Mobile_Communications_App_Launch_Guide

Mobile app 

launch guide 

Best practices, tips, and document 

templates to help launch your mobile app.

Contents 

Welcome....................................................................................................................3 

Market your app without increasing your workload....................................3 

Choose launch date...............................................................................................4 

Brief your staff..........................................................................................................4 

Basic app promotional materials.......................................................................5 

Boilerplate templates............................................................................................5 

Web banners............................................................................................................6 

Promotional video..................................................................................................6 

Print materials.........................................................................................................7 

Email attachments.................................................................................................8 

Social media cards.................................................................................................8 

Launch checklist.....................................................................................................9 

Additional considerations..................................................................................11 

Keep it fresh............................................................................................................12 

| Mobile app launch guide 

2

Welcome 

Congratulations! Your school district is ready to unveil your new Blackboard 

Mobile Communications App. This guide will help you meet your goal of full 

engagement with your entire K-12 community, keeping them connected while 

on-the-go. 

Your new mobile app is the most effective tool for parents, students, 

and other community members to gain immediate access to critical 

information, including school closings, weather notices, and much more. 

In addition, the app is a great way for your staff and administrators to receive 

critical updates and access information relevant to their role in the district. 

Since the app is designed specifically for your district, it also extends your 

district brand through the iTunes ® and Google Play ® app stores. 

37% 

of parents 

over 

50% 

of communication 

leaders & 

superintendents 

When 37% of parents don’t 

know if their child’s school or 

district has a mobile app, and 

over 50% of communication 

leaders and superintendents 

state they do have a mobile 

app, then there is a disconnect 

in communications. 

Simply having an app isn’t 

enough. You need to spread 

the word to families and 

community members that they 

can download it to receive 

important communication 

from your district and schools. 

Source: Blackboard Parent 

Engagement Survey, August 2015 

When you combine your mobile app with the other communication products 

of the Blackboard Community Engagement Solution— Web Community 

Manager, Mass Notifications, and Social Media Manager —you have the most 

powerful communication tools available. 

Promote the app without 

increasing your workload 

To ensure the families in your K-12 community get the most out of your 

app, they need to know it is available. They need to understand the value it 

brings them. They need to know how to get it. And they need to know what 

to expect. 

This guide is designed to help busy district and school communicators—like 

you—market your mobile app to boost downloads and drive usage to keep 

your families better informed and engaged. 

By using the materials and best practices found in this document, you can 

effectively educate your K-12 community about the app. 


3

Choose launch date 

Set a date for the official launch of your mobile app. You can launch the app 

anytime, but consider times when your K-12 community is most engaged, 

such as: 

• The start of a school year or a new semester 

• Coming back from holiday breaks 

Avoid times of the year when your community may be distracted, such as: 

• The weeks leading up to holiday breaks 

• Going into summer break 

• Standardized testing and end-of-semester testing months 

Select a time when your parent community won’t miss the exciting news. 

Brief your staff 

This step is critical. Conduct internal briefings with your staff and key 

community leadership in advance of making the app available. Get them 

excited about the latest addition to your communication toolkit. 

Many districts allow staff members to download the app in advance and 

submit ratings and reviews to the app stores that your community will see 

once the app is launched. 


4

Basic app promotional materials 

As a communications expert, you know it requires frequent messages through 

multiple channels to reach your community. 

Your community includes: 

• Parents and students 

• Teachers and staff 

• School board 

• PTO/PTA 

• Athletic boosters 

• Alumni 

Use the folowing basic app promotional materials to build your 

communications and see how easy it can be to educate and motivate your 

community to download and use your app. 

If you view this document online, you will find clickable images that will link you 

directly to that specific promotional item for your app launch campaign. 

Boilerplate Templates 

INFO CARD TEMPLATE 

Information card about the app, its features, 

benefits, and download instructions. 

eNEWSLETTER TEMPLATE 

eNewsletter stories and photos of the 

app in action. 

