by Katie Brosious
In response to both Eric
Sheninger's post about the importance of branding in education, and Trish
Rubin's blog, EdVentures in a
New York Minute, about branding in education, I started to think about how,
with a CMS, schools can use their district Web site to establish a brand.
The
Importance of a Brand in Education
Although
I will leave this part mostly to the experts (Thanks Eric
and Trish!), I will say a
few words about the importance of a brand in education. Education is a service.
Education is just like any other service in that it must exude value in the
business that it is in, in order to attract new students. In education,
school districts must show academic value. Bad or good; clear or not,
everything--person, place, or thing--has some sort of brand attached to it.
It's what others think and feel about what you have to offer.
Why doesn't education take advantage of this? Especially K-12 school districts!
Universities have come a long way, and seem to be working on establishing their
own individual brand. However, many school districts do not put their best foot
forward...To network, to evolve, to improve, and to show the world what they
are accomplishing.
But how would they spread their message? It's not like school districts have
the advertising budgets of McDonald's or Coca Cola. They have the label of
'school,' which implies education, but it's extremely obvious that no two
schools are the same. Its important for schools to build their brand because
school districts, more than any other educational institution, need to stay
updated and in the know. Today's K-12 students are tomorrow's leaders. It is
essential for schools to have a cohesive mission, a set of values, and a sense
of pride within the district, which can be done by establishing a brand.
Branding on the Web
More and more, school districts are using social networking sites like
Twitter to extend and enhance their brand. Some Twitter accounts are for the
whole district, some just for a school, and some are from teachers, staff or
administrators from the district. Each Twitter account is another point of
contact for that district. It improves community outreach, makes the district
more personable and personal, and helps to spread the district message. Social
media sites like Twitter are great. And they're an extension of the district
brand. But they just aren't enough. Even if a district has a great media
presence, consistency throughout the district all-inclusive WEB presence is
key.
Aside from social media, the school district Web site is often the most
important point of contact for the school district. If community members want
to know what time the football game is on Friday, the district site is the
first source of information. The district Web site is like the Encyclopedia for
that district. Students, parents and community members expect to have all of
their questions answered simply by clicking over to the district Web site. It
must support a cohesive brand and mission along with all other point of
contacts for that district on the web.
Using ContentM K-12 to Brand your District
The best and easiest way to build a school district Web site is with a CMS like
ContentM
K-12. Not only will you be able to design and implement your school
district Web site with ease, you (or anyone else) will be able to maintain it
with a few clicks. You will be able to update your Web site in seconds when you
need to (i.e., for snow day cancellations or delays). You can spread the word
about your district's overall academic accomplishments. You can show your
students' accomplishments. The best Web sites are dynamic and fluid; they are
always changing as new things happen. School district Web sites should be no
different.
Continue reading "Great CMS Helps Build Your District Brand" »


