Your reputation: online or on the line?

Education has always been vulnerable to the prevalent political ideology and now is no different. The changes in this sector bring an unprecedented breadth of choice. Macia Grebot explains how to manage your online reputation to keep your school ahead of the pack

While there is no question that competition in education is increasing, a school’s reputation can set it apart from the rest. The effective management of PR can no longer simply be measured by press clippings. The management of reputation is much broader and requires a range of approaches and strategies to establish and maintain a school’s identity, brand and reputation. These include:
• competitive set analysis, with full review and audit, focus groups and surveys;
• careful management of all open events;
• internal communications and shared understanding of culture and aspiration;
• the school prospectus, newsletters and other published and electronic information;
• professional endorsements – Ofsted reports, excellence awards;
• media relations;
• customer service; and
• online presence.

Schools should be as proactive in managing their reputation online as they are at managing it through printed communications and word of mouth. Schools, as with any organisation, function in a media and communication-rich world; reputation is ever more difficult to manage and to protect, especially if you don’t know you’re losing it.
 
The blogosphere and beyond
There are more than 50 million blogs and hundreds and thousands of forums on the web through which consumers can communicate their thoughts with others. Research suggests that people are 80 per cent more likely to believe what other consumers, or users say, compared to just 20 per cent who believe what a company or organisation says. Increased internet access has opened up the way people communicate online and share positive and negative experiences. While social media may not immediately be seen as a threat to a school’s reputation, the growth of online communities such as www.mumsnet.com, www.schooloscope.com and www.facebook.com and their posting of opinions or photographs online should provide sufficient evidence of just how quickly a story or an image can spread. The impact of social media, both its potential and risks cannot be ignored.

On a positive note, research shows that a school’s website is the first place prospective staff and parents look when choosing schools. It is so important to maintain your school’s web presence and ensure it is dynamic (scrolling pictures, video clips, audio clips, photos), up-to-date and with functionality such as online booking and payment facilities for school trips or even an online school shop for uniform items. However, you should also monitor what is said online with a search tool such as Google alerts. This is a system that alerts you by email to any mention of your school (or other search criteria such as the headteacher’s name) on the internet on a daily basis. Just follow these simple steps:

1. Go to Google: www.google.com/alerts;
2. A box will appear on the right hand side of your screen – Create a Google Alert;
3. Enter your search term, for example the name of your school;
4. Enter your type of school (recommend Comprehensive, so that all the categories such as newspapers and personal blogs are included);
5. Select how often you want the alerts sent;
6. Select the length of the email alert you prefer; and
7. Insert the email address to which you would like alerts sent.

Google will then send a confirmation email to which you should respond to start the alerts. You may find you get quite a few alerts initially as Google initiates the search and finds some or all recent references.

Change happens
Change is inevitable, the evaluation of change can only ever be retrospective and so those responsible for the success of a school have to plan for the future based on their experience, informed by the insights of political, economic, social and technological trends. The unprecedented pace of change created and driven by technology shows no sign of abating. Ultimately, the threats and opportunities this will bring and the extent to which schools proactively manage their reputations online, will be determined by the degree to which they understand that failure to do so may well put their reputation on the line.

Macia Grebot is the co-founder and managing director of Grebot Donnelly Associates. Macia can be contacted on 020 8892 2242 or info@grebotdonnelly.com or through www.grebotdonnelly.com.

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