2017-18 Community College of Aurora Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management Program

Annual Marketing Action Plan

Overview: This is a year-long Marketing campaign to generate awareness and interest in the community about CCA’s new Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management program (ENP). Paid advertising will occur during June/July and November/ December (with the exception of Google Adwords). Google Adwords Search advertising will occur year-round. Organic social and earned media activities will occur throughout 2017-18 and will promote ENP program special events and expertise.

Objectives: 1. Entice prospective ENP students to inquire about and enroll in one of the program’s three options.

2. Educate service area economic development champions and prospective student influencers about the strengths and benefits of the three ENP program options.

Target Audiences: 1. Men and women aged 25-45 in the greater Aurora/Denver community with consideration given to how best to reach and resonate with the various cultures that patronize CCA and comprise its service area. All imagery/video will reflect CCA’s diversity.

2. Economic development agencies such as the Aurora-South Metro Small Business Development Centers, the Denver-area SCORE “Counselors to Small Business” nonprofit, Aurora Chamber of Commerce, Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, Denver Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Colorado Black Chamber of Commerce, Aurora Economic Development Council, Aurora Advantage 4 Business, the City of Aurora’s Business Advisory Board, the Denver-based Small Business Chamber of Commerce, CCA Advisory Council, CCA Foundation Board. Optional outreach includes service clubs such as Rotary.

3. CCA Faculty and Staff, older alumni of area DECA, FBLA and Phi Beta Lambda programs. Outreach to high school guidance counselors is not applicable to the 25-45 demographic.

Personas/Psychographics of Prospective Students 1. Persons who have or are learning a skill and eventually want to have their own business (e.g., community members and CCA students aspiring to be or already are: independent film- makers, community theater operators, independent childcare operators, independent web development contractors, independent diesel power mechanics, independent interpreters, real estate agents, independent nursing contractors, independent mental health counselors, etc).

2. Persons who have the entrepreneurial spirit but do not know what to do with it. This includes “Second Lifers” who have been working 10 to 20 years at a job but now want to do what they have always dreamed of doing as their own boss.

3. Persons who had the entrepreneurial spirit, but gave up on their dreams and needs to be refocused.

4. Those who are wishing to be entrepreneurial within a company/organization other than their own.

Marketing Campaign Research and Message Development 1. Conduct a 90-minute focus group with eight current ENP students. To match CCA demographics two participants should be Hispanic, three should be African American, at least three should be immigrants, four should be aged 25-35 and four should be aged 35 to 45. At least four should be seeking to transfer to a 4-year institution. At least two should be first-generation college students and two single-parents.

2. Using the same ethnic/race, age and immigrant status demographics, conduct a 90-minute focus group with eight participants who have never attended a community college or received college-level entrepreneurship instruction.

Focus Group Discussion Topics:

1. What aspects of the three ENP options and the Launch Pad Business Incubator center do they find most appealing?

2. Resonance and believability of the following five value propositions: A. CCA’s ENP program enables students to explore business ownership before plunging into launching their own venture. B. CCA’s ENP program enables students to launch their own venture in a safe and supportive environment. C. CCA’s ENP program enables students to efficiently earn a 60-credit Associate of Arts degree and then transfer to start completing a bachelor’s degree as a junior at any of Colorado’s public 4-year colleges or universities. D. CCA’s ENP program helps aspiring business owners plan, launch and grow their own business in a supportive environment . E. The online, certificate-only-business launch and bachelor degree transfer options of the program enable aspiring business owners to learn how to plan, launch and grow a business at the pace and level which suits them best.

Analysis of Findings: The qualitative findings of the focus group will be analyzed to help prioritize and formulate messaging. Findings will help create version 2.0 of the existing bi-folded pamphlet for recruiters to use and to optimize ccaurora.edu/enp landing page. Quantitative findings could be generated by using this information to formulate a broader scale online survey to produce numerical data on which benefits of the program are seen as most attractive – if further confidence in the potential effectiveness of messaging is sought.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): 1. Above average Click-Through-Rate (CTR) per Google Analytics. 2. Reasonable Cost-Per-Conversion (conversion = click through to ccaurora.edu/enp landing page

and then completing online inquiry form) 3. Reasonable Cost-Per-Acquisition (explore how to track enrollment in ENP program stemming from campaign). Examine Google Analytics.

