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How do you decide on tools you love to use on a daily basis? It’s no doubt that we all have a perfect blend of how we organize our days: from post-notes, to paper planners, to project management software, and more. The reality is that there’s not one all-encompassing solution but, like a perfect cup of coffee or tea, there’s a perfect blend for everyone. So—what does your perfect blend of tools look like for your district’s communication needs?
When it comes to deciding on what your perfect blend of communications tools is, it’s a great idea to start with what you have and assess how it’s currently being utilized. We met up with Lesley Bruinton in a recent episode of Peachjar Extra Credit to discuss the ways that you can analyze the tools you have and use them to your advantage—not just what their original use-case intends. Lesley and Matthew outline 9 key tips for leveraging communication tools including auditing and analyzing the data that you already have—then asking how you can make that data more. Lesley uses a great example of comparing school robo-calls, message lengths, and listen length to assess whether or not that data is being absorbed by parents and guardians. She asks: are they listening? If not, that tool may not be the most effective way to communicate that message.
The importance of tools that work together to help you drive results cannot be overstated and the importance of understanding the capabilities and limitations of those tools is equally critical. When you look at the tools that make up your communications plan, you very likely have an emergency phone system for sending automated messages directly to guardians in the event of an emergency or school closure. Other platforms are designed to function as teacher-to-home communications methods, bringing parents and guardians knowledge from their child’s classroom and instructors directly. Social media tools are also a key component in your toolbox (and if not—they should be). When you utilize these tools to the fullest and in conjunction with one another
Peachjar is the unique edtech platform designed to bring community partners directly into the conversation with your district and families, connecting them all. From local programs like camps and academic support groups, to large-scale organizations that provide resources for mental, physical, and social-emotional health, to federal agencies like the US Census who ultimately provide support dollars for public school districts—organizations that have the ability to directly impact and benefit your district’s families are reaching out directly. Peachjar grants parents unprecedented access to various opportunities that can positively impact their family. With a single login, community programs can reach 1 in 4 parents nationwide in less than 5 minutes. Not only does this make more resource information available to families in a shorter amount of time but families are able to sign up or learn more about these programs directly from their source using Peachjar’s specific call-to-action buttons. Districts are able to do this, too, and everyone can track the metrics on how many families interacted with their notifications.
At Peachjar, we’re constantly improving and we know you are, too! If you’re a current Peachjar partner district and you want to offer more or specific community resources (like support for mental health, teen health issues, extra curricular programming, or something else entirely), reach out to us and we can help. If you’re not a current Peachjar district and you’d like to know more about how you can leverage all of your communications tools with Peachjar to better impact your district families—schedule a demo with us. We’d love to support you