Marketing your Workshops - NCOA€¦ · • Marketing has several forms: – Traditional Marketing...

transcript

Marketing your Workshops Tracy Compton - January 2014

Presentation located at: http://bit.ly/JHBfF8

So, you want more registrations?

• Marketing any product can be difficult

– This is an especially difficult product

• What is a “chronic disease, anyway?”

• Wait, how many weeks?

• And who are you to tell me what is best?

– How do you find the right people who need the class?

• People with chronic diseases don’t wear special buttons on clothing or self identify in any way.

Lots of hurdles

• How do we educate them that the have a chronic disease?

• That they need this class?

• That the commitment is worth it?

• That this course is proven, effective, and non-biased?

These hurdles are costly

• What will it take to actually convince someone to sign up and take the class?

• How much effort and time are you currently spending trying to convince people of how beneficial this is for them?

Not a “one and done” effort

• What will not work:

– Having just one marketing effort with them or one “touch point”

– Just putting out one press release and expecting a flood of new applicants (relying on one marketing strategy)

– Spending money on online advertising without a plan for the future

• What will work?

– A consistent stream of efforts from as many angles as possible to both educate and convince them of the value of this program. “A drumbeat of touch points”

The “drumbeat” Kit

• If you have these on hand, you will be able to have a higher impact with lower time spent. Have this type of ready-to-go content: – Email Introduction

– Press releases

– Brochure/Flyer/images

– Tweets/ Facebook Posts

– Short articles for newsletters

– Blog posts

– Success Stories

What does this “drumbeat” look like?

That “drumbeat” is Marketing

• Marketing has several forms:

– Traditional Marketing

• Press releases

• TV and Radio interviews

• PSAs, Commercials, etc

• Brochures, flyers, newsletters, advertisements

– Person-to-Person Marketing

• Setting up a booth at a fair

• Doctor Recommendation

• Friend/Family Recommendations

– Online Marketing

• Social Media

• Blogs/Websites

• Online Advertisement

All of these are valuable

• Some cost more of your time, some are free, some take a substantial budget to do

• Prioritizing the types of marketing you can do based on your time, budget, and impact is key to success

Traditional Marketing “Cost”

Type $$ Cost Time Cost Value?

Press Release Low/Medium Low Medium/High

TV/Radio Interview Low Medium High

PSAs/Commercials High High High

Printed Material Low/Medium Low/Medium Medium/High

Person-to-Person Marketing “Cost”

Talking to ONE Doctor

Low Medium Low/Medium

Talking to a Chronic Disease Group/Association

Low Medium Low/Medium

Booth at Fair Low High Low/Medium

Recommending to ONE Person

Low Medium Low

Online Marketing “Costs”

Social Media Low Low/Medium Low - High

Blogs/Websites Low Low/Medium Low – High

Online Advertisement

Low/Medium Low/Medium Low - High

Who do we know that can help us?

• What organizations do you have relationships with that would be willing to share your content?

• What newsletters/blogs/websites could you use to promote the project?

• Start by brainstorming a list of organizations and people to contact. Who do you know? Who owes you a “favor?”, Who have you worked with in the past? What other organizations might have same target populations? – Gather organization name, media contact name, phone, email, facebook, and twitter.

– Rank the list by your guess on what have the most impact.

– Make a spreadsheet or other way to keep track of how/when you have contacted them. (I will show an example)

Start making lists and calling in favors!

• Organizations

– Local Chapters of Chronic Disease Organizations

– Senior Centers

– KoC, Rotary Club, Veterans Clubs

– Who else?

List Brainstorm

• What affiliated or other non-profits/government organizations do you have relationships with that could share this information? (they don’t have to just be health related)

– Health Related: Condition Specific (Diabetes, etc.), Local Medical Associations

– Non-Health related: Meals on Wheels, local Senior Centers, Rebuilding Together

• What communication devices does your organization use? When was the last time you put an announcement about the program in them?

• What local media (print, online, TV) could you contact? Do you have a success story they could feature?

• What are the popular blogs in your area that could do a post or allow you to guest post?

Need help with finding contacts?

Some Examples • Patch.com

– Hyper-local news reporting

– Individually run by reporters

– Has places for you to place events

Some Examples • Nextdoor.com

– Private social network of your neighborhood

– Ask friends, colleagues to post.

Some Examples

Facebook

– Wall posts on your accounts

– Private messages to other Facebook pages:

– Wall posts to other Facebook pages:

– Use words “please share” in your posts

Make a simple one!

Organization Name

URL Type Contact Impact?

Senior Center Blog

Myseniorcenter.org

Blog Jane Smith HIGH

Local “run for asthma” 5K

Runforit.org Organization/Website

Bill Jones Medium

Making a Plan

• Ideally, your plan should include:

– A calendar of touchpoints over time

– Listed by type of marketing

– Broken down by message and who that audience will be

– Rated by the value of each effort

– Let me start with a basic example…..

Super Simple Marketing Plan for this month

Type Target Action Value?

Traditional Marketing

Jane Smith, Local Newspaper Reporter

Send press release generated by State on “Give yourself a great Valentine’s Day gift – a healthier you!”

Medium/High

Person - to - Person

Dr. Smith, important geriatric doctor in neighborhood

Call him to ask if I can send him information on the classes and if he would be willing to recommend the class to 20 clients

Low/Medium

Online Marketing

Social media Ask local senior center to post information about sign up on their Facebook page

Medium

Best Practice is to do a plan over time

Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

Traditional X X X

Person X X X X X

Online X X X X X X X X X X X X

Let’s do it together! Brainstorm

Type Target Action

Traditional Marketing

Person - to - Person

Online Marketing

Yearly Marketing Plan – Brainstorm!

Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

Traditional

Person

Online

Tips for “cold calls”

• Ask for a commitment, be a friendly salesperson: “When could you put this in your newsletter?”, “Would you Re-tweet my content or send your own if I send language to you?”, “Do you know of any other organizations that could help us get the word out?”

• Try multiple tactics: contact them via phone, via Facebook, via email. You obviously don’t want to annoy them but sometimes these channels are managed by different people.

• Remember – you are providing a really helpful service to the community. And THEY get to take partial credit for this! Don’t be afraid to tell them the value to THEM and ask for a commitment of effort.

Now that we have a plan, what is our message?

What works? Mentioning the disease…

.0359%

.0341%

.0340%

.0077%

.0096%

.0148%

What works? Real language – not marketing “lingo”

16% 5%

What works? Talking to people when they are ready to enroll.

Activity by day, Activity by hour

What works? Trusted recommendations

Inquiries to 58 patient

bloggers across chronic disease topics such as arthritis, diabetes, MS

Responses from 25, or almost half

Of those who responded, about 1 in 3 shared BCBH information

Landing page sign up rates higher from Bloggers than Ads

What else can I do when all I’ve exhausted all free marketing?

• Come and talk to NCOA to brainstorm some more ideas. This is what we are here for!

• When all else fails… you can pay for leads.

– Facebook (promoted posts, ads)

– Sponsored (“chaperoned”) Emails

– Google Adwords

– Other ideas: outbrain.com, printed materials, PSAs, reporter outreach.

Marketing your Workshops - NCOA€¦ · • Marketing has several forms: – Traditional Marketing...

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