(television ad for Bowflex home fitness equipment) It’s all about expectations. We hope that if we buy the medicine ball, we will automatically get stronger. If we put the book on our desk, we will be smarter. If we wear a new dress or tie, we will be more charming. If we announce a new program, our stakeholders will praise our leadership. Un...

I hosted a panel discussion recently about maximizing Facebook as a frontline for school communications. Each of the three panelists: Tim Bullis, director, community relations, Chesterfield (Va.) County Schools, Annette Eyman, communications director, Papillion-LaVista School district, Papillion, Neb.; and Barbara Griffith, senior communication...

Check out this infographic, created using a new social media trend--web infographics. We used Picktochart to display our topic: Five Things Superintendents Need To Know About Social Media. Let us know what you think. This infographic was first published by National School Public Relations Association.

We seem to be short on strategy. But, we’re great with tactics. That’s where we always start. We’ll put out a memo, design a web page, write a blog. Maybe we can do a kickoff event and bring in some staff development names. We’ll invite the media. All of this is good stuff, it means we’re thinking about the need to communicate with ou...

Ready to get started with social media? Understand four truths of the new media environment (below) and use the questions to guide your implementation. 1. We live in a multi-screen world. What multiple screens (laptops, desktops, tablets, smart phones) are members of your community looking at? What screen(s) does your community now use to...