Despite all the whiplash we might have experienced keeping pace, you can't dispute that communications have trended in a good way. We've spent more time crafting thoughtful messages. We've learned. We've overcome being video-shy.
And increasingly, we've realized the wisdom of getting together as a community.
1. Multi-platform content distribution will be king
There is no single solution to communication and there never has been. But 2025 will be a sure shot of calling for diversifying your content. And though no one's excluding the fact that your content's dollar value factors into reaching your community, it's truly how your content is delivered which will break or make your school experience a year from now.
You’ll notice there are no “Short-form video will be on the rise,” “More schools will be on TikTok,” or “Email will be the preferred form of communications” predictions on this year’s list. That’s because it’s quite nearly impossible to pin a single content format as a leading trend when your school community is more unique — and demanding — than ever before.
2. Online fatigue will demand authenticity
Long gone are the days of cold calls, perfectly groomed Facebook posts, and overt self-promotion emails. These just don't stick in today's honest era, and increasing studies are finding that social fatigue is having its negative effects.
3. Artificial intelligence will have a growing impact on communications and SEO
With each passing year, there are new developments with artificial intelligence (AI). It can be useful, a bit scary, and somewhere in between. And while AI will likely make its presence felt both in the manner in which your school communicates and the manner in which it approaches teaching next year, these are two things to watch out for.
The trend toward voice searches
Research is moving to put voice assistants at 8.4 billion units. Since more and more homes are buying AI-facilitated domestic devices such as Amazon Echos and Google Homes, increasing numbers of searches will be done verbally.
Why would your district or school care? Consider how you would type school district reviews near me in Google and how you might ask the same of a smart speaker. Were I making a wild guess, the two searches would be:
Google search - "school districts near me reviews"
Smart home voice search - “Hey Google, what do people say about the school districts in my area?”
Voice searches are naturally more conversational than the traditional search engine query. And as more of these long-tailed searches come in, you’ll want to take advantage of them for your search engine optimization (SEO).
Consider the words that you currently attempt to rank for, and think about how you can take those and make them into a frequently asked question that will come in through search. Can you create an eBook for a frequently asked question such as, "Why should I attend a private school?" or can you insert these long-tailed words into your page titles?
