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Free Lockdown Tools You’ll Actually Use … Now and In the Future

May 11 2020

Having worked out of a home office for almost three years now I know the value of tools that keep you connected. While there are thousands of digital tools out there, the truth is many are far too expensive and/or complicated for a lot of schools to use. In this month’s blog, I’m sharing my favourite (and free) remote-working tools to help school marketers work more efficiently and effectively during the lockdown and beyond.

Hosting Online Meetings and Webinars

Keeping connected with school colleagues and parents during lockdown – not to mention friends and family – is essential. There are a lot of times when a call will suffice, but as our time in isolation continues, the benefits of a face-to-face meeting increases. So, whether it’s to brainstorm ideas, resolve an issue, or used as part of your Virtual Open Day, you can’t beat Zoom’s reliability. I’ve been using Zoom for a couple of years now and although it has some downsides (not very attractive looking webinar landing pages), overall, it’s proven itself to be a platform that I, and millions of others, can rely on.

In last month’s blog on Hosting a Virtual Open Day, I talked about different tools you could use. One that I didn’t mention then was Zoom.  Zoom can not only be used to host a live webinar with the Head but also to schedule one-to-one meetings with parents who would like to learn more beyond your Virtual Open Day. You may also want to use Zoom’s Breakout Rooms feature that would allow parents to join various discussions held by other members of your team such as your Boarding head, Head students, Director of Sport etc.

For daily use, Zoom’s screen sharing capabilities mean you can easily show a colleague how to do something with a live-demo. Record it and they have instructions on how to do it themselves the next time.

To understand more of the available features on the free vs paid Zoom, visit their pricing page. Note, if you’re wanting to use Zoom for both meetings and webinars (such as your Head’s Welcome), you’ll want to know the difference between the two. Visit their Meeting vs Webinar page.

If you’re currently using Zoom you may want to download their plugin for Outlook which allows you to schedule Zoom meetings directly in your calendar. Check out all their plugin’s in their Download Centre.

Working with a Team on a Project

There are two free and simple tools that I’d highly recommend for project management – Google Sheets and Trello. If you’re wanting something quick and dirty, Google Sheets is definitely the way to go. Google Sheets is really just a free online version of Excel. You decide who you share it with and the levels of permission you grant – view, edit, download etc. Create a simple To-Do checklist on the spreadsheet and assign it to your various team members. You can even create a Gantt-style chart in it. Google Sheets allow you and your team to review the live spreadsheet together and easily make changes or notes. If you already have an Excel spreadsheet created you can easily convert it into a Google Sheet and benefit from all online the capabilities.

For those that have a more complex or perhaps a more creative project to plan, Trello might be your preferred choice. Trello is an interactive online platform that allows you to create task boards, assign users, add timelines, and To-Do checklists all very quickly. Trello is much more visual so for that reason, it does tend to lend itself more to creative projects. However, some may find Trello a bit more work than it’s worth so you’ll want to weigh up the size of your project with how comfortable your team is using a new platform. But be warned, Trello can be addictive…!

Sharing Files with Colleagues, Suppliers and even Parents

There are times when email just doesn’t suffice and a platform for files and photos sharing is an absolute must. I for one am not a DropBox fan. An even easier – and more reliable –  file-sharing system (and one available on everyone’s desktop) is Google Drive. Think of Google Drive as your online filing system. It’s the perfect platform for creating and sharing documents that are automatically backed up online.

Create a folder for uploading images for your prospectus project, your Google Ads campaign, or even a folder where parents can upload their own images or videos. Again, you decide on the levels of permission on the folders and the files themselves – i.e. view, download, comment etc.

The best thing about Google Drive, of course, is the fact that your files are accessible on any device, at any time. I use Google Drive to quickly ‘move’ photos from my phone to my laptop (and vice versa) without the hassle of emailing them to myself. This is a massive time saver! Google Drive is also where I  save my shared webinar slides and where I’ll exchange photos and copy with clients for their digital campaigns. Once you start using Google Drive you’ll wonder how you managed without it before!

You’ll find Google Drive, your Google Sheets as well as other Google Apps in the ‘waffle’ menu—the 9 dot grid you’ll see next to your Google profile image in a browser page.

