What gets MEASURED gets VALUED

OSPRA 2019

Building the case for effective communication

@trinettemarquis

HELLO!

Trinette Marquis, APR

Data geek & School PR Fanatic

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Challenges

Why isn’t school communication better understood (and valued?)

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Background of Most Education Leaders

• Classroom
• Operations
• Budget
• NOT competitive marketing practices

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Age/Experience Differences

Compared to the average PR pro, leaders are:

• Older
• More experienced
• More entrenched

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If I’m not on my toes with the data, I’ll fail to build credibility. It helps level the playing field...

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@trinettemarquis

Lack of Visibility

Beyond the media clip, website, SM video...

• The disgruntled stakeholder
• The events that run smoothly
• The unified front
• The news story that DIDN’T run

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Strategies

The campaign to improve perception of school PR

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Think like a CBO

• $ per output
• $ per student
• # reading, impression, engagement
• Time-tracking audit
• Worksheets

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Educate

Share what you know & use it as a bridge

• Website training + analytics
• Media training + importance of relationships
• Social Media tips + risk prevention
• Demonstrate you understand their world

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Don’t Stay in Your Lane

• Suggest new ways of doing things
• Digital Kinder 200 to 1400
• New technologies or processes
• Reduced lunch program

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Don’t Stay in Your Lane

• Prevent negative morale
• Internal communication checks
• Employee morale/retention/recruitment
• Bus driver recruitment
• Pastors and hair dressers
• AFB nearby

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Measuring & Reporting

Foundational, systemic, engaging

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Set a Baseline

• Track outputs
• Opportunities for measuring change
• Set up systems to make it easy
• Provides real data for objective setting

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Set a Baseline -Ideas

• Media inquiries
• Stories sent and posted
• Videos created and distributed
• Events covered
• Meetings attended, hosted
• Promotional materials produced, distributed
• Flyers reviewed
• Photos taken
• Messages sent

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Create Expectations

• #s to board on regular basis
• Written reports from templates
• Board reports monthly or quarterly
• Don’t forget to include representative stories, testimonials
• Educate - impressions are good over time
• Competing with outside messaging

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Stories

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Every Friday I set aside some time to update #s for the week...once you set it up, it’s easy to keep up with

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Make data accessible

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Apples to Apples

• Different periods of time
• Historical context
• Natural changes in certain areas month to month
• Comparing past Aug to this Aug

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Additional Areas

Where else does school communication contribute value?

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Adding Value & Demonstrating It

• Enrollment growth
• Marketing
• General Public goodwill
• Employee Morale
• Other Behavior Change
• Avoiding Trouble
• Time Savings

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From 2015-2019, my department budget grew 500%, plus I have the trust of cabinet and can approach them for the resources I need

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You

Don’t neglect your personal brand

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Invest in Yourself

• Local groups & causes
• Continuing to connect and learn
• OSPRA, NSPRA
• APR

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LinkedIN

What ideas from this presentation would you like to implement and why?

www.thoughtexchange.com

Join: 603-665-974

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@trinettemarquis