How to Build a Better School or Office Bulletin Board
It's a Great Way to Connect
Whether it is for the work place, school, or office a bulletin board can be a great way to get your message out to those who you want to hear it. These displays are also a great way to check out important information, upcoming social events, items for sale or rent, or to simply catch up on the latest local news.
There are many reasons why some boards do better than others. Notice boards tend to become popular because they feature important information or an ever revolving fun mix of interesting material. A well displayed or interesting board is one of the key reasons it will attract traffic but there are many ways to increase its community appeal.
These tips and suggestions will help to insure that you have the tools needed to encourage visitors and to keep them returning.
Location Location Location
Prime real estate is always important. Where you locate your corkboard can be a key factor in its success so select your location wisely. A board that is in a convenient location to visitors will insure that it can be easily found by those who may want to read its content.
A high traffic location is best. The more people who pass by it the better. Increased traffic means a better likelihood that people will stop and check out the information . read posted on your board. If it is an interactive display this will also increase the likelihood of others contributing to the board's posts. This brings fresh content which means even more people stopping by to see what is new on the board. Frequent activity around your board creates excitement.
Virtually every school, social group, and office that I have visited has a community board featured on one of their walls. I've noticed that lunch rooms and small coffee shops also display a board there as well. Watching the people interacting with those boards it is obvious that a well placed bulletin board can create a hub of activity around it. Where ever people stop for any length of time is the perfect location to post notices for them to read.
Know Your Target Audience
Regardless of whether you are displaying material for a school, community group, office, or business you will generally have an underlying theme. Although there may be many small bits and pieces of information on your bulletin board amidst all this material there is generally an underlying concept that pulls it all together. It is this common base that is generally the reason people will stop by to view this particular board on a regular basis.
The focus of their attention is what attracts them to the board. There must be a topic or theme of interest that is pertinent to your visitor. Depending on your target audience your posts may be strictly informative or social in nature, they could feature grade scores, job opportunities, social events, or classroom trivia.
Boards can be niche such as:Science
- Cooking
- Featured Artwork
- Scholarships and Bursaries
- Community Events
- Contests
- Positive Quotes and Sayings
- School Schedules
- Lunch Menu
- New Students / Members
- Sporting Event Information
- Club Information / Meeting Times
- For Rent
- Job Postings
Define the information that you want to share then experiment to discover a board theme that works best for your needs. A hodgepodge of ideas can be exciting too so depending on the theme of your board allowing a variety of posts can sometimes work better than featuring just one idea.
Have You Ever Posted to a Message Board?
They are everywhere but have you ever posted on one?
Keep it Exciting - Keep it Fresh
Fresh content is one of the best ways to garner interest and maintain it so post on a regular time schedule to keep your content fresh. This is especially necessary if you have a limited audience base. You will want to have them return time and again so update your content often.
If your bulletin board consistently provides the messaging that people expect to see there then people will continue to stop by on a regular basis to acquire that information. People will also be more apt to utilize the board if they know that others will also be stopping by to search the boards content. Popularity can be contagious so insure that your posts are kept fresh and up to date.
Set Definite Rules of Engagement
A well maintained board can be key to its usage. This means that it should not be cluttered with expired or out of date posts or information. It is important to insure that someone is assigned to insure your board stays relevant to your visitors. This person or persons will be responsible for maintaining the integrity of the Bulliton board.
A clear set of rules should be posted at the top of the board. These regulations should be relatively easy to understood and to follow. There should be a limited number of rules and these should be written in language that can be understood by a majority of visitors.
An essential rule would be that all posts contain the date that they are pinned to the board. By Insuring that each post placed on the bulletin board contains a date it will be easier for the monitor to spot and remove out of date information.
Over time a board can become cluttered so being able to identify and remove older notices is vital to the health of the board. If there is a time limit that postings are allowed to remain on the board then this should also be clearly listed for visitors to see.
Interactive or Simply Informational?
Have You Ever Designed a Bulletin Board Display?
A Successful Board Takes Dedication
The most important aspect of any bulletin board is its ability to be of benefit to those who use it. Whether your visitor is seeking information, entertainment, or enlightenment it is important to keep their needs and interests in mind. It isn't difficult to create a successful community display but it does take a little time and dedication to insure that it is done right.
To Sum it all up:
- Select your location.
- Find your niche.
- Post your rules.
- Monitor your board to keep it interesting, up to date, and uncluttered.
This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.
© 2019 Lorelei Cohen
