Communicate for Success:

Effective Marketing on a Budget

About us Iowa Campus Compact

Introductions

Learning Outcomes Communications planning Using infographics Making the most of existing content to

implement successful communications with a small team

Today’s Presentation

Agenda Communications Planning Identifying Champions Keep It Short and Simple Recycling Content Using Infographics Follow Through Internet Tools Discussion

Today’s Presentation

Communications – sharing information

Marketing – sharing information with the goal of influence

What type of plan do you need?

Communications Planning

Set Goals Determine Audiences Consider Channels Determine Frequency Create Strategies Align Tactics Decide Measures

Planning: Steps

Communications and marketing goals Align with larger goals

Examples◦ Increase higher education member knowledge

and usage of events and programmatic opportunities

◦ Increase awareness of Iowa Campus Compact's leadership in higher education civic engagement and use as a source for knowledge and information

Planning: Goals

Increase higher education member knowledge and usage of events and programmatic opportunities

Planning: Goals

Communications

Marketing

Internal Goals◦ Communicating to and influencing those within

your organization/network

External Goals◦ Communicating to and influencing those outside

of your organization/network

Planning: Goals

Primary - direct involvement with your programs, services, etc.◦ Examples: students, administrators, community

partnerships

Secondary - indirect relationship and influence◦ Examples: media, potential funders, policy makers

Planning: Audiences

Audiences have different goals, channels, frequency, etc.

Each goal needs specific plans Strategies may align with more than one

goal, audience, etc. Examples:

◦ Increase the number of contacts and online followers

◦ Improve the quality and effectiveness of newsletter

◦ Promote programmatic accomplishments and impacts

Planning: Strategies

Each strategy will have specific tactics that guide your daily/weekly/monthly activities

These will change over time Examples

◦ Promote events during other in-person meetings and calls

◦ Inform and inspire program participants to be effective ambassadors of the overall program

◦ Use communication calendar to coordinate promotion

Planning: Tactics

All strategies and tactics should be aligned with channels

Modes of communications, opportunities Consider ALL – when do you have the chance

to communicate? Through what platforms? Examples:

◦ Social media◦ Email updates◦ In-person meetings and events◦ Web site updates◦ Phone conversations

Planning: Channels

Consider for all channels, tactics, audiences

Play around with what works best

Consider saturation, overload

Consider staff time and capacity

Planning: Frequency

Crucial step! Find indicators to success Not everything is measurable (i.e.

“awareness”) Examples:

◦ Newsletter list size◦ Open rates, click rates◦ Online interactions◦ Earned media stories

Planning: Measures

Use online tools available to you◦ Newsletter software stats◦ Facebook stats◦ Twitter stats◦ Google Analytics◦ IT Department◦ Annual surveys/evaluations

Planning: Measures

Who else can deliver your message? How can you inform and empower them? Consider champions as an audience with its

own strategies and tactics Examples:

◦ Program participants◦ Donors◦ Partners

Champions

Average adult attention span in 2013: 8 seconds (National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine, The Associated Press)

Use few words, lots of links and visuals Get to the point, QUICKLY Bold requests, action items Use all your channels to break through

Keep It Short and Simple

Use written material and pictures across platforms to maximize exposure and minimize time◦ i.e. Social media, emails,

newsletters, blogs, etc.

Post everything on your site and direct everyone back there◦ “resource bank”

Recycling Content

Visual representation of information or data

Highlight important details

Use to present complex information quickly and clearly

Info graphics should…◦ Display data◦ Grab reader’s attention◦ Avoid distorting data◦ Make large data sets coherent◦ Encourage the eye to compare different pieces of data◦ Reveal the data at several levels of detail (broad specific)◦ Serve a clear purpose◦ Match data set

Using Infographics

Following Through: Prioritizing Integrate communications into your office

culture & programs◦ Weekly Staff Meetings

Discuss Calendar Discuss upcoming events Brainstorm blog ideas

◦ Job descriptions◦ Program goals

Assigning responsibility◦ Weekly rotations

Following Through: ToolsMonthly Priorities

Upcoming Events and a list of communications channels we are utilizing

Weekly communication priority

Assigning responsibilities: This is rotated weekly

Planning◦ Google Docs

Content Delivery

Measurement◦ Facebook Engagement◦ Twitter Statistics◦ Weebly counts Facebook likes & tweets of blog posts

Internet Tools

◦ Social Media Twitter (hootsuite) Facebook Bit.ly

◦ Website & Blog

Weebly.com Google Sites

◦ Infographics Powerpoint Piktochart.com

(Free & Paid accounts)

Use the worksheet to reflect on the elements of your plan

Share with one other person: ◦ What is one communications asset you are not

currently maximizing? ◦ What content do you have that you could share

with more audiences and across more channels?

Plan Brainstorming

Our challenges:◦ Time◦ Email fatigue◦ Uncertain results

What do you anticipate your challenges being?

How can you use planning and tools to work through them?

Discussion

Questions