• Check with your school administration prior to beginning a social media page/account to find out if there are any district policies you need to follow. (For example, are signed release forms needed to post photos of students?)
• Check with the principal before taking any pictures of students.
• Take bright and colorful pictures.
• Don’t post pictures of sloppy trays or work areas.
• Use proper grammar and spell-check.
• Crop and edit pictures before posting.
• Close-ups work well.
• Ask student/staff member for permission before taking a photograph.
• Videos can work well depending on the situation and social media platform.
• Use website links for more information.
• Use relevant hashtags and emojis.
• Keep your posts short.
• Post at times when traffic is higher such as over the lunch hour or after work.
• Don’t post any personal information/personal opinions. Keep it professional!
• Determine which social media platform(s) is best for reaching your target audience. (Facebook is most popular among adults while teenagers are more likely to be using Instagram and Snapchat¹.)
• Share your social media account pages/addresses in a variety of ways (e.g. on breakfast/lunch menus, on information sent home to parents/guardians, during “Back to School” events, etc.)

Adapted from: Boler D. 1/14/20. Budget-Friendly Marketing Techniques to Boost Breakfast and Lunch Participation. [Healthy Choices in Schools Webinar presentation sponsored by Cornell University Extension - https://learn.extension.org/events/3736]

¹J. Chen. Sprout Social. Social media demographics to inform your brand’s strategy in 2020. Accessed 1/15/20. https://sproutsocial.com/insights/new-social-media-demographics/