Such an approach seems to be quite common and is understandable to a certain extent. When dealing with children, it is especially important to be mindful of protecting their well-being in whatever ways you can. There is always the possibility that teachers will say something that is inappropriate or share too much information. But “being safe” shouldn’t mean missing out on a key opportunity to engage the community.

It makes sense to have a policy to discourage individual teachers from posting specifics about their students to their personal profiles. But schools should counterbalance such a policy by setting up a Facebook Page to represent the school. Students, families, and faculty members are going to use Facebook regardless of whether or not schools choose to do so. By setting up a Facebook Page, schools can establish a controlled, professional presence that allows them to capitalize on this social space in many important ways, while still protecting their students. It’s important to note that while a Facebook Page is an excellent opportunity for schools to supplement their web presence, it doesn’t fully replace the benefits of a robust website.

Here are some ways that schools can benefit from establishing an effective Facebook presence.

A Quick Note on Protecting Students

As we discuss the potential benefits of using Facebook, it’s important to frame the discussion with a warning about protecting students. Before launching a Facebook Page, school leaders must ensure they’ve thought through the types of content they’re going to share with the world. Before sharing any information about any student (including pictures, videos, first names, work samples, etc.) school leaders must ensure they’ve obtained consent from the child’s guardian. Additionally, schools should avoid sharing last names of students as this can potentially jeopardize their safety (and in some cases is actually illegal). With a little forethought, Facebook can offer a variety of benefits without risking any safety to students or members of the school community.

Share School News

Facebook is an excellent opportunity for a school to connect with families and share information rapidly. If a school is consistent in keeping the information updated and accurate, students and families will likely come to rely on the Facebook Page as a resource to find information about what’s going on at the school. There are many different types of information that a school could choose to share on its Facebook Page.

Share What’s Happening

A Facebook Page is a great place to post noteworthy happenings around the school via a status update that posts on the Page’s wall. This is an easy way to keep families informed as to what’s going on during the school day. Additionally, it only takes moments to do (which in a school is always a good thing). If an event is particularly exciting, take some photos to share.

Share Upcoming Events

A Facebook Page is an excellent opportunity for a school to post upcoming events using the Facebook Events app. This app not only allows people to RSVP, but also makes it easy for them to share that they’re attending. Utilizing Facebook Events can potentially lead to increased attendance at school functions. A school can also update attendees about any change in plans and send out a reminder as the event approaches.

Make School Announcements

Facebook is a great space for schools to make announcements to parents and students. For instance, if there is an ever-coveted snow day, announce it on the Facebook Page. If a school shares the snow day on its Facebook Page, the news will be sent to the walls of everyone that has Liked the page. Consistency is the key here. If the page is consistently updated with school news, followers will develop an expectation that they can count on the Facebook Page when they want to learn about something concerning the school. I’d also bet that news like a snow day will get plenty of Likes, which will spread the news quickly across the community’s social graph.

Use Media to Showcase School Culture

Many schools pride themselves on creating a unique culture that promotes not only academics but also the social development of its students. Facebook provides an opportunity to showcase this unique culture with those who can’t be in the building during the school day.

Share Photos

Photos are an excellent way to showcase school culture. A school may choose to use photos to highlight a variety of aspects of the school, including:

• Students exhibiting values the school encourages
• Celebrations of student work
• Field trips
• Experiential learning activities
• Assemblies or school-wide celebrations
• Recognition of individual students for excellence

Share Videos

Videos can be an incredible way for a school to personalize its online presence and actually demonstrate what it is that makes it special. A school may add videos that showcase a lot of different things, including:

• A variety of learning, including different subjects and age groups
• Assemblies or school-wide events
• Community meetings
• High caliber teaching and student engagement
• Students, teachers, and members of the community discussing what makes the school special
• Share songs, chants, or cheers that are used as a part of school culture or academics
• Sporting events
• Plays, concerts and other performances

Use as a Recruitment Tool

 

Facebook has potential to help a school attract talented teachers and school leaders as well as raise the overall level of awareness surrounding the hard work it’s doing. By using Facebook, a school can add another layer to their recruitment efforts and help attract staff and, if applicable, attract students as well.

