- The School District of Palm Beach County
- Social Media Setup Procedures
Chief of Strategic Communications & Engagement
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Social Media Setup Procedures
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The Department of Communications manages the District's social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, lnstagram, and YouTube, where Communications frequently shares content.
for a Districtwide audience. In addition, the District is subscribed to a third-party archiving service (Archive Social) to fulfill public records requests.In order for a school or department in the School District of Palm Beach County to create an approved social media account to distribute content directly to their own audiences, principals or directors are expected to complete an eSupport ticket before creating social media accounts.
School social media accounts should be utilized to promote school pride, provide updates about school activities, and productively engage with families.
District departments should consult the Department of Communications on the intent and need to create a department-specific social media account. We recommend a unified approach from the District to social media messaging as opposed to messages coming from individual departments.
You should create a social media administrative team of administrators, staff members or teachers who are already familiar with social media and understand the benefits it will bring to your school. These individuals will contribute content and resources to share with your followers. Assign one member of your team to post to the page and at least one other person to keep track of comments and direct messages to the page.
Social media posts are always public and should be appropriate for public consumption, including by the news media. You should also always use proper grammar and spelling.
Organizations such as PTAs, PTOs and SACs are not required to go through the District to have a page created. However, it is strongly recommended that they speak to the principal before the page is established and that the school's administrators follow the pages to ensure that the appropriate messaging is being shared and that the school is addressing concerns and feedback.
Need help? The Communications Team can provide assistance, feedback and best practices. Please contact us communications@palmbeachschools.org.
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Creating a Facebook Page
There are significant differences between having a personal Facebook profile and maintaining a professional corporate or school Page. Facebook profiles are meant to represent a single individual. Pages represent an entity or organization and allow users to “like” or “follow” your page to receive content and updates.
To create a Facebook Page, you must already have a personal Facebook profile. This will allow you to manage your Page and delegate administrative roles to others. We do not recommend creating a fake Facebook profile to operate a page because Facebook could lock you out of the account due to inactivity.
To create a Page:
- Go to facebook.com/pages/create
- Enter a name for your Page, which should be the full name of your school. Do not use abbreviations.
- Under “Category,” type in and select “public school” as well as any other labels that apply, such as “elementary school.”
- The “Description” should include a brief summary of your school as well as an overview of the District’s social media policy. You can find that on the District’s Facebook page here.
- Click the “Create Page” button.
- Choose a profile picture and cover photo by following these steps. Your profile picture should be your school’s logo and your cover photo can vary. However, we recommend featuring a photo of your school or a nice photo of students approved to be featured.
- Assign page roles. We recommend assigning at least three people so you do not lose access to the account if someone leaves your school. Click here for step-by-step instructions on assigning page roles. Before removing yourself as an admin, make sure there is an active employee of the school with access to the page.
- Alert the Department of Communications to your new Facebook Page by providing the link to the page in an email to communications@palmbeachschools.org and copy jordan.barenburg@palmbeachschools.org. The team will then reach out to you and will provide a link to begin the process of archiving your content. Chapter 119, F.S., FL Public Records Law requires public entities to save posted content and messages.
- Followers may use your social media pages to reach out with specific questions and issues. We recommend you set an auto-reply to direct messages to let followers know they need to call or email your school directly with any inquiries. Click here to learn how to set up an auto-reply. An example of an auto-reply:
Thank you for reaching out to [insert school name here]. All questions and inquiries should be directed to the school through traditional communication channels, such as email [insert school email address here] or phone [insert school phone number here]. You can also visit our school website for more information: [insert school web link here]. - Set up a profanity filter to proactively hide certain comments containing inappropriate words from appearing on your Page.
- Check out Facebook’s Help Center for further information on setting up and using your Page.
- Make plans to maintain your Page. Commit to posting once a week at first and gradually increase the frequency of posts based on the needs of your followers. Your school’s social media administrative team should periodically review your social media presence and make necessary changes.
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Creating a Twitter Account
Your social media administrative team will have a single username and password to manage your school or department Twitter account. You’re required to use the school’s social media email address issued by the District’s IT Department through an eSupport ticket to create your Twitter account. This will ensure account continuity for the school in case the primary administrator leaves. Make sure to choose a strong, secure password, which you should only share with your social media administrative team.
To create an account:
- Go to twitter.com/signup
- Choose a username, also known as a "handle.” This is the name your followers will use when tagging your account, so make it easy to remember and short.
- Your account “Name” should be the full name of your school or department. Do not use abbreviations unless that is necessary to meet character limits.
- Add a bio, which should be a brief description of your school or department.
- Choose a profile photo and header image. Your profile photo should be your school logo. Your header image can be a picture of your school or a photo of students who are approved to be on social media.
- Alert the Department of Communications to your new Twitter account by providing the link to the page in an email to communications@palmbeachschools.org and copy jordan.barenburg@palmbeachschools.org.
- Check out Twitter’s Help Center for more information on setting up your account and navigating Twitter.
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Creating an Instagram Account
Similar to a Twitter account, an Instagram account can be accessed through a single set of credentials by multiple administrators. You’re required to use the school’s social media email address issued by the District’s IT Department through an eSupport ticket to create your Instagram account. This will ensure account continuity for the school in case the primary administrator leaves. Make sure to choose a strong, secure password, which you should only share with your social media administrative team.
To create an account:
- Download the Instagram app from Google Play or Apple’s App Store. Instagram can be accessed from a desktop from instagram.com, however, the platform is limited in its desktop version.
- Tap “Sign Up With Email or Phone Number” (Android) or “Create New Account” (iPhone), then enter your District-issued social media email address (which will require a confirmation code.
- Create your username, which is called a “handle.” This should be short, relevant to your school, and easy to remember. Enter your secure password.
- Fill out your profile with relevant information.
- Alert the Department of Communications to your new Instagram account by providing the link to the page in an email to communications@palmbeachschools.org and copy jordan.barenburg@palmbeachschools.org.
- Check out Instagram’s Help Center to learn how to use Instagram.