Cost-Effective Marketing Campaigns: Zero to Hero

by Lena PhamCost-Effective Marketing Campaigns: Zero to HeroFundraising Mini-Conference @ Covina Public LibraryJanuary 14, 2016

Introduce myself, job title, and provide some background about me

About the title of this presentation: 1. Intro: Title is misleading, because no one actually has nothing. You have connections and resources that you may not have thought about. And hero doesnt mean you succeeded in bringing in thousands of dollars thats something for another day. Be happy that you could get someone to donate 10 bucks. Something is enough to be proud of, and thats a hero by my definition.But the concept of starting with very little, and building it to become something is there. Cost-effective doesnt mean no cost ; it means for the little amount that youre able to put in, you can get a lot out of it. Cost-effective marketing is all about making a personal connection and engaging in conversations that provide new opportunities.

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My Story

4. My story: I wanted to host a meeting, have an opportunity for students to meet up, but there wasnt a budget for it. So I had to get creative.How to make it happen: Leverage the power of partnerships. Think about what you need to make something happen: time, money, and personnel.My presentation might help those who have time, but not money. Using your time (and passion), heres how you can get money.The result of my inadvertent mini-fundraising for the PLSEP Meet and Greet: Got free room, tables, chairs, projector, 2 screens, microphone, audio equipment (meeting room at a hotel for half day = $400 and up) 5 tickets to Party @ PPL @25/person=$125Got sponsorship for drinks and snacks $191.40 (20 drinks @3.50 each=$35 + 25 popcorn bowls @3/person=$75 + tax&service @32%=46.40)Got a video on impact (value: priceless)Cost: TimeOver $700, excluding time (project coordinator, mentor, in-house buy-in CSL admin, 2 local project coordinators, CLA partnership)-Talk about exchange with CLA they gave room and award tickets ; what did they get out of it? Potentially more conference go-ers and I had given a lot of time previously being an active member of CLA interest group-Talk about utilizing current partnershipsLesson #1: Whats the big secret to marketing, fundraising, etc.? Communicating your needs.Show that you are sincereShow that you have integrityShow that you are passionate about the program/project/cause you are trying to help or achievePeople truly respond to that. They can respond in a number of different ways, and all of that translates to support:They give their time to attend the event in support ofThey donate moneyThey donate other things (like tickets) Lesson #2: The important thing to remember is that you first have to invest. Because you have to believe in something before you can get others to believe in it. It really starts with YOU!So find something youre passionate about, and talk to people about how awesome it is, and youll be surprised how many people you can find who share that interest or belief.And to follow up with that, you can invest in more ways than $. Show that you care. Do the things other people care about so that when it comes it to the things you care about, theyll be amendable to helping you. Lesson #3: Dont do it by yourself. Here is why you need help:Having partners increases the energy level. Youll be drained trying to do everything by yourself.Makes a project fun. If its not fun to you, what are the chances of it being fun for others?You dont know everything, so having other brains at work will strengthen the collective knowledge and capabilities. What isnt successful: If the people who hold the purse dont share that belief (or the capacity to make the change), youre asking the wrong people. You can talk until your face turns blue, but the message wont be received because people arent open to hearing it. The hard part is you wont know what works or doesnt work until you try.What is successful: So, find the people who care, have a vested interest, and/or share that belief, and youll be surprised by what can be accomplished. One of the biggest lessons I learned was persistence. Try different ways and eventually one of them will work. The CPLA sponsored a program before called Reinvent your Ask and that is a great way of phrasing what you need to do when something doesnt work. You need to ask again, but in a different way.ABC's of Summer Reading Fundraising - Reinvent your Ask! Campaign for Grade Level Reading & Sac Public Library FoundationSummer Reading programs have been happening at your library for decades but, for literacy funders, your programs and your ability to reach huge numbers of children during the summer is new news. Reinvent how you talk about your impact so that funders who want to address the summer slide realize that you are the best investment in town. This session will include developing a short 'funder pitch' that you will adapt for your library and share with others. Bring the number of kids your library serves, the number of branches your library has, and the population of children in your library community with you to the workshop so that you can put your pitch to work on Monday. Sponsored by California Public Library Advocates

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Starting from ZERO

https://pixabay.com/en/homeless-poor-unhoused-unsheltered-295489/Starting from zero not just with $$, but ideas 3

to becoming HERO

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Types of Marketing Campaigns

