5 Ways to Improve Your School’s Facebook Page

If your school’s social media presence feels a bit neglected, it’s time to revitalize your Facebook page to maximize its impact. Whether you’re a private school looking to boost enrollment or a public district seeking to engage your community, maintaining an updated and engaging Facebook page is essential for showcasing your school’s achievements and offerings.

Social media platforms, especially Facebook, are powerful tools that can transform school communications. Think of social media as digital networking—it’s not just about what you share, but how you connect. Presenting a polished, clear, and current image is key to making the most of your online presence.

Here are some quick and easy improvements for any school’s Facebook page. These tips will help enhance your social media presence, attract more followers, and keep your community engaged. A well-maintained Facebook page will increase your school’s reach, meaning more parents, students, and staff will be exposed to the valuable content you share. Additionally, fresh content isn’t just loved by your audience—Google prioritizes updated content, improving your school’s visibility in search results.

Ready to give your school’s Facebook page a boost? Here are a few tips to make your school’s page more engaging, relevant, and effective.

1. Change Your Cover Image Monthly

Let’s start with the cover image. With the short-attention-span world we live in these days, keep your Facebook homepage fresh and intriguing by changing your cover page photo at least once a month. Look around, there’s a new pic as closer as your smartphone. Pick a horizontal view and one that’s inviting. Give credit where credit is due on the photo and drop in your school logo on the cover or profile picture while you’re at it. Each time you change the photo it is shows up on all of your fans newsfeed. What better way to share something nice that is also inviting to you community.

Other ideas:

• Add the appropriate image related to the holidays. Think about how nice a Veteran’s Day ceremony picture at your school would look right around the patriotic holidays
• Add timely images related to current events at school (e.g., school festival, talent show, sporting event)
• Add images related to the seasons (e.g., your school back-dropped by fall foliage, snow, spring and summer images)
• Add images of a teacher or students receiving awards
• Images related to your mission
• Technology in the classroom

2. Improve Your Descriptions

Optimize Your School’s Page Description

Make sure to complete both the short and long descriptions for your school’s Facebook page. These descriptions are important not only for visitors to your page but also for how your school appears in search results.

Short Description:

• Go to the “Settings” section of your Facebook page
• Find and complete the “About/short description” field
• Be descriptive and highlight what makes your school unique
• Explain why people should follow your page
• Include your school’s website URL at the end (consider using a link shortener if the URL is too long)

Long Description:

• In “Settings,” scroll down to “Page Info”
• Locate and fill out the “Long Description” field
• Include keywords relevant to your school (e.g., “Chicago public school” if applicable)
• Provide more detailed information about your school’s features and image
• Be thorough but concise

Remember, both descriptions contribute to your school’s visibility on Facebook and in search engines, so use them effectively.

Short description example:

• LPSS is committed to helping children become better people and prepare for the real work. Stay connected to the latest updates as we prepare kids for the future and serve the community. www.lpssonline.com

Long Description example:

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• Mapledale Academy is a private school located in the northern suburb of Mapledale, Texas. Ranked 9th in the nation among both public and private high schools, Mapledale features a competitive environment that develops students intellectually and socially. A combined junior high and high school, Mapledale has approximately 800 in each grade 7 through 12, and over 55 faculty members.

• While academic excellence is the primary goal for each student, the Mapledale faculty and staff work to develop the whole student, making sure he or she strikes a balance between the rigors of one of the most demanding academic curriculum in the state, and all the extra-curricular activities Mapledale has to offer. 20% of our graduates in the past 10 years have been admitted to Ivy League universities, 90% received academic scholarships, 9% athletics scholarships, and we boast a 97% participation in clubs, sports and other extra-curricular activities.

• Admission to Mapledale is based on a comprehensive entrance exam consisting of math, English, and an essay writing section. All students must take the entrance exam. As of 2013, potential students must achieve an establish 8 junior high schools in the Mapledale High School District, with admissions for 25 students from each corresponding school. A minimum GPA must be maintained for all students, and if students fail to stay above the minimum for 2 semesters, they are dismissed from Mapledale and enrolled in their home district’s junior high or high school.

3. Properly Size Your Images

We recognize not everyone is a designer, but it is important to develop skills for image preparation for social media. With all the hard work you do managing these channels, you wouldn’t want to look inexperienced because you did not make an image the right size by taking some easy technical steps.

It is certainly okay to upload photos off your smart phone and camera when needed, however, if you have important images that are to be featured, such as the main header image, put the extra time in and make it look great. Facebook recently changed all of its dimensions and made everything larger, for the most part. It is also important to prepare the images for the pages from your website you are sharing, such as the superintendent’s blog, to ensure they look their best.

4. When Sharing Links, Engage the Audience

Let’s not forget why you are sharing links. When articles are being shared, provide a short, concise description and let your fans know why you are sharing it. They are going to see the title of the link and the description, so there is no need to repeat that. Also, don’t be afraid to ask a question.

Remember, long descriptions (see tip no. 2 above) on your post won’t even show up without the viewer clicking the “See More” to continue reading. Use a short description of your post along with the URL.

5. Be Timely When Scheduling Posts

Schedule your posts and news releases when they’ll do you the most good. There are several web analytic services (Stat Counter, Google Analytics, Clicky) that show you such valuable information as the amount of traffic per hour. Check the peaks and valleys of your traffic, then publish posts accordingly.

So, take these 5 tips on how to improve your school’s Facebook page, get your school’s web team up to speed on them, and then watch how the improvements change how your Facebook page is used. Then once you have these down, like the shampoo folks say: Lather. Rinse. Repeat. That is, re-visit these tips routinely to keep your school’s Facebook page fresh and working for your school.