Why You Should Create an EdAdvisor in Your Community
I grew up in a homogenous middle-class community. I went to a
public school down the street. There were no charter schools, private schools
or online options; and test scores weren’t public.
Isn’t the sole purpose of the school system to educate
children? Well, it is not that simple anymore. The dollars spent on education
in our State alone shows it is no longer just about education for our
children—it is big business. Every pupil counts. In 2015 the state of Utah public education system had a budget just over $3.9 billion dollars. Last year, Utah school districts received $3,092 per student, making up about half of the school’s annual budget. We live in a
consumer-driven world, and school shopping is no longer about clothes and supplies.
When the time came for my children to attend school I had no
idea the shopping experience I was about to face. I heard my friends with older
children talk about proficiency deficits in some of the Ogden public schools. Several
of them sent their children to private schools. Ogden’s first charter school wasn’t
keeping up with enrollment demand. Montessori education was gaining popularity.
And, some public schools listed special magnet programs with curriculum emphasis
in science, accelerated learning or foreign language to be competitive.
I was overwhelmed to say the least, there were so many
options. I heard positive and negative feedback about each of the
school options. I read the limited information I could find online and compared
test scores. I visited schools, interviewed administrators and talked to other
parents.
As junior high drew closer for my daughters I started do my
homework again. This time I evaluated the school experience through a
different lens. I looked for individual student success stories. I found
several examples of Ogden students academically succeeding in advanced
placement courses, scoring high on college placement exams and enjoying the kinds of extra-curricular experiences I was seeking for my daughters.
As a parent who decided to look at my girls education from the
lens of individual student success, I realized something, that the aggregate
test scores from a diverse student body at Ogden High School weren’t telling
the whole story. Test scores do not reflect the opportunities for individual
student success, teacher commitment, community engagement, strength from
diversity, student grit, or opportunity for extracurricular engagement. The real story was coming from the purposeful combination of
school and community for individual student success.
In my research of school options and educational and extra-curricular opportunities, there was not one location a parent could go to compare the
different types of schools and learning environments in our community.
This was extremely puzzling to me, because if I want to pick
a hotel, the independent consumer reviews on online platforms, like TripAdvisor,
are at my fingertips. If I want to buy a backpack, I can find several consumer
reviews that tell me what they love or hate about it. However, when I am
choosing a school and trying to learn what the people in my community love or
hate about each educational establishment – I am on my own.
I believe this is an injustice to every parent on the
planet, and the next generation. As a community we need to learn how to write
our school’s stories, in our communities—by sharing and reviewing the different
types of schools available.
How to Write Your School’s Story
This led me to outline how, we as a community, can take
action. We can write reviews, create
websites and tell the stories that will help parents make that very important
decision—of which school to choose for their student based-on their individual
needs.
First, by using best practices for writing persuasive web
content parents, communities, and educational entities can create a community-driven
EDadvisor; a website that tells your school’s compelling story about individual
student success through the voice of the community. A website designed by the
community, for the community, and of the community (i.e., the students,
parents, teachers, businesses, and community members).
Get Started by Crafting Key Messages
“There’s a simple rule: You say it again, and you say it again, and you say it again, and you say it again, and you say it again, and then again and again and again and again, and about the time that you’re absolutely sick of saying it is about the time that your target audience has heard it for the first time. “ — Frank Luntz
Before you can create a website, you have to know what you
want to say. The first step in writing persuasive web copy is to create a key
messages document. Key messages are the
foundation of all your branding and marketing efforts. They help you tell a
simple, consistent and compelling story. Creating key messages will give you a
communication message map to make the story you’re going to tell engaging, memorable
and effective. Here are three simple
steps to get your key messages crafted.
Step 1: Stakeholder sticky notes
A bring ‘em together brainstorming session
To write key messages that tell a compelling story, you need
to start by listening to your community. Identify stakeholders that are engaged
members of your school community. Host a stakeholder brainstorming session that
includes members from the student body, alumni, teachers, parents, businesses
and community. Start the session with an explanation of what you are trying to
accomplish - to create a create a community-driven website that tells your
school’s story for students, parents, teachers, businesses, community members
and prospective new student families.