2. All about marketing campaignsDefinition specific activities designed to promote a product, service, or business (in our case, organization: your library)What types of marketing campaigns are there:Campaigns organized around a theme (reading, literacy, volunteerism) example: Get Involved: Powered By Your Library is a statewide initiative designed to expand the visibility and contributions of skilled volunteers through public libraries. With thousands of Californians seeking new ways to use their skills and experience to make a difference in their community, public libraries are positioned to engage this talent to extend their capacity in the community and to develop advocates and supporters of their services. (Get Involved widget on every participating library homepage)Campaigns highlighting a significant date/step in the librarys history (anniversaries: 10th, 20th, 50th, opening of a new branch/location, etc.) example: http://www.library.ca.gov/calrocks165.html California Rocks! Celebrating 165 years of Statehood with lists of some of the hidden sights, sounds and people that make California the incredible place that it is to live, work, and play. OR calreads.org which celebrates CA Library Literacy Services (CLLS)s 30th AnniversaryCampaigns to raise public awareness (that the library is there, it can help you; it can be your community space) example: Inspiring Library Stories @ inspiringlibrarystories.wordpress.com by Ashley and Oleg Kagan for EveryLibrary; Libraries Transform campaign by ALA @ librariestransform.org , wherein ultimate goal of the campaign is to increase funding support for libraries and advance information policy issues in alignment with ALA advocacy goals; getoutsidethelines.org - weeklong celebration demonstrating the creativity and innovation happening in libraries. Whether your organization is large or small, a school library or a public library, you can participate by hosting at least one event or campaign that: Gets people thinking and talking about libraries in a different wayShowcases the library out in the community as well as in the libraryHighlights how your library is relevant to peoples livesRepresents your local communityIs active versus passive gets people engagedIs extraordinary and unexpectedMost importantly, is fun!

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Marketing Strategies

Marketing strategiesa. Marketing Plan: To accomplish a marketing campaign, you need to develop marketing plan and strategies. So think about: 1) what the goal is, and 2) what are the steps to take to accomplish that goal, and 3) Create your budget and estimate your ROI (return on investment) ie, when you invest a certain amount/time/capital/people/resources, what do you intend the return to be. There are a lot of different ways to roll out a marketing campaign, but heres one way: 1) build a campaign landing page (or choose a website that can serve as one and customize it for your library and purpose), 2) distribute it and promote itwell get into the different tools you can use for promoting later e.g. announcing campaign on social media, blog post, email list, 3) nurture your leads so you can turn leads into customers (and have customers return time and again), 4) keep delivering value, 5) rinse, lather, repeathttp://unbounce.com/online-marketing/successful-marketing-campaigns-step-by-step/ b. Strategies: Communication Basics Deliver one or two key messages and continually improve have at least two versions of an ad, test them in small quantities and choose the best one to rollout ; there are 3 Cs in marketing messages that are good to follow: communication needs to clear, compelling, and consistent Consider who is the best target audience for each of the activities in the marketing plan or in the overall campaign, so that you can target your message http://www.cio.com/article/2377257/online-marketing/7-ways-to-create-a-successful-integrated-marketing-campaign.html Consider the channels theyll be using (not everyone is on Facebook, but a lot could be on) for libraries in California, there is the California Libraries facebook page, CALIX (CA Library mailing list), CLA lists, ALAs lists and its chapters/associations Track campaigns by having the proper analytics and attribution methods, example: for libraries this would be door/visitor count, number of people at programming events, survey feedback at events, circ stats, website usage stats. Use unique barcodes or tagging method to keep track - specifically, for those looking to use digital to drive in-stores sales with coupons, using a tracking platform that generates unique barcodes with every coupon printed and then allows you to receive data back from retailers and coupon clearing houses about which corresponding campaign segments are performing best from an ROI standpointhttp://www.marketingmo.com/strategic-planning/marketing-campaigns/ c. Strategies: Look at what big businesses do to develop their fanbase/followingHave a mascot (Aflac the duck increased the American Family Life Assurance Companys brand recognition from 12% to 90% and increased sales catapulted Aflac into a leadership position in the supplemental insurance market) ; and along with this, have a consistent look/visual identity ; St Helena Public Library had a cat mascot (actually in the library, so you dont necessarily need that)Rewards program is another name for a loyalty program that is, it rewards customers or patrons who are frequent users or buyers of an organization ; libraries have done something similar for the purposes of supporting literacy and preventing summer slide by having a summer reading program - it offers incentives for reading and prizes, but that can be expanded to be more of a yearlong program that really draws readership and communities in; the library already offers free books, so think about what more can people do with their library cardget partnerships with local businesses (model: Discover and Go, which provides instant online access to free and low-cost tickets to museums, science centers, theaters, zoos, other fun local cultural venues. Library cardholders can browse for tickets online by date or by venue. Once they make a reservation they can print their tickets, plan their trip using 511.org and link to a recommended reading list.) ; look at the 5 components of a successful loyalty program and consider how it can be translated to libraries: 1) motivate customers, 2) connect with customer base on a personal level, 3) keep it simple, 4) focus on points (reading), not dollars, 5) measure your successes http://www.buzztime.com/business/blog/5-vital-elements-great-loyalty-program/ Have an app for your library or specific product appypie.com (making an app is as easy as piethough for anyone who has ever made a pie, you probably know its not as easy as it sounds; free with relevant ads to $7/month to $19/month to $33/month), appmakr.com (claims to be easiest way to create an app, in 20 minutes you can build an app thats available all over the world for just $1/month to $9/month to $39/month), como.com (Camarillo Public Library is creating an app using Como, which is an app platform that has everything you need to manage your customer base and grow your community - software fee of $1999 is a one-time charge that will allow them to use their software and help sections to create their own seed library app, after that its just annual Apple Store fee to host app)Conclusion The most important part of a marketing campaign is to have a concrete, measurable goal for your campaign (increase circulation (in business world: sales), program attendance (in business world: customers), brand recognition (awareness of your organization), visitors, partnerships, donations, etc.)

