Leadership for Students Activities - January 2015, NASC Edition - (Page 12)

BUILDING a BUZZ Ensure that your events go viral LY N FI SCUS I n the flood of information that bombards students daily, posters and announcements can be easily overlooked, so student leaders strive for new ways to get people talking about their events. In marketing, this effort- creating an interaction between your message and your audience that builds energy, excitement, or anticipation-is referred to as "building a buzz." To make sure your activities are trending among the student body, follow these tips. ■ Be active. "Something I learned a long time ago is that you have to keep whatever is happening in front of the kids," said Paul Chylinski, activities director at Loara High School in Anaheim, CA. "Whatever is going on, we talk about it every day; there's no letting up-constant posting, constant notes, constant shout-outs-never, never stopping." At Western Dubuque High School in Epworth, IA, student council members regularly use Instagram and Twitter to publicize their events. 12 leadership for student activities "We are always posting pictures, tweeting about our upcoming events, congratulating successful teams and individuals, and promoting other school activities," said senior Lisa Greenwood. ■ Use multiple channels. Don't rely on only one method of getting the word out. You will reach more people by using different methods and having multiple people post messages. For example, the student council at Centennial High School in Las Vegas, NV, has several social media accounts-including Twitter handles @StuCoBulldogs, @CHSBulldogsNV, and @DawgPoundCHS-on which they post activity information. "The student body president and I post on Remind," said student council adviser Michael Collins, referring to the online service that allows teachers to safely text message students and keep in touch with parents. "The student council members post on their favorite social media outlet." Woodgrove High School in Purcellville, VA, has active Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and SnapChat accounts, in addition to their school website. "Our marketing committee makes use of all of these regularly to get the word out on upcoming events, as well as to post pictures of past events and provide shout-outs and feedback after we've accomplished something great," said student council co-adviser Jeff Schutte. Social media management tools can help make the job of juggling multiple accounts easier (see sidebar). ■ Be creative. Brainstorm unexpected ways to reach your audiences. Students respond when messages are out of the ordinary. "Our most effective advertising [technique] is to get creative," said Kellie Reed, student council adviser at Palmer Ridge High School in Monument, CO. "One of our favorite ways to get the word out is to write information on clothespins, and then have our student council members covertly clip each clothespin to a student's clothes or backpack. When a student

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Leadership for Students Activities - January 2015, NASC Edition

Editor’s Note
Questions & Answers
Take Note
Being a Leader
From the Director
Building a Buzz
The Calm Created by Disruption
2015 Leadership Calendar
Giving Students a Voice
Middle Level Activities
Lessons for Leaders
Scholarships & Awards
Activities Exchange
Things to Do

Leadership for Students Activities - January 2015, NASC Edition