Emily Surovick, Director of Lower School Admission and

Vincent Valenzuela, Director of Admission, Chestnut Hill Academy, PA

Social networking sites like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter have generated a revolutionary change in the way people use the Internet. Today, the websites that enjoy the most daily traffic are the ones in which users create the content. The information is opinionated, timely, authentic – and just what consumers are looking for!

Statistics show that the numbers of “parent-aged” people using Facebook and Twitter is growing exponentially. These are new vehicles schools can use to target their key audiences. Important issues to resolve beforehand include choosing a name for the Facebook/Twitter pages, determining what information a school is willing/permitted to post, and deciding how much control a school is willing to give up!

Schools can solicit the help of current parents and students to create content for their pages and to post positive information about their schools. Facebook advertising, with its micro-targeting capability, is also a strategy for schools to consider.

To view Emily’s and Vincent’s primer on social networking, visit www.SlideShare.net and search “SSATB.”