Take inspiration from other Classlist Ambassadors and get your parent community really buzzing. We’ve trawled through our event feedback, helpdesk discussions, emails and blogs to bring you ingenious ideas from Ambassadors on how to get going and spark engagement. The tips come from Ambassadors and Reps using the app in all sorts of ways, in many different types of school.
Get the message out
1. “When you tell people about Classlist make sure you focus on the benefits for the parents and not just the PTA! ”
2. “Send parents to www.classlist.com to find the video on the homepage of parents talking about Classlist, as people love to see real people.”
3. “We asked the Head to include information about Classlist in their weekly newsletter. It saves the office time and it’s in the school’s interest that the school community thrives.”
Make it easy to join
4. “Send out information about Classlist. Invite parents by email and let them know it's easy to use and doesn’t take long to join.”
5. “Whenever there is an assembly, parents’ evening or any sort of event at school I stand up and tell parents about Classlist asking them to put their email address on a sheet I circulate. That way I can send them an email invitation, and they are likely to join quickly.”
6. “Host a coffee morning or cake sale and promote the app to parents in the queue.”
7. “The committee put posters up about Classlist on notice boards at school and have posted them into social groups too!”
8. “We’ve used the QR code to help enlist parents onto Classlist. It’s quick and easy to help get parents on.”
Catch new parents
9. “Make sure you get the school to put information about Classlist in their Welcome Pack for new parents.”
10. “Listen out for new joiners and invite them. They are normally really grateful to be able to contact other parents.”
11. “Get the Classlist logo and a website link put on the school website in the parents section.”
Get the community talking
12. “I start off conversations by asking interesting questions on Classlist which get parents posting.”
13. “I use Canva to design graphics for my wall messages. People love them and it’s free to subscribe”
14. “I spend around 10 minutes doing emails to both classes on a Sunday evening just to remind people of events in the forthcoming week”
Delegate!
15. “We re-introduced Class Reps to our school. They help parents to join and post regular messages on Classlist. If people only hear about Classlist from the Chair of the PTA the take up won’t be so quick. Classlist does make it easier to be a Class Rep, so it wasn't hard to find people to do that. Give them a PTA job description.”
16. “We are very methodical about making sure as many parents join as possible. One person in each class is responsible for asking the parents to join.”
Set a deadline
17. “We told the Class Reps that after half-term all communications must be done via Classlist. There is no point in being half-hearted!”
Snagging the stragglers
18. “If someone tells me they don’t want to join I ask if I can add their email to the mailing list, so they can get PTA announcements and invitations. Sometimes they join a week or two later.”
19. “If someone hasn’t joined I ask if I can help them join, and I stand with them while they do it.”
20. “I post interesting questions and discussions on Classlist which get parents answering. Then I find the parents who haven’t joined Classlist yet will hear about the discussion and join.”
21. “I set up events that were purely social such as a mums night out, and only put information on Classlist. I find that the parents talk about it and will say: ‘You need to be on Classlist to get the emails.’”
Getting volunteers
22. “Form an event or sub committee for big PTA events like the summer fete or Christmas fair.”
23. “Make it all about the kids and less about what the PTA wants!”
24. “Start small with small groups for events like a class coffee morning or dog walkers and use Classlist to help promote the details.”
25. “Make it social and fun. Encourage people to volunteer for things they like doing or have particular skills at!”
Do you have any other great tips we should add? Please let us know at support@classlist.com.
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