Instagram for Schools: 8 mistakes to avoid!

Using Instagram for schools can bring excellent results. However, there are many language schools using Instagram poorly and getting no return on energy or investment because they are guilty of some serious mistakes in their strategy.

Instagram has changed massively since it first launched and nowadays it is the place to be for a language school that needs to reach millennial parents and Generation Z students. Language Schools can build an effective online presence through this platform and increase their brand awareness in the local community and beyond. However, like all the other social media platforms, Instagram has its own dynamics and therefore it is crucial to follow basic best practices and avoid the following mistakes when using Instagram for school marketing.

1. The feed is used as a “noticeboard” for reminders and promotions:

The Instagram feed of your school is like your business card or the facade of your school. It needs to be linear, attractive and coordinated to the colours and style of your language school. It is where users will come to take away something like inspiration, tips and tricks about learning English, motivation to keep studying, sneak peeks and behind the scenes but not to buy a course! Generally speaking, promotions, reminders and communications should go into your stories and not on your feed.

2. You have a personal profile instead of a Business page for the school‘s Instagram account:

If you are either a language school or a freelancer, what you need is a business page because you can benefit from features that you don’t have on a personal account or profile. The most important of those features is the dashboard with all the data on how your page is performing. In other words, this is where you will check the level of engagement on your Instagram for school or freelance activity. Basically, the analytics will help you understand if you need to tweak the strategy of your posts for better performance.

3. The bio section has no link to your website or WhatsApp Business of your language school:

Instagram users that are attracted to one of your posts and want to check the source will, first of all, check your bio. This is your chance to get them from your Instagram page to your website or WhatsApp “catalogue” where they will see your courses and perhaps leave their contact details. For this reason, it’s crucial that the bio has your website’s URL and your link to start a chat with you on WhatsApp . (Read the blog post to find out how to get a WA link and download the “Optimize WhatsApp Checklist too)

4. You do paid ads and there are only a couple of random native posts in your feed:

It’s quite natural for somebody who sees your ad and is interested in what you offer, to go and visit your profile to learn more about you and how you work. However, if they only find a couple of random native posts on your feed, it will be rather disappointing and they won’t have a chance to get to know you and trust you.

Your feed should be like a garden that attracts butterflies (your prospects) and it should tell your school’s story and all the amazing activities and lessons you do. Remember that a good first impression can work wonders and a first bad impression can take a long time to reverse.

If you are not active on your Instagram then simply put a post saying that. Here is an example for you: “We aren’t posting here at the moment, please visit our website and find out about all the great courses we do. Link in bio”. On one hand, if you wish to have an active feed, then consider doing about 80% of your posts social and native. On the other hand, do about 20% commercial paid posts to keep a healthy balance and keep attracting “butterflies”!

5. You are not engaging with your school’s followers:

Social networks are a place to build relationships. If you are not engaging with followers then you are being “unsocial” on a “social” platform and that is a missed opportunity for you. The more you engage with followers the bigger the chance to be seen, noticed and followed by other Instagrammers. Because of this, it’s a good idea to allow yourself ten minutes a day just to engage with your followers’ posts and your followers’ stories.

6. Poor use of hashtags in your posts:

Hashtags deserve a full blog article given their importance in giving your account visibility and helping you connect with prospects that follow your target hashtag. (I will do one soon!) For the time being, what I can say here is that you need to make sure you always have hashtags in your posts. Remember that you can put a maximum of 30 hashtags but you don’t have to use them all the time. The most important thing is to include hashtags, at least six and choose those that are relevant to the topic of the post.

7. Plain language in your Instagram copy:

Sometimes the language of the post is flat, maybe too flat. The tone of your copy should be engaging, friendly and one that reflects your personality. Take this point into consideration if you are either a freelance or the owner of the school. Remember, it is not what you say but how you say it and this is also valid on social media!.

8. You aren’t tracking the dashboard:

The dashboard in the analytics gives you precious information about how your posts are performing. Because of this, you should check it frequently to see if the performance is improving. If you notice that you’re underperforming it’s a clear sign that you need to change the type of content so that the posts perform better. It’s vital that you keep an eye on analytics so that you know your ROE (return on energy!) and identify where you need to make changes for better performance.

So all things considered…

Using Instagram for schools or a freelance activity is key at the moment. If you are making one of the mistakes listed above, then please stop immediately and start taking action now to make your Instagram account really work for you.  In order to help you, I have created a worksheet that you can download here. This worksheet will help you identify the mistakes as well as plan action points. If you avoid these mistakes on Instagram, are consistent in engaging with your community and care about the use of hashtags, then you are likely to enjoy a quick and healthy growth in your social media presence. Download the worksheet now and stop making mistakes on your school’s Instagram account forever!

Not sure how to make the most out of Instagram? Do you feel like you need some help to make your Instagram work for your language services? Contact me and let’s have a chat to see how I can help with my services.