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‘You never know where a new funding lead or business partnership is going to come from, so be open-minded and cast your net wide’
funding lead or business partnership is going to come from, so be open- minded and cast your net wide. You can build your professional connections by sending requests to people you know from your own education, sports or cultural groups, as well as contacts in your local community, current and previous colleagues, people you have met at training and networking events, and suppliers and customers. As you become more confident on
LinkedIn, start targeting connection requests towards people with whom you would like to network in the future – for example, speakers that you saw at events and found particularly engaging. Follow companies, people and
groups that are of interest to you and therefore might give you ideas for future projects, such as links to new grants. For example, the Schools North East group shares information relevant to schools across the region, while FundEd contributor Howard Rose often posts useful information about his latest income generation and business partnership projects.
Facebook Facebook allows you to set up a user account, join groups and create ‘pages’, which you could utilise for yourself as a professional or for your organisation (to support income generation and fundraising activities and events). It is vital when using Facebook or similar platforms that you adhere to your school’s media strategy policy and guidance, ensuring a unified, positive approach to campaigning across all platforms. To build a following on Facebook,
begin by inviting others to like your page. Then, ask them to invite their
connections to follow the page. Another way to increase followers is by running a competition or prize draw, which users can enter by liking, sharing or commenting on a post. Facebook is an ideal platform for
both sharing information and advertising opportunities that will help generate income. For example, you can post information on facilities you have available for hire or items and services you are looking to sell. Post from the account on the ‘timeline’ and post to group pages you have ‘liked’. Community group pages are an ideal place for advertising your school fundraising campaigns and income-generation activities. This a good marketing tool and may be spotted by a journalist looking for interesting stories to cover.
Build momentum The process of building networks can be slow; you are unlikely to get thousands of connections or followers without first putting in time and effort to build a profile and post content that users want to engage with. But the long-term benefits of developing relationships that could help your school in many different ways will be worth it. Ensure your social media content is kept fresh and relevant by following these guidelines: n Keep your connections and followers engaged by posting regular updates with photos or videos. Ensure images are good quality by investing in a DSLR camera, or using a photo stock website such as Pexels or Shutterstock. n Post messages of thanks to supporters who have attended your events or who have donated time or money, and encourage them to leave recommendations or reviews.
n Use posts that seek engagement from your followers or connections, for example by posting a poll or a question. Tagging others into posts will increase the amount of ‘impressions’, i.e. the number of people who see what you’ve posted. This will, in turn, increase your audience and reach. n Take the time to write a personal message when sending connection requests. This can help the recipient to understand how connecting will be mutually beneficial (whether they are a potential supplier for an income generation project, an organiser of local weekend events, or an ideal client for hiring facilities you have available). n Engage with content posted by other users by liking, sharing and commenting on relevant posts. n Use a media content planner, such as TweetDeck, Hootsuite or Buffer. This is a useful way to ensure a consistent message and style across all platforms. n Keep a note of key dates for annual events, themed days (such as World Book Day) and celebrations in your calendar to plan relevant content. n If you need inspiration for content, look for relevant articles and blog posts, research your audience, and get to know their interests.
Broadening your connections Making connections online can be a great icebreaker for networking in real life. If you work in the same sector and have similar interests to your connections, it is likely you will attend some of the same events and conferences. A little prior knowledge can make a great conversation starter and lead more quickly to productive relationships. There are lots of events you can
attend to enhance your professional networks. Conferences, such as the ASCL Conference for School Business Leaders, include time for networking with colleagues and suppliers. Many local chambers of commerce and business groups also have regular networking events, and these can be found by searching your local area on Eventbrite.
FundEd SUMMER 2019 29
IMAGE: BONGKARNTHANYAKIJ /
ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
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