Reaching Volunteers Online

I just love social networking sites. Facebook, in particular, provides you the opportunity to have a closed group. And that is a great way to communicate with your volunteers.

For example, a festival, attraction or even a library or hospital may have need of getting information to volunteers in a timely fashion. Email works, but so does Facebook - as you have the opportunity to hold a conversation. You can use it to plan schedules, find out volunteer preferances and what type of work they want to do and allow volunteers opportunity to talk with each other. They share information and bond.

Facebook provides a fantastic platform to share job descriptions, schedules, needs - with your volunteers.

MARKETING TIP: Streamline your volunteer communication in such a fashion to allow your extra right hands a chance to communicate with each other, share ideas and help you build a better organization!

Keeping Current with the Times

A furniture store owner who had been in business for nearly 2 decades realized that he could not do business and advertise as he had prior to 9/11 and the following global recession. So he signed up for classes to learn about social networking.

A non-profit executive director was clueless about how to promote fundraising efforts online, so she took a class. A festival organizer knew he needed to expand his online presence, but didn't know how to do it. He didn't take a class. He depended upon volunteers to help him out - and ultimately got bogged down in the chain of command and who was supposed to do what. So nothing happened. His festival missed out on a free way to reach a lot of people - and the media.

MARKETING TIP: If you don't know about social networking, as many people don't, investigate local classes and sign up. You'll increase your self-esteem because you've learned something new, increase your value to your organization and increase your bottom line. Don't worry. You won't be the only one in class trying to keep current.

Promoting Your Band ...

Bands are notorious for using MySpace to promote themselves, their sound, their members, their new CDs and upcoming gigs. However, there is a right way to promote - and a wrong way to do it. Here are some thoughts to consider...

WRONG WAY: Do not have an easily downloadable press kit. Make reporters call your agent for the password. Do not have professional photos of your group. Do not have a presence on You Tube so reporters who have never heard of you can listen to a sample of your sound and show. Limit what can be said about your group. Post a lot of images of your group performing. Do not include any close-ups of band members. Do not include your band members backgrounds. Oh, there's no need to update your Website.

RIGHT WAY: Hire a public relations person to develop your online media kit. Hire a professional photographer who specializes in musical bands or portraits (not weddings) to provide you images which are 300 dpi. Print media usually require them. Keep your Website updated. Utilize Facebook and You Tube as well as MySpace and have a traditional Website. Provide images of your band members individually - as well as the group together - with and without instruments. Share information about each member. Fans and reporters like to know a little about the person, not just where the band has played and how many awards you've won.

As a newspaper publisher friend, Patricia Edwards of the Randolph Guide, tells me that she really likes using images the correct size (300 dpi is the standard):
"Something the size of a postage stamp doesn’t work very well. As I like to tell folks: I can make a postage stamp from a poster but not a poster from a postage stamp."


MARKETING TIP: Get your act together! If you are a band or entertainer, spend a little money in creating quality, usable promotional tools. Please!

Tips to Recruit Volunteers

Most small organizations need volunteers. But so often, directors of non-profits are so overwhelmed that they just beg for warm bodies without really taking time to make their needs "volunteer friendly."

Festivals, downtown organizations, chambers and others fall into this category. If you are a person in charge, I encourage you to write down all of the specific activities you need volunteers to do. Then you'll be able to see ways to lump them together. For instance, you may need people to help with poster distribution, developing sponsorship packets or answering inquiries. You don't need someone on your board to do these tasks; instead, ask your board members to help you recruit people for small, simple jobs.

This chamber newsletter has some excellent tips to help you develop a volunteer program. I encourage you to read it and share with others.

MARKETING TIP: The more volunteers you bring into your organization, the more sponsors will recognize your needs and want to be a part of your efforts. And, by increasing the number of volunteers you have, the more effective you can be at your own job!

Do you use You Tube to promote your festival, attraction, small business or town? If so, now you'll be able to find out more about your visitors. Google has developed a more detailed analytics package. It's better than the Insights we've been using.

Why is learning who is visiting your video so important? Information helps you determine who your customers are, where they're coming from and what their interests are.

MARKETING TIP: It's always a great idea to know who your customers are when you're spending time and money for promotions.

Hire Photographers - Don't Ask Them for Freebies

True scenario. A professional photographer friend of mine was approached by a non-profit to take pictures of a 3-hour event. He was asked to donate his services. He normally gets $1,000/day for an on-site shoot. This particular event would have run around $400.

