Facebook in marketing and branding school

In Voionmaa upper secondary school are 540 students and most of them are athletics or really active in sports. Because of large interest in sports and health, there are influence our marketing and branding school.

What makes Facebook so good communication tool in school community?
Almost every student has a profile, in our school about 95% use it. Its easy way to share comments, pictures and videos - just what students like. Their also want be part of communities and because school is so big part of their life, school community in Facebook really works even among former students.

Our most used marketing channel is Facebook together with our website.  We have simple marketing principles: In marketing terms our Product is quality general education;  Extra services – what more you get – friendship, community of student, who are active in athletics, interested in health, active learning projects; Image We provide student an active, sporty community, where students feel safe to learn and meet friends in good  atmosphere– new students become a membership of Voionmaa School Tribe. 

We are documenting all the events  in pictures and videos to our website and Facebook. There are also principles of documentation: Entertainment- for your senses,  Esthetic(visual look), Educational (learning is also fun, student can participate), Escapism– moment away from reality,   experiences of participation. Wy try to link all those elements on documentations.
We make 2-4 new videos from our school with MovieMaker and use lot of mobile videos. Our Head  engineer:) Jarkko Sairanen is also in Twitter. Here is one presentation video from Voionmaan upper secondary school. with translation.
Welcome to Voionmaa upper secondary school, next year you are studying somewhere. How do feel studying school,  where basic teaching is good, but there is something else going on. . .There is chance for sports training for everyone, training places are beside the school, studying with project based learning, teachers are challenged involved projects, you are most welcome here, to Voionmaa

Using Facebook for marketing events

Voionmaan upper secondary school Big High School Union held in December 2010. We wanted to get together our current and former students which are in our Facebook community. One important motive was also strengthen the whole Facebook community face-to-face event. Our primary target were old students last 10 period.

We used all kind of promotions, but the effective one was videos of teachers, made by teachers. Also old students made their on videos and invate their own class to join. All videos  were shoot by mobile, easy and quick and impression of reality. Teacher-videos connect their experience, old memories of favorite teachers, the good high school times (dont we all miss it:). There were about 20 teacher videos and all had same message in different personal ways - come and meet old students and teachers once again in 17.12. 2010.


Here is one example from our sport and health science teacher - we have great hockeyplayers in our school. Quick translation: "ok, former and current students, its a game day, celebration day 17.12., it doesnt matter, are you coming through center, or sides, be brave, come straigt to goal area, in 17.12.
Mobile promotion video from our teacher Mika Lievonen. Another seconds from our former students,  gymnactics group called Akrobatmanboys, who were also perfom in event. Translation: "Do you want to see more, see you in 17.12. Gymnastics mobile video 

We had 400 old students Big High School Union and feedback was really positive, their honered the community memory and membership We also made the deal, that their would come when needed to tell about their studies and professions in our councellor club almost held in every week. We published some after event videos and here is one minute from Acrobatmanboys performing (total gymnastic presentation was 25 minutes) Acrobatmanboys


For teacher working with Facebook in school community is emotional and fun, rewarding to show all kind of talents students have, different from normal work and its just so esthetic to document a life of  enthusiastic young learners.