PRESS RELEASE TEMPLATE 

Press release ready to issue on launch day. 

FLYER TEMPLATE 

Flyer for schools to distribute. 

SOCIAL MEDIA TEMPLATE 

Social media post. 

POSTCARD TEMPLATE 

Postcard to families. 

ANNOUNCEMENT TEMPLATE 

Website announcement and graphic links 

to the app stores. 

LETTER TEMPLATE 

Mail to families. (formal letter 

from district) 

EMAIL TEMPLATE 

Email announcements ready to be sent to 

parents and the school community. 

VOICE NOTIFICATION TEMPLATE 

Voice notification script. 


5

Customizable Web Banners 

You can find within your Blackboard app portal four optional website 

banners. Each has an embed code that can be easily added to your 

website. To navigate to the banners while in your Blackboard portal, 

do the following: 

1. Click Settings 

2. Click App Config 

3. Click App Promotion 

Promotional Video 

Visually display the features of your app by sharing this standard promotional 

video, which highlights the following three app features: 

Activity Stream 

Illustrates how to 

follow specific school 

news that appears in 

one feed. 

Directory 

Demonstrates how to 

locate helpful school 

contact information. 

Notifications 

Shows how to receive 

notifications directly 

from a school. 


6

Print Materials 

Provided with your new mobile app is a non-branded set of print 

materials to utilize before, during, and after your app launch. 

N2a 

Parents need school supplies too. 

(Luckily, it’s just a single download away.) 

Download our district app today 

for access to your school’s 

student info, grade alerts, 

calendars, and much more! 

Parents need school supplies too. 

(Luckily, it’s just a single download away.) 

Download our district app today 

for access to your school’s 

student info, grade alerts, 

calendars, and much more! 

We’ve added one 

last thing to your 

school supplies. 

(Don’t worry, it’s free.) 

S4a 

N3a 

N3b 

N1a 

Header 

N1b 

nibh nec ornare. Cras eu nulla mauris. Sed at 

tortor enim. Sed non quam in lorem suscipit 

vestibulum. Donec justo tellus, faucibus sit 

amet ornare aliquam, condimentum eu 

- 

la quis nec tortor. Etiam mi tellus, rhoncus 

eget bibendum ut, adipiscing sed lacus. Duis 

porta vehicula eleifend. Fusce convallis 

turpis semper blandit vehicula. Suspendisse 

in sapien metus. Integer pulvinar, lorem et 

tincidunt congue, risus augue imperdiet 

lectus, non suscipit est massa at nunc. Fusce 

lorem dui, ullamcorper a libero in, accumsan 

volutpat nisi. Aenean imperdiet tincidunt nisl 

Header (BW) 









Download the official Our District app app - 

today la quis for nec access tortor. your Etiam school’s mi tellus, student rhoncus 

eget bibendum 

info, grade 

ut, 

alerts, 

adipiscing 

calendars, 

sed lacus. Duis 

and much more! 








Column 

S4b 





Download our district app today for access 

to your school’s student info, grade alerts, 

calendars, 


Column (BW) 

Download our district app today for access to your school’s student 

info, grade alerts, calendars, 


Block (BW) 

Postcard 6x4 

L9 

Postcard 6x4 (BW) 

S5a 

S5b 









Download our district app today for access to your school’s 

student info, grade alerts, calendars, push notifications, and 

much more! 

Download our district app today for access to your school’s 

student info, grade alerts, calendars, push notifications, and 

much more! 

Letter Poster 8.5x11 

L9 

Letter Poster 8.5x11 (BW) 

L10 

Poster 24x36 

Medium Poster 24x18 

S6a 

Banner 70x31 

S6b 

Parents need school 

supplies too. 

(Luckily, it’s just a single download 

away.) 

Parents need school 

supplies too. 

(Luckily, it’s just a single download 

away.) 

Download our district app today for access to your 

school’s student info, grade alerts, calendars, push 

notifications, and much more! 