Using Facebook to Attract Staff

Facebook is a logical place for schools to focus some of their efforts when recruiting talented teachers and school leaders. For starters, the aforementioned use of media to share details of the school will provide potential staff members a glimpse inside of the school. I know if I was torn between applying to work in two schools, I would likely favor one that was providing me with photos and videos to complement their description of what they’re doing to support students. As long as a school actually has a strong culture and learning community, sharing it effectively can significantly bolster its recruiting efforts.

Additionally, Facebook is a great place for a school to post its job openings. Facebook makes it incredibly easy to share content, which means if I know someone who’s looking for a certain teaching position and come across such a position on a school’s page, I can easily send it his or her way. Current teachers can also share job openings with people in their network that may potentially be interested in applying.

If a school has an online system for accepting job applications, it should include the link on the Facebook Page. If a school doesn’t have such a system in place, it may want to consider using an application that integrates with Facebook. Here’s an example from TEAM Schools, a Network of KIPP Schools, which is using the Job Magic Facebook app to recruit and accept applications.

Using Facebook to Attract Students

For schools that also focus on recruitment of students or enrolling students in a selection lottery, Facebook can be an excellent resource. First of all, a school can share the aspects of the school that make it appealing through photos and videos. But it can also share key information about enrollment, including deadlines, links to an online application, and links to resources that may be useful for a family that is interested in enrolling a student. The fact that information is easily shared via Facebook again bodes well for a school interested in recruiting students.

The Power of Data

Many schools use their strong academic results as a key to their recruiting efforts. Facebook provides a great opportunity for a school to share their aggregated academic data with the world. Not only is it available to those interested in potentially becoming a part of the community, but is also accessible to students and families that are already in the school. These results are easy for students, teachers, and proud family members to Like and share with people in their Facebook network.

Get Feedback from the Community

Facebook allows a school to lower the barriers to participation for members of the community. By effectively leveraging Facebook, a school can make it easier for community members to get involved and share their opinions on a variety of fronts. While some schools may fear this increased participation, others will embrace it as it not only increases involvement, but can also lead to a healthy discourse about what’s happening at the school.

Use Facebook Discussions

One opportunity lies in the Discussions tab on the Facebook Page. A school can create a discussion about a specific topic and allow members of the community to share their thoughts within the thread. Admins will be able to moderate the thread and remove any posts that are inappropriate.

Use Polls

Polls provide a chance for a school to solicit feedback directly from its followers. The nice thing about using a poll is that a school can limit the choices available and, with a few simple clicks, blast it out to all of its followers. It’s a great way to quickly collect data that can help inform decision making.

Use Facebook Questions

An alternative to polls, Facebook Questions allow a school to solicit feedback from the community while being a little less restrictive. Questions provides the option for a school to allow users to write in answer choices as well as share the question with others in their network. However, it’s worth noting that Questions opens responses up to friends of friends, which may not necessarily provide the best sample if a school is trying to poll just members of its community. If only sampling those in the school isn’t a priority, Questions could be a good fit. For example, YES Prep Public Schools used Facebook Questions to help determine what mascot they should use for a new school they’re opening in the fall. As of the writing of this article, “Titans” is winning handily.

A Note on Settings and Privacy

Once a school has set up a Facebook Page, there are a few settings it may want to consider to ensure it’s easy to monitor. Please note that in order to do any of the following you must first be logged in and designated as an Admin of the Facebook Page.

Posting Ability

It’s a good idea to control the permissions regarding what content users are allowed to upload. To access permissions, do the following:

1. Click “Edit Page” in the upper-right of the Facebook Page
2. Select the “Manage Permissions” tab on the left side of the screen
3. Uncheck “Users can add photos”
4. Uncheck “Users can add videos”
5. Leave “Users can write or post content on the wall” checked
6. Click the blue “Save Changes” button at the bottom of the page

It’s a good idea to start off by limiting these permissions. If a school ultimately decides it would like to expand the permissions it offers its followers, it’s easy to do so. It’s better to become more permissive than more restrictive.

Also, it’s worth noting that unlike with personal photos on Facebook, followers won’t be able to tag people in the photos that the school uploads to its Facebook Page. As discussed above in the privacy section, this is a good thing when children are involved for many reasons.