During the discussion, the exec dir of the non-profit said his organization had paid more than $10,000 in decorations and room rental and $28,000 in food. He said there was no way he could authorize to pay a photographer for his services - and the photographer needed to be on-site throughout the event. So you factor his time during the event - plus the time it takes him to run the images through Photoshop.

This is wrong, absolutely wrong. Non-profit organizations have financial resources in order to exist. Granted, some don't and therefore have very little impact on anything they try to achieve. But most non-profits have a budget, have donors, have financial resources and have an active checkbook. One really good way for a non-profit to dampen its community impact is to ask for in-kind services - when it is clear that the organization is paying pretty good money for others. If you are truly a non-profit, you can ask if a vendor or contractor has a non-profit rate. But you better be paying a discounted rate to everyone else ...

MARKETING TIP: If you are a non-profit organization, act like a business and budget for services. Be consistent in how you spend your money. By doing so, you build credibility in your community and develop a strong reputation. If you ask for freebies, while paying significant dollars for other services, your organization will be labeled as "cheap" and professional people will run in the opposite direction. You will not get the quality of services you really need.

A Real Tale ...

Just have to share. I got a phone call from a man wanting to open a brand new attraction for Christmas. The attraction was a huge house very elegantly decorated. But he had no staff, no employees, no signage showing people how to get to his house, no business plan, no marketing plan, no Website - and no knowledge of how to operate a tourism attraction. He wanted to get TV and print ads running within 2 weeks.

This request hit right before America's holiday break for Thanksgiving when production crews are typically on vacation.

MARKETING TIP: I cannot stress enough that a tourism attraction, festival or any new such endeavor should have a business plan and a marketing plan.

Hotels - Easy Ways to Increase Your Online Visibility

I was a little surprised when I read this article. General managers, marketing and sales people - and front desk staff - at hotels are able to track online sales. So why not embrace the Internet?

Many hotels have a Website. It may be a stand-alone site or be a page on the corporate site. There may be a link to a map. But there are so many other portals where hotels should be. And many of them are free listings.

So if you're with a property and have down time, and I bet you do, I encourage you to spend an hour a day searching for places to post information about your hotel. Post pictures. Post videos. Create an interactive Facebook page - one where customers can post (but you can approve prior to them going live). Be everywhere!

MARKETING TIP: Utilize your staff resources to help get your message out there online.

Using Facebook to Increase Your Bottom Line

Festivals, attractions and businesses should use Facebook to increase their bottom line. Since 2004, the social networking site has welcomed more than 800 million registered users, of which some 350 million interact with Facebook on smart phones.

Here is a testimonial to how Facebook can impact a small business. The reporter, Chad Tucker with WGHP Fox 8 in High Point, is still learning about the importance of being on Facebook. He took time to share with the class that the station uses the program to interact with viewers and glean story ideas.

 

MARKETING TIP: If you want to succeed, go where the people are.

Business Plan

Do you want to grow your business, festival or attraction? Do you have a business plan?

I mean a document that addresses your cost of running your own business, producing a festival or operating an attraction? Where will your money come from? What is your goal? What are your plans?

The plan focuses upon either starting - or growing - your bottom line. It talks about your competition and shows you how you can either partner with them or find a niche. It identifies your growth goals and shows how you get there. A business plan shows you where your operating money is coming from - or how to find more. A business plan includes your marketing plan - and much more.

MARKETING TIP: In this economy, it is critical to develop a business plan. Use it for yourself - or to get a loan or grants. Potential investors will want to see one. Companies, attractions and festivals which have a viable business plan and follow it will stay focused and have a better chance of being around in years to come.

Warning: Does Your Community Have an Empty Tag Line?

You've seen the tag lines ... Any Town USA "Has it all!" or "Something for everyone!" I truly wish someone would sit community leaders down and explain to them that these are simply horrible marketing tools, as they cannot be true!

If Any Town USA had everything, then why would the traveling public want to go someplace else?

These are sorely overused tag lines which mean nothing.

MARKETING TIPS: A tag line for a community should focus upon specific popular aspects which pull people into town.

Seek out Professionals

Not everyone can book a band. Not everyone can design balloon decorations. Not everyone can dance. So where do you go to find people who can help you?

A Google search is a great way - but there are better ways. One is to ask other festival organizers. Another is to join an association and build relationships.

MARKETING TIP:  Do your homework when you are putting on an event to find the best entertainers, consultants, designers and set-up companies you can.

You've Become a Geek!

Guess what? If you're the one who has been sending out the press releases and arranging interviews, you also need to be the geek. This is a general comment for festival organizers, event planners, small town leaders and small business owners.

And I hope you've been sending out releases ...

