Your headteacher may not think in terms of “personal branding”, but they will talk about raising the profile of their school, and they know full well the importance of a school’s reputation. School numbers and recruitment depend on it.
We’ve posted before about the headteacher’s changing role in school marketing.
Increasingly aware that they need to get actively involved in promoting their school and their own “personal branding”, they’re open to ideas from the school’s marketing team.
Here are some questions to get the ball rolling.
The message
Before we talk about the medium, what about the message?
How well do you know your head? Not to be too crude, do you know what you’re selling? Sell their strengths; work with them on areas for further development of their personal branding. Have your ears to the ground for stories. Ask yourself: what makes them different? How does your head stand out from the crowd?
Explore what drives them, what inspires them, why they wanted to be a head in the first place. Tap into their sense of mission or conviction, their values and purpose.
Heads come in all shapes and sizes. They don’t have to be all-singing and all-dancing. Some heads are happy in the spotlight. Others are more reserved in their approach. All heads know that they have to bring people along with them.
In order to assemble a clearer picture of your message, sit down with them, examine existing marketing content, and discuss ways forward. What’s working well? What do they want to do more of? What are they willing to try out in the future?
Events and photo opportunities
A headteacher has many roles, responsibilities and wears many hats. Boosting their personal branding begins with showcasing what they already do. Their diaries are packed with public appearances: open days, prize giving, founders’ days, and suchlike, along with education and headteachers’ conferences.
Make sure these are all publicised before the event and celebrated after: on the school website, school brochures or prospectuses, blogs, the weekly newsletter and, of course, social media.
Perennially popular, especially with those unable to attend, event photos bring these occasions to life and are always popular.
Social media
All of the above can be promoted on social media. Headteachers know its importance. They’ll welcome a nudge.
Make sure that their profiles are polished, professional, and up to date. Make sure that they are posting content consistently and engagingly. It’s not easy or wise to generalise but as a school marketer, you know that each platform looks and feels different.
Twitter is hugely important for the teaching profession. Facebook is where you’ll find parents. Their children hang out on Instagram. LinkedIn is a great way to communicate with the business world, especially those locally.
Use social media to broadcast far and wide what your head does. Share good news. Celebrate wins. People love seeing personality across the platforms, hence the success of “meet the head” posts. Feed their interest in “behind the scenes” or “access all areas” content.
To find out more about all things digital, take a look at this blog post Best Practices For Schools On Social Media – Ambleglow
Local media
Local media still matters. Nurture relationships with local publications. They’re always on the lookout for articles that are well-written and ready to go straight into the next edition.
Heads are community-minded. It’s important to communicate that. In spite of their many school commitments, heads somehow find the time to serve their local communities, perhaps as a charity trustee or in local sport.
The same mantra applies: keep an ear to the ground for stories and photo opportunities.
Video content
If your head’s not too camera-shy, they may be interested in promotional videos.
If they need a little more convincing, you may be interested in the following blog: 11 Reasons Why You Need To Create A Promotional Video – Ambleglow
Video is the best way to communicate your head’s personality and conviction. What’s more, the whole process of producing video content is no longer unfamiliar to schools after lessons and open events went virtual due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Many heads spoke to parents via video links as well as the usual written formats. With everyone spread far and wide and socially distanced, they knew that this was the best way to inform and reassure parents and reinforce connections across the school community. Video offers a fuller HD experience, reminding stakeholders that the head’s at the helm and has it covered.
Podcasts
People’s interest in podcasts shows no sign of waning. We’ve seen a number of headteachers and fellow educators make excellent use of the format.
Heads are experienced and accomplished communicators. In many ways, it is the ideal platform to showcase their talents. Heads converse and share their thoughts and concerns with other educators all the time. Adapting this to podcasting is perhaps a natural next step.
Final thoughts
Whatever approach you take, consistency should be your watchword.
Conduct a careful audit of the message and the best media.
Decide on a strategy and stick to it.
This will help you maintain momentum when everyone’s busy, none more so than your head.
For more on this important topic, take a look at the following blog How Can A Headteacher Drive A School’s Growth? – Ambleglow.
If you’d like more help with boosting your headteacher’s brand, get in touch.
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