Profanity Blocklist

Facebook allows the Admins of a Page to enable an automatic screener for profanity. To enable this profanity blocklist, do the following:

1. Click “Edit Page” in the upper-right of the Facebook Page
2. Select the “Manage Permissions” tab on the left side of the screen
3. In the dropdown beside “Profanity Blocklist:” select “Strong”
4. Click the blue “Save Changes” button at the bottom of the page

If there are specific words that a school would like to prohibit from being used, it can write them in the box beside “Moderation Blocklist” on the same page. If a user tries to use one of these prohibited words, it will automatically be marked as spam and won’t show up on the Facebook page.

Enable Email Notifications

To prevent page Admins from having to constantly be checking the Facebook page, it’s a good idea to enable Email Notifications. To do so, do the following:

1. Click “Edit Page” in the upper right of the Facebook Page
2. Select the “Your Settings” tab on the left side of the screen
3. Check the checkbox beside “Email Notifications”
4. Click the blue “Save Changes” button at the bottom of the page

Now, whenever a user posts or comments on the Facebook Page, the Admin will receive an email letting them know that the interaction has occurred.

Make It Personal

The key to any school successfully leveraging Facebook is finding what fits the personality of the individual school. The above ideas are merely suggestions as a way to get started. The important thing is that each school makes their Facebook Page an extension of the amazing things they are doing every day in the classroom.

While Facebook is at times a bit daunting, when used effectively it can provide schools with an excellent opportunity to engage the communities they serve and act as a key component in a school’s online presence.

Is there a school in your community using Facebook to its full potential? Do you have any additional tips? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Google’s Search Engine Algorithm isn’t as Blind as you Think
If your website has a natural SEO optimized layout such as unique content and a valid XHTML with proper meta tag usage, sure 200 or so automatically generated backlinks wouldn’t hurt.

So why do your website pages briefly reach the top of the SERPs after you commence generating thousands of backlinks for them?  Well that stems from the fact that Google must take into account emerging and legitimate popularity of certain pages.  Wikileaks.org is a good example of this.  A fairly unknown website for much of its life.  However, in the summer of 2010 Google bot started crawling more backlinks to Wikileaks.org than most other websites.  How does Google bot distinguish these organic backlinks over the more common auto-generated backlinks?  The answer is a form of trial period where as Google bot finds more and more it likes about your pages, the more likely the Google search engine will be to provide you a semi-permanent position at the top of the SERPs.

Article Backlinks Are Superior
Along with the changes to text backlinks, Google has also made changes to place more relevance on article based backlinks.  Even more relevance is given to a particular backlink and thus a web page that it promotes should the article meet the Google criteria for uniqueness and structure.  I should also say that you shouldn’t only use articles when you are generating backlinks but, rather a combination of text and article backlinks. 

This looks more organic to the Google bot and it is obvious it takes something like this into consideration when the competitiveness of the keywords and their saturation are a factor.  As of January of this year most who specialize in SEO have found that 100 quality and unique article based backlinks along with a couple hundred text backlinks and the obvious natural SEO of the web page, will get you ranked very high in the SERPs for almost any keyword.

It is also important that I stress Google’s most recent announcement that unique content will be weighed more heavily in terms of SEO for the foreseeable future.

That extra personal touch promotes a business because if a client has received excellent customer service then the customer will give the company valuable advertising by referring other people or companies to the business or sole trader who had time to tend to their personal needs as well as providing them with the goods or services they need.

My personal thoughts are that presentation, pride and the ability to listen to the customer to ascertain whatever goods or services they actually really need are key. Do not try to force this; however, you could try to suggest other services that you could provide that would be more beneficial or would complement the goods and services that the customer could benefit from as well as any special offers that you will have by combining a comprehensive package of goods and services. This will make the customer feel as if you are caring about them and you are providing quality customer service that is personal to their needs and not just going through the motions. This will prove to be a winning combination in helping a business thrive.

For great customer service check these suggestions out.

1.   Think of yourself as a client in whatever goods or service the client receives. How would you like to be treated?

2.   Would you like to have someone friendly and professional on the other end of the phone?

3.   This sounds a little crazy but it works for me, the business course I attended at college, I was once told by my tutor to always smile when answering the phone, because as you smile your mood changes and it reflects in the conversation you are having. There is nothing worse than a person who is half interested in listening to what you have to say.

4.   Don’t interrupt the client when they are requesting the goods or services they require.

5.   Have a working pen and a note book ready for taking notes or even open a word processing program on your computer if you can.

