NSPRA Mini Labs | Paid Social Media Ads for School Districts

When:  May 13, 2026

Running paid social ads in a school district doesn’t require a massive budget, it requires a smart plan. In this tactical Mini Lab, we’ll walk step-by-step through how to plan, build, launch, and evaluate paid social media campaigns that support enrollment, recruitment, and awareness goals. Designed for school communicators working with limited resources, this session will show you how to align spending with key times of year, choose the right campaign objectives, define target audiences, and use website analytics to guide geographic and recruitment targeting. You’ll see real examples of what to boost, what to run as a formal ad, and how to stretch a modest budget for maximum impact. Expect practical walkthroughs, platform-level tips, and lessons learned — so you can confidently run your next paid campaign with purpose instead of guesswork.

Presenter: Emily Parks, Director of Communications at Midway ISD (Texas)