You don’t need to be a social media expert to expand your reach, says one superintendent. Instead, communicate your vision to someone with more expertise.
“Not all superintendents approach social media with the same experience or capacity,” says Kelly May-Vollmar, superintendent of California’s Desert Sands Unified School District. For example, younger district leaders may feel more comfortable running their own social media accounts.
Leaders like May-Vollmar recognize that this level of communication can become stronger through collaboration. It’s a leadership philosophy that’s earned her nearly 1,700 followers on LinkedIn alone.
“I’m almost 60,” she says. “I’m not as comfortable on Instagram as far as being fluid with the creation and all of that, but my public information officer is phenomenal.”
Her district primarily uses Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, each for unique reasons. Most parents and families are comfortable with Facebook while students like Instagram, so the district is able to reach both audiences with each platform, May-Vollmar notes.
On a professional level, she says LinkedIn is her go-to for networking with other superintendents across the country.
“The people I follow and those who are following me are borrowing each other’s ideas. I try to follow people who are doing work in areas that we’re interested in to improve our district’s posture,” she explains.
For instance, she’s also a member of the District Administration Leadership Institute (DALI), and she frequently posts about the networking opportunities she takes advantage of through the organization’s professional development summits.
Her content strategy and advice for leaders
Leaders must share district achievements for the community to celebrate. That’s why she and her team prioritize telling the district’s story and what’s happening on its campuses.
“Student achievement is very important for us to spread, and we also realize that most of our community consumes information via social media or video so much more than they would a newsletter or a letter from the superintendent, which are what we previously used,” she says.
View this post on Instagram
Leaders should also monitor two-way communication between districts and the community, especially to intervene if misinformation is spreading in the comment sections. For example, the district will often contact an individual offline if a comment creates conflict.
“If it’s something that has to do with someone on social media, maybe voicing something that they’re uncomfortable with or they’ve had a less than excellent experience will, we will contact them offline, but we do reach out to them and follow up on those concerns,” she says.
Join her professional network on LinkedIn here.
More from DA: School communications: Why leaders have a big, new priority