Because there are different people the website will serve, make sure
your brainstorming team identifies which group their messages are targeted towards.
Ask your stakeholders questions to get to the heart of the
value your school provides and what makes your school unique. Some questions to help your brainstorm
session get started are:
- What value does your school provide to students, families, community members, alumni and businesses?
- What differentiates your school from other schools?
- What points of difference are most important to students, parents and the community?
- What unique things does your school do to help your student be successful?
- What does it mean to be an alumnus from your school?
- How does your school prepare you for college and life?
- Why did you choose your school?
- What are the barriers or challenges for your school?
As your stakeholders share their thoughts, look for key
words, phrases and examples that can be used in the key messages. See what
message patterns emerge as value differentiators to build your story. Interview a larger base of people, community
members that are looking for a school, what they want and what they’re
expecting from their school experience.
This can also help drive messaging and differentiators.
At the conclusion of your brainstorming and research, work
with the stakeholders to prioritize the top three messages that emerged as
themes from the discussion. Organize linking ideas under these themes. Ask for specific examples of individuals that
illustrate the themes to bring stories and emotion into the messaging. Note
where you need to add facts and figures for credibility.
Step 2: Create a word work of art
Process, organize, polish and proof
Now comes the work.
It’s time to take all of the information shared and turn it into a word work
of messaging art. Start with one key message
at a time. Organize the list of keywords for each message. Be sure to
understand the message priority. What is your one main message and what are
some of the supporting messages and details? It will be difficult to find that
one message that works for all audiences, but being clear and concise is
important.
Next, create an outline of powerful and concise sentences
that support the main idea. Pick
keywords carefully to maximize your search engine optimization (SEO). Make sure
each of the key messages are differentiators that demonstrate the school value
that the stakeholders outlined. Listing standard features that all schools
provide are not good selling points. Massage the information for each key
message so that it can pass the five-point test of key messages:
- Targeted – has it been written to your targeted audience?
- Strategic – does it define and differentiate value for the audience(s)?
- Concise – is it free of technical mumbo jumbo that can be delivered in less than 10 seconds?
- Motivate – does it connect with the audience and inspire action?
- Me – does it answer the what’s in it for me question for the reader?
Step 3: Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3
Test, edit, finalize, refresh
Now, with your key messages in hand you’re ready to test and
see if the messages resonate with a wider base of the community. When seeking feedback your goal is to
determine if the messages answer the questions they were designed to
address.
- Does the community identify with the message?
- How accurate do they feel the message describes the school?
- How important are the messages to the community group?
- Is there anything else the community would add?
Take the feedback you receive and tweak the key messages where
necessary to help address anything left out. Reorder key word priority and fix faulty
information.
Message evolution is an ongoing process as you put the
messages into play on your website. Review key messages on an annual basis with
community stakeholders and update and refresh as your school story evolves. Keeping
the content of your key messages fresh will help make your website a relevant
and useful tool for your community. You should not need to start over with
messaging, but rather evolve, refine and add to as needed.
You will be tempted to use the creative energy that brought
you to this place to create something new – but, please don’t! Stay focused on your
key messages. Remember say it again, say
it again, again and again.
Focus on First Impressions that Follow your For Real
“You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”- Will Rogers
Research shows that you have about seven seconds to grab the
attention of your website visitor before they make the decision to stay or
leave. People have an innate ability to make quick judgments, and once they’ve
made up their mind, they resist change.
The value your school provides needs to be easily told
through engaging headlines and images that make an immediate first impression. With
key messages in hand you are ready to start writing your web copy. It is
important that the quality of the website reflects the experience quality you
are creating for your school’s brand and story. Too much information can cause
cognitive overload and feel overwhelming. Not enough information can be
frustrating to the visitor if they can’t find what they are looking for.
At first glance, your homepage copy and site navigation should
be able to answer the following questions:
- Why should I choose your school?
- What type of experience will my student have there?
- What makes your school unique or better than the nearby schools?
- Will my student fit in and be academically successful?
You can quickly engage the eye by following these best practice
writing techniques for your homepage.