Download our district app today for access to your 

school’s student info, grade alerts, calendars, push 

notifications, and much more! 

Tabloid Poster 17x11 

Tabloid Poster 17x11 (BW) 


7

Email Attachments 

The print materials also include a set of available attachments to add to 

emails being sent to teachers, staff, parents, and students regarding the 

new mobile app. 

EH1 EH2a EH2b EH3 

Email Header - What if 

Email Header - We Have Email Header (Add Link) Email Header - Rate App 

Social Media Cards 

One of the best ways to connect to your school community is through 

social media. Use these social media ads to promote your new mobile app 

via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

Facebook - Cards specifically sized and designed 

for Facebook posts and comments. Post about the 

big game, and share the sports feature card letting 

followers know they can check the score on the app! 

Twitter - Cards specifically sized and designed for 

Twitter posts. Tweet about an upcoming PTA meeting, 

and attach the Calendar feature card to remind 

followers of the app’s calendar function. 

Instagram - Cards specifically sized and designed for 

Instagram posts and comments. When introducing 

a new teacher on Instagram, include the directory 

feature card to let followers know the app provides 

helpful district and school contact info. 


8





- 

la quis nec tortor. Etiam mi tellus, rhoncus 

eget bibendum ut, adipiscing sed lacus. Duis 












Download the official Our District app app 

today for access to your school’s student 

info, grade alerts, calendars, 


Launch checklist 

Pre-launch 

• Conduct internal staff briefing. 

• Provide pre-launch mobile app access for district staff. 

• Send out an external email announcing that your district app is coming 

and what it will do. 

• Schedule a press conference for the day of your launch. 

• Highlight the upcoming release of your app in your district and 

school newsletters. 

• Put flyers in school, principal, and counselor offices. 

• Hang a banner outside the district and schools in high traffic areas—“The 

App is Coming!” 

• Make mobile app bookmarks for school library counters. 

• Write a press release to post on launch day. 

• Find local business partners to help sponsor handouts, flyers, postcards, 

posters, and launch parties. 

• Create YouTube commercials announcing the app. 

• Host a behind-the-scenes party for PTA/PTO members; help them 

download the app and ask them to share their excitement via 

social media. 

• Announce that the mobile app is coming on your website hompage; 

include the release date for download. 

• Ask schools to update their marquees to announce “We’re going mobile. 

Stay tuned—the app is coming!” 

• Announce on social media channels that the district will be releasing your 

own app. 

• Conduct a principals meeting to show them the app capabilities and ask 

them to promote the app at their schools and in meetings. 

• Ask all district staff to download, rate, and review the app prior to 

launch day. 


9

• Prepare launch materials 

–– 

Information card 

–– 

Flyers for schools 

–– 

Press release 

–– 

Email copy 

–– 

Social media posts 

–– 

Voice notification script 

–– 

Mailer copy 

–– 

Announcement and link to app stores for district and school websites 

–– 

Newsletter article 

–– 

Video message 

–– 

Marquee announcement 

Launch day 

• Distribute information cards, flyers, and marquee instructions to schools. 

• Send postcards to families via USPS. 

• Send emails to families/communities. 

• Post announcements with links to download the app on your social 

media channels. 

• Make the app announcement and post links to download the app on your 

district and school websites. 

• Send the press release, high resolution copy of icon, screenshots, and any 

background info on why your district is going mobile; and do follow-up 

calls to offer interviews. 

• Make the video live on websites, YouTube, and any other channels used. 

• Record an audio message for phone call and app push notification. 

• On the morning of the launch, send out a district-wide text message 

announcing the app is now available—download via the App Store or 

Google Play. 

• Create a link on your website that takes visitors to a page dedicated to 

the app. 

• Host an app launch party for teachers, staff, and board members. 

• Have all schools announce the app release during 

morning announcements. 

• Send a push notification at the end of the day thanking those who 

downloaded the app. 


