Welcome to a new section of the School Messenger! To help you reach more students for Christ, we're excited to add helpful articles on how you can market your Christian school. In this section, I'll personally write helpful articles with creative ideas on how you can affordably promote your Christian school. Be sure to look for more of these articles in the months ahead!

I pray these articles will inspire you to take actions that will change lives for the glory of God.

Rohn Gibson
Vice President of Marketing

How to Use Facebook for Your Christian School
In case you haven't noticed, almost everyone is on Facebook. Chances are your kids, your relatives, your co-workers, and even your high school friends are on Facebook. So, what's all the fuss about Facebook anyway? A free social networking site with over 200 million users, Facebook is a network of people who can interact with each other online. Organized by location or relationship, Facebook is simply one of the largest social spots on the web, and contrary to what you may think, Facebook is not just for teens.

Did you know that more than 100 million users log on to Facebook at least once every day. In fact, the average user has 120 friends on the site, and there are more then 25 million active user groups. With such staggering numbers, it's clear that Facebook is a powerful social medium, but how can it help your Christian school?

Here's how:

• Create your own user or school group and invite others to join. Remember, each user has around 100 friends, so imagine how many people you could reach!
• Post information about your school, including links to your school website, upcoming events, course information, and more.
• Search for other relevant groups that might be interested in your school. Don't forget to create a group for all your students to join.
• Make contact with others who will help to promote your school. Anyone can become a "fan" of you, see updates, and share the "discovery" of your page with friends.
• Find posted material with information that can help your school

Best of all, Facebook is free, and there's a good possibility that a lot of your students (and even teachers) are already on Facebook! All you have to do is join, have them add you as a friend, and let the word about your Christian school spread. To get started, begin by creating a profile.

How to Make a Facebook Profile
Go to www.facebook.com. Enter your name, email, password, gender, and birth date on Facebook's homepage. Click "sign up" to proceed. (You may be asked to type in an automated code when signing up. This is just to prevent spammers from using Facebook. Simply type in the code and verify your email address). Next, you'll need to check your email. You should have a message from Facebook confirming who you are. Click on the link provided in your email, and it will take you back to Facebook.

Once you have confirmed your account, Facebook will guide you through the steps of setting up your profile. After you've completed adding your information, you can find friends, students, teachers, and more! Simply type in the names you're looking for and add them as a friend.

How to Make a Facebook Group
You can also create a Facebook Group! A group allows you to connect with friends on a closer level. In a group, you can easily send a mass message to all your members' inboxes. Your group's activities also go into feeds like wall posts, discussion threads, and uploaded photos. This increases visibility and encourages interaction! Groups can be created around any topic, but you need to be a member of Facebook to create a Facebook Group.

To make a group, go to www.facebook.com. Start by logging into Facebook using your registered email. Go to the "my groups" link. Click "create a group" to make your own and fill in the form. Name your group and select a privacy level. When finished, click "create a group." You can also upload a photo! To invite friends, click on "my groups" and click "edit group." Go to the "members" tab and choose your Facebook friends to join or invite non-Facebook friends by adding their emails. Edit your group on the "group info" tab to keep your information up to date! Turn on your forums from the "edit group profile" page and start chatting.

Why Your Christian School Should Use Facebook
Why should your school use Facebook? Considering 70% to 80% of Christian students stop attending church within two years of their high school graduation, the need to raise students in the truth of God's Word is more urgent now than ever! Using Facebook, you can reach an enormous group of parents, students, and alumni who are eager to hear what your Christian school has to offer.

Often forgotten in Christian schools, marketing is an important component of a school's success. With the easy steps mentioned above, you can promote your school to thousands on Facebook, and you can do it all for free! Don't wait. Reach more souls for the Lord and open your Facebook account today at www.facebook.com.

P.S. Make sure you also join AOP's Christian Schools Facebook Group!