Campaign Tagline: New Business Potential Realized

Marketing Schedule/Tactics: Tactic 1: Google Adwords Search Network Campaign Schedule: July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018 Geo-target: Aurora and Denver Details: Develop four Google Adwords Search Network Ads and optimize the ads that perform best and pause those that are less effective. Keywords: how to start a business; how to start your own business; setting up a business;

business+ownership; small business development center; business management courses; entrepreneurship courses; college programs; community college of aurora

Example:

Budget: $10,000 __________________________________________________________________________________

Tactic 2: Paid Facebook Advertising Schedule: November 1 to December 31, 2017 and June 1 to July 31, 2018 Geo-target: Aurora and Denver Target: Persons aged 25-34 for ad variation 1 and Persons aged 35-45 for ad variation 2. Use the Power Editor in Facebook Ads Manager. Target locals who like these Facebook Groups; Entrepreneur, Joyful Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurial Hustle, Small Independent Business Owners and Small Business Owners of America – and their corresponding “Look-alike Audiences.” Example:

Budget: $5,000 over two flights (November/December and June/July). __________________________________________________________________________________ Tactic 3: The Community College of Aurora’s Savvy Entrepreneur Speaker Series Schedule: Every three months Details: On one Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. every three months the ENP program will secure a prominent small business champion to speak for an hour about smart business strategies to ensure the success of new and older small businesses. This series will build awareness about the ENP program’s existence as it captures the attention of students, faculty and small business owners. The ENP program may elect to create an Aurora Entrepreneur of the Year awards program. It will establish the ENP program as a high quality provider of entrepreneurship education in the community. Publicity: Organic Facebook, Twitter and Instagram posts, posters on each campus and conventional media outreach to ask them to announce the events (perhaps the series has a media sponsor). Budget: $4,000 __________________________________________________________________________________ Tactic 4: Produce and disseminate one-minute and five-minute videos educating prospective students about the hands-on experience the ENP program provides (including testimonials from the original three businesses CCA launched). Videos will reflect CCA’s diversity. Schedule: Complete by October 31, 2017

Distribution: CCA’s You Tube Channel, Local movie screens via National CineMedia, Comcast, Aurora 8, Hulu, ENP Landing page, 9News.com (not broadcast but prior to 9News story streaming)

Example:

Budget: $14,000 for Comcast, NCM theater screen, 9News.com, and Hulu buys to air during November and December 2017. __________________________________________________________________________________

Tactic 5: Organically Posted Facebook Infographics about the Importance of Small Businesses to Colorado

Schedule: Post twice per month from July 2017 – June 2018 Example:

Budget: None. Use CCA staff talent to generate. _________________________________________________________________________________

Tactic 6: Book Neil Pollard to present about how the ENP program is national model of Entrepreneurial Education at economic development agencies, service clubs and to CCA Advisory Council and Foundation Board

Schedule: One presentation every other month (six talks per year). Example:

Budget: $100.00 (Mileage/Parking for Neil Pollard) __________________________________________________________________________________ Tactic 7: The Savvy Entrepreneur Blog Schedule: Once a month ENP faculty will write a 400-word blog about one critical aspect to small business launch success. Distribution: The blog will be featured on CCA’s blog and boosted Facebook/LinkedIn posts and tweets will encourage people to subscribe to e-mail notifications for each time the blog is updated. This e-mail database will also be used to promote ENP events. Example:

Budget: None. CCA Faculty will be given the opportunity to be featured each month. __________________________________________________________________________________ Tactic 8: Purchase mailing lists for aspiring business opportunity seekers who are Aurora/Denver

residents. Send them a Enroll Now to Start Building Your Dream postcard via the mail house CCA uses. Schedule: Mail out in June 2018 Geo-target: Aurora and East Denver Example:

