Should Your PTA or PTO Run A Facebook Page? Pros & Cons

Should Your PTA or PTO Run A Facebook Page? Pros & Cons
Whether you are new to your school’s Parent Teacher Association or a veteran, you might be considering a Facebook page for your organization. Facebook is a great tool that doesn’t require much time. We break down more pros and cons so you can make the best decision for your team.
Pros

• Engagement: You want all of the parents to feel involved. Using Facebook is a great way to connect with parents on their time instead of playing phone tag.
• Easy: Facebook is a great way to disseminate information quickly. Sometimes information can be twisted when it comes through word of mouth, but with a thought out  Facebook post, you are the source of information everyone can trust.

Cons

• Dust Collector: When people search your PTA name, and an outdated Facebook page pops up, you lose credibility. If you or someone on your team isn’t going to keep the page updated on a regular basis (at least once a week) we don’t recommend starting one.
• User Error: Facebook is great, but sometimes user error occurs. For example, a volunteer may be wanting to get in touch with your PTA but if they forget to add their e-mail address, the communication is lost. Issues like this will deter volunteers over time.

Ground Rules
If you’ve decided that starting a Facebook page would be beneficial to your parent group, here are a few ground rules that will help make it successful:

1. 
3. Have at least 2 administrators: This way if one person is out of town or leaves the position, there is always someone who knows the information and knows how to run the page.
5. Invite those who are involved in your PTA to join the page: What good is the Facebook page if no one uses it? Invite parents to join the community.
7. Get approval to post photos of children: Always get the parent’s permission before you post photos of their children to respect their privacy.
9. Don’t over-post: Aim for 1-3 times a week.
11. Don’t engage in negativity: If the page receives negative comments, simply acknowledge them with something neutral like “thank you for sharing, we will look into it” and address the problem privately.
13. Post helpful, relevant and timely information: Copies of meeting agendas, volunteer sign-ups and event calendars are exactly what the page was made for.

Try it out for a few months and see if it is a helpful tool for your community. If not, no harm was done and you can delete the page. For more PTA tips, visit our other related blog posts here.