If you really want to reach your target audience, then you simply have to have an understanding about how the Internet and social networking work - and do it. You may want to hire someone - or you may want to do it yourself. Your bottom line is directly affected.

MARKETING TIP: Even though this is 2011, I find many people hold onto traditional advertising and strategies for getting their message to current and potential customers. Today, you have to learn as much as you can about promotion because there are so many different avenues.

Festival Vendors Should Develop a Pre-Event Promotion Plan

A dip in temperatures is a sure sign that fall festivals are coming. They occur 'round the world and showcase food, craft, arts and entertainment. A festival can have more than 100 vendors total and upwards of 50 different entertainment acts.

Most of them depend upon the festival organizer to promote the event.

Well, listen up. Times have changed. Festival organizers no longer get cash sponsors and media sponsors want cash up front. The number of in-kind sponsors is dwindling. Festivals are having a tough time - and it's going to get worse.

But you can help. Vendors and entertainers should assume responsibility to help not only promote the event, but also use social networking sites to drive traffic to their booth or stage.

MARKETING TIP: Take ownership in your promotion. Don't depend upon others to do it for you. You'll go broke.

I just visited a Website for a local marketing firm. The first thing that struck me odd is that the email address does not use the domain name for the Website. It was a generic something I had not seen before.

Your email address says a lot about your business and how seriously you take it. It's okay to use a Gmail, Yahoo, Live, or whatever domain name for your personal email. However, if you have a Website - or own and use a domain name which represents your company - then you should have your email attached to it.

Which looks more credible to you? greta@gretalint.com or greta@yahoo.com? I don't have a Yahoo account and don't want one. I want to be associated with my online presence - and you should too.

MARKETING TIP: Your email address reflects your commitment to your company. Tie it to your domain name.

Tips to Building Your Event Website with Wordpress

Blogs can be used as Websites for small businesses, events, attractions and more. There are two primary pathways to create a blog -- http://www.blogger.com/ and http://www.wordpress.com/. Here are some pointers on how to use Wordpress.

By creating a blog, you 1) save money and 2) have immediate access to post photos, links, text and more. If you have a festival, small business or attraction which doesn't have a really good promotional budget, consider getting your message out there with a blog.

Actually, this is a blog.

MARKETING TIP: Save time, money and frustration by creating a promotional blog.

Festival and Event Banners - Keep Them Simple

You know the zebra was supposed to be a horse, but it was designed by committee. I think this banner was too. I found it in Silver Springs, Maryland. It is horrible. It has way too much information and is cluttered. A banner should only have the basic information - name of event, date, time, place, a Website and a primary sponsor - if there is just one.

MARKETING TIP: Keep your message clear, concise and simple - particularly on your signage.

Social networking platforms are really getting competitive. Facebook has offered pages for personal, groups, companies, organizations, etc. The rules have changed off and on, sometimes making life easier...
So now Google+ is here. We're all learning about it. Check this out.

MARKETING TIP: Get educated. Stay educated. Seek out others who can help you stay abreast on social network marketing.

Who is Visiting Your Website?

Do you know who is visiting your Website? A good hosting service gives you analytics 24/7 which provide you with a wealth of information.

For example, on this site, I use Site Meter and Google Analytics to show me where traffic is coming from, what the key word searches are, how long people stay here, how they found me, what time of day they visited and if they're unique or repeat visitors.

When IRS came to my site, I learned it was looking for a childhood neighbor of mine who I had mentioned in a post. I am able to see that the majority of visitors are looking for strategies to promote tourism. However, many of the posts can apply to small businesses too.

MARKETING TIP: When looking for a hosting company, ask about the analytics package. Spend time researching what draws people to your site. Build upon the key words.

A Few Do's and Don'ts for Social Networking

A small business owner asked me the other day if there is a way that she can post the same message on her Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts at the same time. I told her yes, but cautioned that each has a different purpose and audience.

LinkedIn is not a place to share what you had for lunch. It is peer to peer and is a great way to network on a professional level. It's a place for your suit and tie, heels and business card. Pretend you're at a chamber function.

Facebook allows you to blend professional and personal together. It's okay to tell your real-life client, via Facebook, that you're cooking out with friends and trying a new recipe. That's called building relationships and tearing down a 9 to 5 wall. Pretend you're at a bar and you're striking up conversation. That's what Facebook is all about.

Twitter is well-named. Here, pretend you're at a cocktail party - twitting around from person to person. You have only a few seconds - or characters - to introduce yourself or comment about a particular topic.

Throughout there are do's and don'ts.

MARKETING TIP: Learn the protocol of social networking. Target your message to your audience.