Use powerful headlines
- Headlines need to be USEFUL to the reader
- Headlines need to provide the reader with a sense of URGENCY
- Headlines need to convey the idea that the main benefit is somehow UNIQUE
- Headlines need to do all of the above in an ULTRA-SPECIFIC way
Keep important information up front
Once you’ve convinced the reader with your headline, you’ve
got to keep them engaged with your copy. Use the inverted pyramid model for
your web content writing to help you keep the most important information up
front. Start with the lead information by answering the questions of who, what,
when, where and how. From there, the information moves to the next level of
important information and finishes things up with quotes and supplemental
information. Using an inverted pyramid method for your web copy will put your
punch line at the beginning of your page to draw the reader in with the most
important information front and center.
Make it authentic
Captivating headlines and engaging leads are critical, but
they need to reflect your “for real” authentic interactions. You never know
what is going to make the first impression. The first impression and for real
should reflect each other for your story to be told consistently.
Sell it with Storytelling Soul
“Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world today.” - Robert McKee
Design for discovery
Showcasing examples of student successes through stories
will make your key messages come to life and fill your brand story with soul. Design
your stories to hint at the key messages without making an announcement. This
will help the the reader discover the value for themselves. Allowing the reader
to decide if they are making a good choice through storytelling is more
powerful than being told the right answer.
Evoke emotion
The emotive brain is always at work making 98 percent of our
thought automatic and unconscious. People remember how they feel because
emotion triggers all four areas of the brain to make a powerful impression.
Successful storytelling can appeal to emotion through a combination of images
and themes that evoke emotion.
Use images that show students in action—learning, creating,
socializing, collaborating – to increase what people remember about your story
by as much as 60 percent. Themes that tug at the heart strings, of what matters
to your audience will make your stories memorable. Look for stories of student
success against odds. Teachers going above and beyond to create unique learning
activities for students. Businesses creating hands-on learning in the hot
fields of science, technology, math and engineering. Traditions that create
community and commitment, and my personal favorite of school, and community
combining for a cause.
Keep it fresh
Identify stories from student activities throughout the year
to keep your website content fresh. Story themes should rotate focus to give
each of your key messages time to shine.
The people in the stories you highlight will want to share
their story. They will tell your story for you and their circles of influence
become part of your community increasing the effectiveness exponentially.
Update your news events frequently and consistently in a
timely manner so the stories you are telling are real-time and newsworthy.
Let Testimonials do the Talking
“Word of mouth is the best medium of all.” – William Bernbach
Don’t take my word for it. You can grow your supporter base
and reinforce your messages by asking people in the community to tell what they
love about the school. Many times when you ask someone if they would be willing
to share their thoughts they will ask you what is it you would like them to
focus on. This gives you a chance to take ideas from your key messages and ask
them to weave the outlined focus areas into their personal testimonial. Testimonial
targets should come from the same audience lists you developed the key messages
for. Create a balanced representation of
testimonials from:
- Successful students: What do they love about going to school?
- Accomplished alumni: What are they doing now? How did your school help them fulfill their dreams?
- Teachers: What makes the students at your school unique?
- Business community: Why do they choose to support the school?
Be the Change
You can create an EdAdvisor in your community to help your
community members, parents and students know what types of schools are available
to them. Telling your school’s story by
engaging community stakeholders, crafting key messages, selling it with
storytelling, impacting with imagery and telling with testimonials. Be the
change, create an EdAdvisor for your community. We as a community, can take
action. We can write reviews, create
websites and tell the stories that help parents and students make that very
important decision—of which school to choose based-on their individual student
need.
About the Author
Danette Pulley is a marketing expert and operations manager
who works as a high-tech consultant by day and champion for community causes by
night. With over 18 years of experience,
Pulley has an innate ability to think big on creative strategy, turning ideas
into action and motivating the people she works with. Danette’s creative outlet kicks into high
gear with a new project, program or product to market. She has a hard time
hitting the off-switch when it comes to designing strategy, crafting messages,
building a team, connecting people and managing the project. Pulley has
successfully managed large high-tech industry events, local political
campaigns, non-profit foundation activities, community sports complex
development and, most importantly, the daily school, sports and social
schedules of her two daughters. Some of her best thinking happens on the
mountain trails above her home or by a campfire.
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