MANAGING YOUR PTA – Communication
GETTING YOUR COMMUNICATIONS
RIGHT Whether it’s to help get visitors
to events or fi nd new committee members, a PTA needs the right level of exposure to help it fl ourish
E
stablishing effective channels of communication enables you to send out reminders, promote events, thank supporters, advertise your achievements
and maintain an awareness of your cause. For the greatest reach, use a combination of
traditional and digital methods to access as many supporters as possible. For example, if you produce a newsletter, post it on social media, ask the school offi ce if they will email it to parents and put it on the PTA noticeboard. If volunteers are scarce, concentrate your
efforts on a few communication methods and use them regularly. If you’re not sure which to choose, ask parents how they would like to be contacted and which channels they use themselves. Because PTA committees change so regularly, it’s easy for a channel to be top priority one year and forgotten the next. Formalise the position by writing a job description for a social media offi cer or communications offi cer. Remember, even though the PTA is a separate
organisation, you’re still representing the school. Before embarking on any signifi cant changes, consult the school about your plans. An integrated communications plan shows that the school and the PTA have the same aims.
Digital channels Easy to set up, free to use and
hugely accessible, social media is one of the best ways to keep in touch with people. But what social media channel works best for PTAs?
Facebook We’ve found Facebook is the favourite of our PTA+ community. You can set up your PTA presence as a ‘group’ or a ‘page’, depending on how you wish to use it. Facebook is a free resource, so there’s nothing to stop you from having multiple pages and groups. For example, you could have a secret group for committee discussions, a private group to keep parents updated and a public page to reach out to the community. Visit
pta.co.uk/running-a-pta/ managing-your-pta to fi nd out more.
Twitter Create either a private account or an open account for your PTA. With a private account, only those who you approve can see your tweets, while an open account means anyone will be able to see your feed – ideal for building your supporter base beyond the school gates. Twitter arguably has more limitations than Facebook due to the character limit on posts. However, you can create a school hashtag and post images such as posters alongside your tweets.
pta.co.uk SUMMER 2020 19
IMAGES: CIFOTART/
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