The Significance of Student-Led Content
School marketers are great at adopting the language and tone-of-voice that aligns with the values or brand guidelines of a school, and teachers often follow suit by telling stories in their own ways, with an enhanced level of authenticity. However, one group of budding storytellers that are often forgotten are the students themselves, the voice parents want to hear from the most.
King’s Bruton “Day in the Life Of” Student-led Video
It isn’t just parents who are impressed by student-led content, but fellow and prospective students too. Students are more active on social media now than ever before, and by sharing content that is led-by students, students will see themselves and their peers reflected. They will feel empowered that their voices are being heard and excited about the possibility of taking part in fun, current trends. This means they will be more likely to meaningfully engage with the content. This has the potential to increase the overall traffic of your social media pages, and in turn, your website.
Having students lead your social media content also creates the impression that you are a school that values the creative input of your students, and that you foster a collaborative environment where students aren’t afraid to take the lead. By allowing your students to represent their school in a positive light online, you are reminding parents and students alike that the opinion of the student is paramount to how you prosper as a school.
The Buckley School Student-Led TikTok “Guess My Next Class”
In addition to showcasing how you encourage your students to become active members of your school community, by promoting student-led content, you allow the everyday life of your school to be authentically captured. Beyond high tech marketing strategies, nothing offers as intimate insight as hearing from students first hand, after all, who really knows what life is like at your school better than the students themselves?
Beyond the marketing realm, this collaboration between school and students provides students with the chance to develop digital skills that are vital for thriving in today’s digitally-led world. By giving students access to a variety of social media platforms, their digital literacy skills develop and they are able to model responsible social media use in a safe and monitored environment.
Some examples of student-led content:
Day in the life of a student.
A boarding house / room tour from a student.
A description of a school event from a student’s perspective.
Allow students to share content of projects they’re working on.
Students advice and study tips.
Student-led interviews with school staff, members of the local community, and alumni.
Now you’re fully equipped with the knowledge of why student-led content is the way forward, now’s the time to go and get your students involved and encourage their voices to be heard. If you would like further support with engaging your students in student-led social media content, please contact social@interactiveschools.com.