Why is unified communication so important for school websites?
In a school community, unified communication is key in accomplishing shared goals. An effective school communication strategy keeps all stakeholders in the loop with important school updates, emergency announcements, events, and more.
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What does this look like in a school with effective, unified communication? The school provides accurate information on all the channels of communication their community accesses. School leaders limit the spread of misinformation due to lack of awareness. Students, families, and staff engage actively in the education process. School personnel save time by streamlining their communication and utilizing tools effectively. |
What are some examples of effective school communications?
| Effective: | Ineffective: |
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Consistent: The same messaging appears on every channel so there’s no cause for confusion. |
Inconsistent: Messaging changes depending on who’s posting it or where it is located, making it confusing for stakeholders. |
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Distributed on multiple channels: Families, students, staff, & community members can engage in whatever method is most familiar to them (email, text, phone, website, apps). |
Limited in distribution: Stakeholders have to search for information, or lack access to information because they can’t use a particular channel. |
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Direct: All important information comes directly from school leaders to stakeholders, so there’s no mixed messages or misinformation through unofficial channels. |
Scattered: Students have to carry information home verbally, or families find their information in private social media groups and chat threads. |
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Accessible: The messages are easy to find, translatable in the languages spoken in the community, and accessible for anyone with disabilities. |
Inaccessible: Messages can be hard to find, do not translate into other languages, or are difficult to navigate on the school website for people with disabilities. |
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Thorough: Message distribution is based on significance, and messages are targeted to the groups that need to know the information. Everyone is informed but no one is overwhelmed with too many message alerts. |
Feast or famine: There are either so many messages that it’s overwhelming for stakeholders, or so few that nobody feels they know what’s going on at any given time. |
How can you create & use a school communication strategy?
Creating an effective school communication strategy comes down to 3 things:
Consistency
Communicating the same message across all channels helps to eliminate confusion and present a unified message to your community.
Accessibility
Posting your messages on several channels means every family has an opportunity to access that message in a way that works for their needs. Using tools to translate that messaging and keep your website accessible means nobody misses a message again.
Tools
The technology you use to create and share messages should help you unify your messaging and reduce steps for your To Do list.
Where do you go for help in improving your school communications strategy?
Edlio is here to help! Our suite of tools was designed to help you build relationships and save time. With Edlio you can …
Manage your website, email newsletters, phone, text, email, and app communications from one platform.
Consolidate and own your messaging so there’s no room for misinformation.
Engage your community with a user-friendly website and clear communication channels designed to meet your stakeholders where they are.
