Benefits of a School Smartphone App - Access, Engage and Advocate.

The way we consume content has changed. Less and less people are consuming content via newspapers, magazines, TV etc. These products are in the saturation stage; the future is in interactive media.

Smartphones have taken interactive media to a completely new level and now with the rise of the tablet device, interactivity is an essential core element for all content. Why? Because people like to interact, communicate and engage with the author.

School apps help your audience access content

Does your school push news, blogs, events etc. to an end-user? Whether it’s a piece of content is pushed to a pupil, parent, alumni or the local community, a school app can improve the accessibility and availability of the content your school creates.

People don’t always have a computer nearby but they do always have their mobile. Do you have urgent news such as school closure? Only a smartphone app will ensure quick and easy updates like this.

By creating an app your end consumer does not need to open their web browser, type in an address, wait until the entire site loads and then navigate through your website. This is not good user experience for your consumer.

School apps help your audience engage with content

Pre-Web 2.0 businesses, schools and organisations used to push messages to an audience and then that was it. It was left to consume and there was no follow up. Now, with technology advances the consumer of content is accustom to communicating with the author.

Businesses have adjusted to meet these needs and your school should be no different. School apps can be designed to allow your school’s parents, pupils, alumni etc. to communicate and engage with you creating a mutual flow of interaction.

School apps can be integrated with social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter so that your end user can tweet, share, like and more actions that your audience is familiar with. Why is this good for your school? It’s advocacy. School apps help your audience advocate content

840 million apps were downloaded in the UK last year; imagine how much content was pushed out to the world via apps alone. In order to stand out you need your team of advocates to push your content out there. If a parent is using your iPhone school app, for example, they can easily share your content with other parents via email, Twitter, Facebook and many more.

The reason school apps help advocating is partly down to their great ability to share via the platform the consumer wants. Another reason is simply because apps are fun! There is no limit to how far you want to push your app; it can be as fun, creative and engaging as you want it to be.

By having something that connects directly with the end user, on their terms, and that is fun to connect with means that it will be shared with peers.

Want to know more?

School apps should be part of a multi-channel, multi-platform, integrated communications strategy that takes time and knowledge to develop. Content is just a small part of what your school app could achieve and there is no limit to this.

Feel inspired? Contact us.

Are you interested more in how apps can benefit your school? Do you have a creative idea for an app? Get in contact with our apps team and we will be happy to talk anything apps, mobile and social.

Look out for more tips coming soon on how apps & mobile can help your school with its marketing campaign.