Chatting Online with Colleagues

And lastly, if you’re working from home you’ll need a way to quickly communicate with colleagues. Everyone has their favourite personal chatting platform or app, so it really depends on what type of communication you’ll be using it for. Do you want something that tracks or records your conversations or are you just looking for a way to quickly ask a question of a colleague without having to send an email each time? If you’re looking for an easy – and free – application, why not use WhatsApp? If you’re already using it in your personal life then you know how easy and secure it is. What I love even more about it is it has a desktop version! No switching between your mobile and your desktop – you can ask or answer a colleague without missing a beat.

WhatsApp allows you to create groups as well so it makes it easy to manage your conversions by topic if needed. Obviously, WhatsApp isn’t as advanced as a tool like Slack but if you’re a small team do you really need to invest in something that complex? Download the desktop version of WhatsApp and check it out yourself!

If you’re not a fan of WhatsApp, then you might want to give Google Hangouts a try. Like WhatsApp, Hangouts also gives you the option to call, video chat, or message. Some of the benefits over WhatsApp is the screen sharing capabilities and the integration with other Google products. Hangouts does have a more ‘professional’ feel to it and again, is already accessible from your waffle menu.

It’s really a matter of preference when it comes to the two platforms, but whichever option you choose, be sure your desktop notifications are on or you’ll lose the whole point of these platforms – quick and easy interaction with colleagues!

Going digital doesn’t necessarily mean using the lastest and most expensive platforms. Sometimes the old stand-bys are the best. I’d love to hear what you’ve been using while at home during lockdown…

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Alta Justus, The Virtual Marketer

Alta Justus, The Virtual Marketer

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An equally creative and analytical Digital Marketing Consultant with over 18 years education and commercial marketing experience, I'm passionate about helping schools succeed in the digital arena. Read More…

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#tuesdaytip: Have a Google account? Use it or lose #tuesdaytip: Have a Google account? Use it or lose it! Google's recently announced accounts that haven't been used in a couple of years, or exceeded their storage, will be at risk of deletion. If you're like most school marketers you'll probably have a few Gmail accounts and a Google Drive or two that you haven't looked at for a while. Of course, I'd always recommend using a verified school email over a Gmail account but if are using a random Gmail and Drive to store photos or to access your Google Analytics, etc, make a point to check those accounts. It will be a while before your data is deleted, and you'll receive a couple of warnings, but as we all know tasks like this can be set aside until it's too late. Don't risk losing valuable data or photos - review your Google accounts today. And while you're at it why not switched to a Google verified work email so you don't miss any important messages like this one 😁

How to verify your school email with Google: 
Visit my blog via my bio or go to
👉 https://thevirtualmarketer.co.uk/how-to-use-my-school-email-for-my-google-accounts/

#vmdigitaltips #digitalmarketing #googlenews #schoolmarketing #educationmarketing
I love this quote about being productive vs busy. I love this quote about being productive vs busy. And this article — 11 Differences Between Busy People And Productive People — gives some great examples of the differences as well as tips to become a more productive person. I know I'm bad at saying 'Yes' a little too quickly for my own good so a great reminder for me. Who couldn't use a few tips for improving productivity... 😁

👉https://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/11-differences-between-busy-people-and-productive-people.html

#mondaymotivation #timemanagementtips #digitalmarketing #schoolmarketing #educationmarketing  #strategicmarketing
I'm so pleased to see an increase in schools reach I'm so pleased to see an increase in schools reaching out for SEO training and support. Yes, digital advertising is the fastest way to get in front of your parents, but you should still be thinking long-term. That may very well include digital campaigns, but ideally, you'll want to grow your organic traffic to the point that you can reduce your advertising spend. At the very least you'll want to maintain your school website's SEO rankings.

When it comes to optimising a website for search engines there are a few things that have remained consistent throughout the years - like these 5 SEO tips. Still relevant after all these years and yet many schools have failed to do them. Why not grab a cuppa, have a read then make a plan to optimise your school website in 2021. Every little helps...

👉 Visit my blog via my bio or copy the link below

https://thevirtualmarketer.co.uk/5-seo-tips-every-school-marketer-can-implement/

#thursdaythoughts #schoolmarketing #educationmarketing #seotips #seostrategy #studentrecruitment #2021goals
Do the computers in your ICT classroom default to Do the computers in your ICT classroom default to your school website? If they do you'll want to filter out your internal traffic from Google Analytics to get a true sense of your data. It's not difficult to do but you'll first want to have a chat with IT to get a list of your IP addresses.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗱𝗱 𝗮 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀:

