Mastering School Communication in the Digital Age

Picture this: You’re on a surfboard, in the middle of the ocean, staring out at the horizon. A wave begins to roll in, and you start paddling, only to realize it’s not the one that will carry you to shore. It’s not strong enough, and it’s at the wrong angle, so you let it pass and wait for a better option.

Choosing the right school communication channel works the same way. There are plenty of options, but not all of them will get your message to the right place. Some channels may not deliver your message effectively (like a wave that fizzles out before it reaches the shore). Others may not be in depth enough and will not carry the full context of your message (like a wave that doesn’t carry your board and leaves you stranded partway). And some? They might even backfire, leaving you scrambling to recover (like being wiped out by a rogue wave).

Finding the right channel for each message is key to ensuring it reaches its destination effectively. So which channel is right for your audience? Let's explore!

Social Media Channels

X: Often used for quick sharing of updates for a broad audience

Facebook: Typically used for community groups and sharing with select “friends” or followers

Instagram: Used for visual storytelling through reels, stories, and pictures

Threads: Conversational updates and connections within a selected community

TikTok: Short, often creative, reels that engage and entertain

LinkedIn: A platform designed for professional networking and connection

Next Door: Localized updates for neighborhood specific communication 

Reddit: Discussion-based engagement with options for niche or broad audiences

YouTube: A platform for hosting, sharing, and viewing video updates

Direct Messaging Channels

Phone: Personal, direct communication in real-time

SMS/Text: Quick, urgent updates that are sent straight to a phone

WhatsApp: Enables group messaging, can be an alternative to SMS/Text

Social Media Messaging (e.g., Facebook Messenger):  Direct messages between followers or “connections” 

Finding the Best Wave—Narrowing Your School Communication Channels

With all these options, how do you know which channels to use, which to ignore, and which to consider? Well, it’s helpful to think about your audience—your families, community, and staff. Which channels are they already active on? Which channels make the most sense for your district or school?

In general, it’s typical to see that:

• • Families of younger children may prefer quick updates via web-based platforms or apps.

• • Website and social media updates are best for community news and events.

• • Preference for urgent updates, like school closures, are best sent via direct channels, such as through text messages or your district app. 

If you aren’t sure if your community aligns with these general trends, consider running a poll or survey to see! And be sure to check out what SchoolCEO recently found in their original research study “What Parents Want”:

As you can see, no single channel dominates for families. Your school communication strategy shouldn’t be about where to post all the time, but rather where to post when. 

There’s a saying in marketing, “the right channel, for the right audience, with the right message, at the right time.” That’s a lot of rights to write. But it’s something that, as a marketer, I come back to often. I’ve found it to be the key in driving effective communication and outcomes—and it applies to school communications as well.

The Right Channel

As we explored above, it’s important to carefully consider which waves—err communication channels—will carry you to your audience. But it doesn’t stop there. It’s also critical to ensure the timing is right, the message is right, and the specific audience is right.

The Right Time

Timing matters. 

As a school leader, some of the messages you send are urgent. They don’t give you the luxury of “waiting until the right time,” and that’s okay! For messages that are not urgent, however, you can time them to optimize the outcomes you’re hoping to achieve.  

Let’s think about some common examples:

• • A Weekly Recap: Based on the content of these updates, these are best sent on a Friday afternoon or a Sunday evening to keep the updates top of mind for families as they prepare for the week.

• • Monthly Menu & Calendars: Typically, these are shared a few days before the start of the month to give families an opportunity to review and plan ahead.

• • Events & Reminders: Following the “rules” of marketing, it’s helpful to send event invitations out, at minimum, two weeks in advance, with additional reminders three to five days in advance, and again the day of or the day before. 

As you send messages, try testing different times of days to find the exact cadence that drives the greatest engagement. 

The Right Message

Once you’ve selected the channel and time, focus on your message. If you’re sending to multiple channels, consider customizing the message per channel. Apptegy’s Live Feed experience makes that easy to do! 

Some key principles and ideas to keep in mind when writing your message:

• • Use simple, clear language to ensure it’s easy for everyone to understand.

• • For urgent or time-sensitive messages, be direct, clear, and keep it simple.

• • For all messages, consider the attention span of readers and keep the messages as short as possible, with clear calls to action as needed.

• • When possible, use formatting tools—like bullet points, bold text, headings, etc.—to make the message more scannable.

• • Consider character count limitations, and focus on keeping messages concise. For example, text messages are more likely to be successful when they are under 350 characters. This not only allows them to be fully displayed, but also makes them more likely to be delivered and read.

  Lastly, ensure language translations of the messages are available to your multilingual families and community members. Services such as Apptegy, Google Translate, and more make this easy to do. 

The Right Audience

Not every message needs to go to everyone in your community. Likewise, not every type of message needs to be tailored and sent to each audience. When you’re selecting the audiences for your messages, consider the following:

• • Student-Level Segmentation: Consider which types of messages need to be sent based on the students' ages. For example, families of elementary aged children may want more updates on daily schedules and classroom activities, while families of high school students may want more about college preparation, sports schedules, and extracurricular events.

• • Role-Based Segmentation: In addition to considering the student level, consider whether certain information is pertinent to all staff and all families—or just staff, or just families. Crafting separate messages that speak to the specific audience can help improve engagement.

• • Additional Segments: Many communication tools, like Apptegy’s products, allow you to create different segments to further expand your options, such as a segment for a specific extracurricular group, a group for parent teacher association members, or class levels. 

Selecting the right audience is just as important as finding the right channel. A good rule of thumb when selecting the audience is to be inclusive without overwhelming. If the message doesn’t feel essential to every recipient, it likely isn’t. In those instances, consider how you can create segments to reach the right audience.

Between the list of channels, potential audiences, times of day, and ways to write the message - you may feel like you’re staring at an impossible puzzle. The amount of considerations may feel endless and impossible to navigate. But don’t let it scare you from dipping your toes in the water.

Today’s challenges do come with solutions!

There are ways to make communication effective and efficient—and there are tools that help make this simple and easy. Some solutions are more narrowly focused, like Sprout Social, which will help you manage your social media presence exclusively. Other solutions, like Apptegy, offer more services that promote effective and efficient communication across channels and platforms. 

Regardless of the tools you use or don’t use, you can simplify your approach to effective communication by focusing on the positive, small steps you can engage in daily.

• • Share something positive about your school or district every day. 

• • Reflect on when was the last time you connected with families, digitally or in person? 

• • Ask yourself: How do I want the families to feel about my communication style?

Just like mastering the waves, crafting effective communication in schools takes practice, balance, and the right tools. You don’t need to master every channel overnight, but by understanding your audience, prioritizing the right channels, and using tools to simplify your approach, you can create meaningful, impactful connections.

Every message you send is an opportunity to build trust and strengthen relationships with your community. When you approach school communications like a skilled surfer—reading the horizon, choosing wisely, and adjusting as needed—you’ll find yourself navigating even the most complex waters with confidence.