10

Post-launch 

Mobile app banners 

Demonstrating the mobile app 

download process 

• Mail letters to families via USPS. 

• Send follow-up emails. 

• Continue announcements on social media. 

• Have a two-week app download competition by school. 

• Send out a mobile app message asking people how they like the app and 

ask them to rate/review it. 

• Have teachers, staff, students, and parents post comments/reviews to app 

stores and social media. 

• Have a Go Mobile table or booth and school carnivals, back-to-school 

nights, parent/teacher conferences, and other events. 

• Have principals get in the habit of using push notifications to send quick, 

informative announcements to parents and staff. 

• Announce the mobile app at sporting events, fundraisers, concerts, and 

other locations where announcements are made. 

• Have sports half-time contests that require participants use the app. 

• Download the app on classroom tablets for student use. 

• Keep feeds, grades, and news updated. Parents will visit the app more 

frequently when the information is up-to-date. 

Additional considerations 

As your community uses it, your mobile app will be an essential element 

of your communications program. It will take communications and 

engagement with your community to new heights by giving mobile app 

users immediate, on-demand access to the information they want about 

your district and schools. Consider the following: 

• Conduct a press conference with staff and parent spokespersons who can 

highlight the features and benefits of your new mobile app. 

• Involve your PTO/PTA and get them to actively promote the app. 

• Encourage parents to set aside 30 seconds of parent/teacher conferences 

to download the app during the meeting with parents. 

• Use key dates in the school calendar to remind your community of 

the app: 

–– 

Back to school 

–– 

Testing periods 

–– 

After a district-wide school closing due to weather, etc (Download the 

district app to stay on top of school closings and more). 


11

• Educate incoming families about the app. 

• Ask principals to highlight the mobile app at back-to-school nights and 

parent events at their schools. 

• Include a message in all school event announcements. “Be the first to 

learn about school events! Download our new mobile app today!” 

• Distribute a halftime announcement to be used at all school sports 

events. “Keep up with our school sports scores and events. Download 

the new mobile app to your smartphone today! Just visit the Google or 

iPhone app store and search for our school. It’s free, fast and will keep you 

connected to our team!” 

• Include reminders about the mobile app in your eNewsletters and 

other announcements. 

• Create a follow-up press release about the app and a success story about 

some parent users. 

• Keep the stories about the app flowing on your social media channels. 

• Update your video with new video interviews of parents talking about the 

mobile app. Share on YouTube and other channels. 

Keep it fresh 

One way to keep your community using the app frequently is to infuse it 

with new content every day of the school year. With its seamless integration 

with your Blackboard Web Community Manager, it is easy to feed your 

community new content about the good news happening at your schools. 

Your school and department website administrators should be encouraged 

to post news, events, and photos on the go from their smartphones. 

Winner of the 2015 District 

Administrator Reader’s 

Choice Award! 

Blackboard is the proud recipient of 

the Reader’s award for the third year 

in a row! This prestigious award is 

given to only the best K-12 products 

and services, as selected by District 

Administrator readers from across the 

country. Visit us to find out for yourself 

why Blackboard is the mobile app of 

choice for savvy educators. 

• Lunch menus 

• Friday night score of the football game posted from the event 

• Photos added from a field trip 

Much of this content can be updated automatically from social media 

channels like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, making it easy for 

you to keep content updated and engaging without any additional hassle. 

These are just a few of many ways you can keep parents engaged and 

connected to your schools with your new mobile app. 

Blackboard.com/K12 

Copyright © 2016. Blackboard Inc. All rights reserved. Blackboard, the Blackboard logo, Blackboard Web Community Manager, Blackboard Mobile Communications 

App, Blackboard Mass Notifications, Blackboard Social Media Manager, Blackboard Collaborate are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blackboard Inc. or its 

subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. Blackboard products and services may be covered by one or more of the following U.S. Patents: 8,265,968, 

7,493,396; 7,558,853; 6,816,878; 8,150,925 


12

Mobile_Communications_App_Launch_Guide

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