45 - 5:45 PM
• Friday, Sept. 13 from 3:45 - 5:45 PM

Workshop sessions will be held in the SBISD Administration Building in Technology Training Lab (Room # 150). This will be a hands-on training opportunity for you to come in and work on your site - live. Space is limited! Sign up soon...first come first served.

Please select ONLY one of these training days. Based on demand we may set up additional sessions. Attendees will receive staff development time.

Class Details: The title of the course is: “DNN Website Training/Open Lab - Campus Web Admins Only!” It is listed twice in Eduphoria. One for each session. Please pick the session you would like to attend when signing up.

If you have questions, please contact Cody Wallace.

How do I use the Blogger for my campus?

As promised...here is some general training information on how to post to your campus blogger account.  High school campuses have all been set up including landing page widgets.  We are in process on setting up the middle schools now. 

If you have questions, email Melissa Wiland.

Download: Posting with My Blogger Account >>

Facebook Shared Photo Albumns

The world's largest social network announced shared photo albums on Monday, a new feature that allows multiple users to upload images to the same album.

The album creator can share access to as many as 50 "contributors," who can each in turn share up to 200 photos. Album creators can choose a setting that allows contributors to invite others to the album, or retain total control over album invitations. Previously, users could only upload photos to albums they created, and each album was limited to 1,000 total photos.

The new shared albums have three available privacy settings: public, friends of contributors and contributors only. This gives the album creator control over who has access to the group's images. "Right now, if you were at a party and there were three different albums created, you might not be able to see all the photos [based on privacy settings], which is kind of confusing and frustrating," Baldwin said.

Album creators will have the power to delete or modify photos in the album, but contributors will have editing power over photos that they upload. The feature is not available for Page albums, says a Facebook spokesperson.

Proofreading 101

Proofreading is the last line of defense for quality control in print and online publishing. Be sure to conduct a thorough proofread of all documents before they are printed for distribution and of all Web pages before they go live, using these guidelines. Before you proof, you must edit.

There's no use expending time and effort to check for minor typographical errors until the editing stage is complete. Review for proper organization, appropriate tone, and grammar, syntax, usage, and style before the document is laid out.


1. Use a checklist
Create a list of important things to check for, such as problem areas like agreement of nouns and verbs and of pronouns and antecedents, and number style.

2. Fact-check Double-check facts, figures, and proper names.
If information remains to be inserted at the last minute, highlight the omission prominently so that no one forgets to do so.

3. Spell-check
Before proofreading a printout, spell-check the electronic version to find misspellings, as well as errors you or a colleague make frequently, such as omitting a closing parenthesis or quotation mark.

4. Read aloud
Reading text during the proof stage improves your chances of noticing errors, especially missing ("a summary the report follows") or repeated ("a summary of the the report follows") words.

5. Focus on one line at a time
When proofing print documents, use another piece of paper or a ruler to cover the text following the line you are proofreading, shifting the paper down as you go along. This technique helps you keep your place and discourages you from reading too quickly and missing subtle errors.

6. Attend to format
Proofreading isn't just about reviewing the text. Make sure that the document design adheres to established specifications. Check page numbering, column alignment, relative fonts, sizes, and other features of standard elements such as headlines, subheadings, captions, and footnotes. Inspect each type of feature within categories, such as looking at every headline, then every caption, and so on.

7. Proof again Once revisions have been made, proofread the document again with the same thoroughness, rather than simply spot-checking the changes. An insertion or deletion may have thrown off the line count, for example.

Last thing...don't be too hard on yourself.  Everyone makes mistakes.  If you publish something that is not correct, use the experience as a learning opportunity!  Happy proofing!

Tell Your Story

Did you know that people see an estimated 5,000 marketing messages per day?

To put it simply, that's a lot.

Your message falls in there somewhere, but the chances of anyone remembering it are slim. That is, unless you deliver that message in the form of a story.  Why?  If you get your audience to see and feel what you're talking about...they are more likely to remember it!

The amount of noise congesting the Web won't dissipate any time soon, but storytelling can help your content rise above it. Here's how:

1. Frame your message as a story. Almost 80 percent (79 percent) of people skim and don't read articles on the Web. When you frame your brand's message as a story—don't forget a strong title and compelling hook—you ensure your target audience will read every word.

2. Make your brand memorable. Just as authors make characters memorable, you can do the same for your school. To make your brand stand out, think of it as a character. Describe what your school is all about and make it personable.

3. Show—don't tell. This is classic storytelling advice, and thanks to today's technology, you can use more than words to tell your story. Link to videos or use multimedia in news or blog posts. People link to blog posts with videos three times more than they link to text-only posts!