Budget: $10,000 (mostly postage costs – Gotprint.com will produce 1,000 postcards for $50) __________________________________________________________________________________ Tactic 9: Phone text and E-mail Enrollment Reminders. Cross-reference those who inquired about ENP and were accepted to CCA but Recruiter software indicates they have not enrolled yet. Schedule: August 1, 2017 Budget: $500 (or may already be covered by existing contracts) ____________________________________________________________________________

Tactic 10: 1,000 ENP-Branded Four Color Press-N-Stick (TM) Contemporary Pad – 13 month Calendars (SWAG)

Schedule: ASAP Geo-target: Give to Aurora-South SBDC to hand out. Budget: $700 __________________________________________________________________________________ Tactic 11: Sponsor Denver-area small business forums (that are reasonably close to CCA)

Schedule: 1-2 sponsorships per year Budget: $2,000 __________________________________________________________________________________ Tactic 12: Sponsor one business-related special section in the Aurora Sentinel (may help encourage them to produce earned media digital/print coverage about ENP). Schedule: As Sentinel produces Budget: $2,000 Example:

__________________________________________________________________________________ Tactic 13: Write and disseminate four ENP press releases per year covering events and/or pilot alumni experiencing success. A successful pitch to a major media outlet may be done in lieu of a release. Details: Contacts will be made with 9News, Denver Business Journal, ColoradoBiz magazine, 850KOA, BusinessDen.com, Aurora Sentinel and Denver Post.

Schedule: Every three months Budget: Not/applicable unless a newswire distribution service is used. __________________________________________________________________________________ Tactic 14: Linked-In promotion. Incentivize ENP adjuncts who have over 500 linked-in contacts on their account to blog about the competitive differences of the ENP program or feature a student/graduate testimonial or success story. Pay $50 per 400 word post. Schedule: once a month Budget: $600.00 __________________________________________________________________________________ Tactic 15: Create a CCA-Branded “Savvy Entrepreneur” discussion group on LinkedIn that anyone can post to (e.g., so may need permission not to use Blackboard for class discussions). Local entrepreneurs can use this forum to pick each other’s brains about challenges they are facing and Neil Pollard will show them which courses cover such topics. Schedule: ongoing Budget: None foreseen ___________________________________________________________________________________ Tactic 16: Pandora audio ad Schedule: Two flights (one in December 2017 and one in July 2018) Geo-target: Aurora and East Denver. Nearly half of Pandora’s listeners are aged 25-45. Script: [DRIVING BUT NOT CHEESY MUSIC BED]

Want to go into business for yourself? Or, do you already have a small business and you want to increase your chances of survival and success? The Entrepreneurial/Small Business Management faculty at the Community College Aurora want to help. Take advantage of their fast-to-complete online boot camp or enroll in one of their affordable and transferrable entrepreneurial certificates that can be completed in a year or two. Find out more today at cc-aurora-dot-edu/enp that’s cc-aurora-dot-edu/enp. Budget: $1,000 over two flights in December 2017 and July 2018. ____________________________________________________________________________________

Tactic 17: Create flyers for the faculty of other disciplines to hand out to their students who want to be independent contractors (e.g., students studying theater, film, real estate, childcare, diesel mechanic, etc.). For extra credit: the ENP program can work to create certificates of emphases for each of these areas.