6.   Take note of the time and date of the conversation and essentially make sure you take a note of the name of whom you are speaking to. So that you can call them by their name, never use the client’s first name unless they give you permission to do so, as it is very unprofessional.

7.   Next take a note of their company or who they represent.  Then the goods or services they require and make sure you find out when they require the goods or services. However, don’t make promises you cannot keep. Clients remember when people have a fundamental flaw; they remember when people break promises.

8.   Everyone talks in business and they do tell others about individuals or companies who let them down by poor customer service  as well as those who did give them that vital ingredient customer service  that does an impact on the number of people who are willing to take a chance on your company. So it is essential you listen and get things right.

9.   If there is an unavoidable delay in which you cannot supply the goods or services contact the client immediately and again be honest about the time in which you can deliver what you have promised in the beginning. If you can, you are providing a service; you could even give a little discount for the inconvenience which may smooth things over.

10.    If you require something from the client, always use the words please and don’t ever demand or try to bully.  Remember everyone has problems from time to time, so try to accommodate the customer as much as possible.

11.   From time to time things do go wrong, goods can become faulty or there could be a misunderstanding as to what service a customer requires. Try to be patient, listen and then try to offer solutions to the problem.

12.   If a solution cannot be met, offer a full refund right away and then give them a name and address of an alternative company who could help them so that it will have less impact on your company.

13.   Manners and presentation are everything. Please and thank you do not cost anything and they can be very effective in persuading employees and colleagues to help fulfil the client’s request.

14.   No one likes anyone who demands or bullies in order to get what they want, if you treat your customers, employees or colleges with respect, you in turn will be treated with respect and if you are pleasant with people they tend to try and help as much as they can. However, if you are rude and demanding people tend to think less of you and make you wait longer or do their best not to fulfil your need to fulfil your customer’s request.

15.   Be fair with your employee’s or colleagues, if they do need time off for personal reasons, try to do your best to fulfil their request and if you can’t make sure you show them the reason why.

16.   If someone has done a good job praise them however if they have made a mistake, don’t shout it a person’s mistake, so that everyone can listen. Instead take the colleague or the employee to one side and explain that you feel that they have made a mistake and listen to them.  That way the person won’t feel humiliated.

17.   It might be after you speaking to your colleague or employee, that is you that has made a mistake, apologise immediately, people do respect other people who are willing to admit they are wrong from time to time.

18.   Above all, put the needs of the customer, employee’s or clients  before your own, however, you do have to be careful not to take on too much otherwise you will burn out  very easy and become very resentful because you are very tired.

19.   Don’t try to overcharge, have a good look around and find out how much the item or service is going around; have a look around because people do not want to be ripped off, people charging alot of money when they can get the service for half the price which is up to the same standard.

20.   If you have a bad experience with a difficult customer, don’t pick up the phone in a bad mood. Take a little break by having a coffee and chill out for a couple of minutes if you can, and allow your staff to do the same before dealing with other customers.

1) Do not use splash pages
Splash pages are the first pages you see when you arrive at a website. They normally have a very beautiful image with words like “welcome” or “click here to enter”. In fact, they are just that — pretty vases with no real purpose. Do not let your visitors have a reason to click on the “back” button! Give them the value of your site up front without the splash page.

2) Do not use excessive banner advertisements
Even the least net savvy people have trained themselves to ignore banner advertisements so you will be wasting valuable website real estate. Instead, provide more valueable content and weave relevant affiliate links into your content, and let your visitors feel that they want to buy instead of being pushed to buy.

3) Have a simple and clear navigation
You have to provide a simple and very straightforward navigation menu so that even a young child will know how to use it. Stay away from complicated Flash based menus or multi-tiered dropdown menus. If your visitors don’t know how to navigate, they will leave your site.

4) Have a clear indication of where the user is
When visitors are deeply engrossed in browsing your site, you will want to make sure they know which part of the site they are in at that moment. That way, they will be able to browse relevant information or navigate to any section of the site easily. Don’t confuse your visitors because confusion means “abandon ship”!

5) Avoid using audio on your site
If your visitor is going to stay a long time at your site, reading your content, you will want to make sure they’re not annoyed by some audio looping on and on on your website. If you insist on adding audio, make sure they have some control over it — volume or muting controls would work fine.