👉 Start by creating a new view. Once you filter traffic out of GA you can't get it back so create an additional view such as 'Filtered Traffic'
👉 Next, create a filter on your new view. Go to Admin > Filters and click +Add Filter
👉 Name = Exclude Internal IPs (or whatever you choose to call it)
👉 Filter Type = Predefined
👉 Select filter type = Exclude
👉 Source = Traffic from the IP addresses
👉 That are equal to = your IP address or range

For more details on how to create your new view or filter visit https://support.google.com/ or ping me a message 😊

That's it! Now you'll be able to see both your filtered and all data dependent on the view you select! 👍📊

#tuesdaytip #vmdigitaltips #googleanalytics #schoolmarketing #educationmarketing #strategicmarketing
I'm not sure about you but I certainly don't belie I'm not sure about you but I certainly don't believe marketing can be learned in a day! And as marketing is continuously evolving, are any of us ever 'Masters'? But I agree with the intent behind the message—marketing is a profession where your training never ends. Or shouldn't! When was the last time you did any training—digital or otherwise? Why not make CPD a priority in 2021! 👍

#digitalmarketingtraining
#socialmediamarketing
#digitaladvertising
#seo
#googleanalytics
#schoolmarketing
#educationmarketing 
#studentrecruitment 
#mondaymotivation
Does your school brand reflect what parents are lo Does your school brand reflect what parents are looking for and engaging with online? The internet has evolved over the years and so have our audiences. They're savvy to sales pitches and blatant self-promotion. What they want is to connect with businesses and people they can trust—especially with their child. For brand authenticity, you need to be perceived as reliable, respectful, and 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡. Does that sound like your school...?

#morningcoffeethoughts 
#brandidentity 
#schoolmarketing 
#educationmarketing 
#contentmarketing 
#socialmediamarketing 
#schoolwebsite
You've probably heard me mention many times the im You've probably heard me mention many times the importance of gaining control and optimising your Google My Business account to improve your search engine rankings.
 
One of the fields that has a direct impact on your SEO is your Business Category. You may currently have one or two added, but did you know you can have up to 10 categories? Google is updating their categories all the time so it's worth looking at this field when you're adding new photos or sharing your latest blog within the platform. 
 
I came across this fab website the other day that can quickly show the different categories available outside of GMB. Select your country and add your term (i.e. 'school') and see all the options available. Of course, you can also do the same in GMB but this may be the prompt you need to add those additional categories and improve your school's SEO!
 
👉https://pleper.com/index.php?do=tools&sdo=gmb_categories
 
Just a note, I'm having difficulties accessing this site this morning (not sure if it's me or them??) but hopefully, you'll have no problem getting in 🤞
 
Not sure what Google My Business is? Have a peek here: https://www.google.com/intl/en_gb/business/
 
#tuesdaytip #vmdigitaltips #digitalmarketing #seotools #seotips #seostrategy #seoservices #schoolmarketing
Since how you think dictates how your week goes, w Since how you think dictates how your week goes, why not start on a positive note?! It's not always easy but there are ways to help you develop a more positive mindset. 

If you have 5 minutes, grab a cuppa and have a read of this article by @womenontopp, 𝟱 𝗪𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽 𝗮 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹:

👉https://www.womenontopp.com/5-ways-to-develop-a-positive-mindset-to-help-you-become-more-successful/

(you can also search 'improve your mindset' in Google to find it) 

There's some great advice in there to help shift your mindset, so definitely worth the read. 

Here's to a fantastic week, everyone! 😊

#digitalmarketing #schoolmarketing #educationmarketing #digitalmarketingtraining #wellbeing #mondaymotivation
I know Monday is the last thing on your mind on a I know Monday is the last thing on your mind on a Friday afternoon but if you can do these few tasks today I guarantee you'll feel so much more positive and in control of your week:

👉 Plan for the week ahead. Tuesdays are apparently the most productive day of the week so schedule any of your big projects for that day and see if that's the case for you.

👉 Keep Monday as your flexible day. Monday is the day that sets the tone for the week and if you pack too much into the day you'll start the week off feeling behind. Schedule smaller tasks and keep as much time open as you can.

👉 Do a little digital housekeeping today. With energy usually low on a Friday afternoon it's a great time to tidy up your computer files. It's easy work, but also immensely rewarding. While you're at it, maybe give your desk a little dusting off as well. A clutter-free desk and mind are the best way to start your week!

I'm off to clear my own desktop files. I'm terrible at 'I'll file that away later'... 😁

Have a fabulous weekend everyone. See you Monday!

#fridayfeeling #organisedchaos #schoolmarketing #educationmarketing #digitalmarketing #digitalmarketingtraining
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