Schedule: Hand out on last day of each semester. Details: Monochrome flyer – produced from copier Budget: $400 ____________________________________________________________________________________ Tactic 18: Hard-copy brochure showing the amenities of the CCA Launch Pad business incubator and create pages showcasing visuals from it for the ENP landing page. Schedule: By February 2018 Distribution: Aurora/South SBCD’s and campus racks Budget: $2,000 ____________________________________________________________________________________ Tactic 19: Work with an app developer to develop a CCA ENP branded “launch a small business” simulation mobile app game to be advertised on the website and available in the Apple and Google Play stores for free. App will dispense advice from avatars that are branded as CCA ENP faculty. Schedule: Available by June 30, 2018 Geo-target: There is a large swath of mobile gamers in the 25-45 age demo (much higher than 13-24). Details: I have attended a local Digital Marketing Summit for the past three Summers. Forecasters are predicting the death of Google Adwords search and display advertising as browsers provide more ad blocking technologies to their users. They say the future lies in providing interactive experiences to your future customers (e.g., CCA could have an online experience in which prospective students interact with it to determine what “learner type” they are. . .and then are told CCA’s strengths for working with such “learner type.” To make the ENP simulation app, ENP students will diagram a tree of possible player responses to fail or succeed in the game. This diagram will be given to the Pickens Tech app development class (or a similar class at CCA) to develop the app. $5,000 in scholarship money will be split among the app developers. Budget: $5,000 ____________________________________________________________________________________

Tactic 20: Produce five 2-minute “Savvy Entrepreneur” podcasts to advise new and future small business owners. Schedule: Produce in October 2017. Place in December 2018. Details: Arrange for KDMT AM 1690 “Denver’s Money Talk” to air the podcasts and host them on their website. CCA will link to the podcasts in e-mail signatures, ccaurora.edu and mention in other promotional activities. Budget: $1,000 ____________________________________________________________________________________ Tactic 21: Hold an Internal ENP Program Open House for CCA Faculty and Staff Schedule: October 2017 Details: “Dinner at the Launch Pad” event will be held on a Wednesday at noon and 6 p.m. Pizza and soft drinks will be given to CCA employees who come to learn how to talk about the ENP program to students. Budget: $500 Tactics to be reserved for college-wide promotion: Bus tails, larger-format mailers, Snapchat.

Tactic CostTwo Testimonial Videos Placed on CCA YouTube Channel, Local Movie Theater, Comcast, Aurora 8, Hulu & ENP Landing Page $14,000.00Google Adwords Search Advertising $10,000.00Postcard Mailing: Enroll Now to Start Building Your Dream - including cost of aspiring business opp seekers mail lists $10,000.00Paid Facebook Advertising $5,000.00CCA ENP Branded Small Business Survival Simulation Game $5,000.00CCA The Savvy Entrpreneur Speaker Series $4,000.00Sponsorships of Denver area small business forums $2,000.00Sponsor Special Business-related Section in the Aurora Sentinel $2,000.00Hard-copy brochure showing the amenities of the CCA Launch Pad and digital version on landing page $2,000.00Pandora Audio Ad $1,000.00Five "Savvy Entrepreneur" Podcasts to be promoted on landing page and aired on KDMT "Denver's Money Talk" $1,000.00SWAG: 1,000 ENP Branded Press-N-Stick Calendars $700.00ENP Adjunct Faculty Blog on their LinkedIn accounts about Competitive Differences of ENP program or feature a testimonial/success story $600.00Phone Text and Email enrollment reminders to those who have inquired about ENP and were accepted but haven't enrolled $500.00Internal ENP Program Open House for CCA Faculty & Staff $500.00Flyers for students of other disciplines who want to be independent contractors $400.00Book Neil Pollard to present about how the ENP program is a national model at chambers, economic dev orgs and service clubs $100.00Pitching and/or sending press releases to 9News, Denver Post, DBJ, ColoradoBiz, BusinessDen.com, 850KOA & Aurora Sentinel $0.00CCA's The Savvy Entrepreneur Blog $0.0024 Importance of Small Business Infographics Posted on CCA Facebook Page $0.00Create CCA-Branded "Savvy Entrepreneur " Discussion Group on LinkedIn $0.00TOTAL PROJECTED COST OF ENP MARKETING CAMPAIGN $58,800.00RECOMMENDATION: Consult with ENP faculty and CCA leadership to pick the top 10 tactics to deploy in 2017-18. Deploy others later.

Evaluation of effectiveness and continuous improvement will be on-going throughout the deployment of these tactics.