{"id":14387,"date":"2024-07-08T21:18:46","date_gmt":"2024-07-08T21:18:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.schoolstatus.com\/blog\/5-easy-steps-to-creating-an-effective-school-blog"},"modified":"2024-10-08T20:57:00","modified_gmt":"2024-10-08T20:57:00","slug":"5-easy-steps-to-creating-an-effective-school-blog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.schoolstatus.com\/blog\/5-easy-steps-to-creating-an-effective-school-blog","title":{"rendered":"5 Easy Steps to Creating an Effective School Blog"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Does your school have a blog? Or maybe you have a school blog, but really not sure why, or you struggle with finding new content for it. Just how effective is it? Are you sure anyone is even reading it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your school doesn\u2019t have one or you wrestle with writing or managing it, you\u2019re not alone. Some schools have a blog because they know they\u2019re supposed to have one. However, few schools have the time, resources, or technical know-how to make their blog as effective as it can be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does your school need a blog? Most definitely. Your school needs a blog if you want a modern forum to tell your school\u2019s stories and set the table for all sorts of powerful school communications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before you get started on creating your school blog or overhauling the one you\u2019ve got, take a step back and look at the big picture. Your blog has the potential to become a communications hub for your school, so it\u2019s wise to put it in perspective with your school or district’s broader communications plan<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One problem is that many schools don\u2019t know exactly what it is that their blog is supposed to accomplish. As a result, the blog is a hodgepodge of communication of efforts. There\u2019s a little bit of news, some updates on classroom activities, sports team results, and other pieces of communication that aren\u2019t part of a coordinated strategy. When there\u2019s no overarching mission, the blog becomes a one-way avenue of communication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember: don\u2019t talk at<\/em> your audience; talk with<\/em> them.<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

Another common failing of blogs is when the school talks at<\/em> their audience, rather than with<\/em> them. Make sure the tone and point of view of your blog is approachable for all your readers. Your blog should be a communication starter. It should foster engagement with your students, parents, faculty, and surrounding community. It should provide an outlet for them to communicate back with you, whether that’s in the comments section of the blog or on social media. You can even use your blog to link to other important items you want your readers to view or download (e.g., guides and schedules.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your blog isn\u2019t accomplishing that level of two-way communication, don\u2019t worry. You don\u2019t have to be a tech expert to have an effective blog. In fact, you can optimize your blog with just a few easy steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are five easy steps to creating effective school blogs. Incorporate these elements into your blog planning and execution and you\u2019ll begin seeing results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Establish a School Blog Mission<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Why do you have a blog? Yes, you probably know that you\u2019re supposed to have a blog. Beyond that, though, what do you want to accomplish with your blog?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A helpful exercise is to create a written mission statement for your blog. Gather some interested parties and form a blog communication committee. The group could include some administrators, your PR lead, and possibly even some faculty members. Discuss where there are gaps in your communications strategy and how the blog could fill those gaps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep in mind, you could have multiple objectives for your blog. Some possible objectives could include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n