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Marketing Tools

5. Marketing tools - http://www.marketingmo.com/strategic-planning/marketing-campaigns/ Types of Marketing Tools - Example/Description CostOnline Media - Facebook Pages and Ads - FB group is free to create. FB page is free to create, and has page promotion $5 for est. 4 to 15 likes per dayPrint media - Local newspapers and magazines -Varies by publication, charge by ad size; e.g. $7.25 per column inch, so an ad 2in wide by 3 in tall = 6in x $7.25 = $43.50Social media - Campaign-specific hashtag #cla2015 #calreads - Zero, but need staff timePublicity - Booster.com sell custom t-shirts and collect donations - Cost e.g. $20/shirt x 50 shirt =$1000, $569 after cost of producing shirt (and fee?), so over 50% of profit goes to cause. Customer pays additional shipping $5Direct Mail - Cost of paper/printing/postage 49 cents/stamp, staff time to assemble addressesEmail - Constant Contact create effective email marketing, tracking & reporting, social media sharing tools, image library, mobile app, file storage -$20/month for email; $45/month email includes custom templateRadio - Free if contact manager and youre a non-profit and they have slots available; other ways of getting radio time is to give tickets or another prize to a station for a radio contest. (In order for the radio station to hold this contest that could increase their listening base, they have to mention your business, website and name every time that the contest is announced.) OR submit an event on the radio stations community calendar. Otherwise: Number Of People Listening x Cost To Reach 1,000 listeners (CPM) = Cost of Advertising Per Spot ($2000-$5000 for San Diego, $4000-$8000 for LA); create radio ad for $800-$1200Television - $300 per minute on a mediocre station, $1,000 per minute on a big station, $30,000 per minute on a major nationally syndicated showEvents and Trade Shows - Booth costs vary e.g. 10x10 space CLA 2015 $1100 members and $1500 non-members for early birdSearch Engines - Google AdWords - Only pay for results (no clicks = zero cost), average cost per click is $1-$2

Tip my favorite type of marketing is using video. Theres just something very powerful in a video message (maybe because it combines a lot of the sensesseeing and hearing, so its beyond just text or audio).Post stories from patrons on social mediaCreate a fictional series featuring your library or using it as product placementHighlight humorous situations relating to libraries (see whats shared on ALA Think Tank)Tell personal stories Create documentary-style video Interview patrons, authors, writers, educatorsTake viewers behind the sceneshttp://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/video-storytelling/inspiringlibrarystories.wordpress.comhttps://www.facebook.com/facebookmedia/best-practices/facebook-videohttp://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/video-storytelling/http://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/basics-video-storytellinghttp://blog.visual.ly/the-20-most-powerful-storytelling-videos-of-2013/What I learned with radio and television from a fundraising friend is that non-profits can get radio time for free (I dont know if you get the best time slot, but getting any kind of air time for free is better than none it does take work though, you have to allot staff time to contact the manager/PR person at the radio to investigate if you can get airtime as they have to do free advertising at some point). What you need to do is create a media release, then contact the program Producer (if its radio) or Chief of Staff (if its TV).Do you know how much this free publicity would cost if you had to pay for it? $300 per minute on a mediocre station $1,000 per minute on a big station $30,000 per minute on a major nationally syndicated showhttp://www.radiopublicity.com/ Interview time is worth even more than ad time. Why? Because people pay more attention to the shows than the ads ...and they're much more likely to believe them. Think about it. Which do you pay more attention to? The commercials or the guests?Radio interviews cost nothing. Though getting the interview time may cost something. According to radio publicity, there are 4 ways to get radio interviews: Hire a PR Firm This will cost you a $2,000-$10,000 per month retainer fee. If you can afford it and you hire the right firm, this can be very effective - but definitely not cheap.The cheaper the PR Firm, the more likely they are to just book you on a bunch of little shows... and you probably won't be able to tell the difference, so you have to be very careful with this. Pay for a listing with a guest resource service ...(show producers use these to find guests)The majority of stations that respond to these ads/listings are small. These can be helpful when you're first starting out and you need a little practice on some small stations. But after that, you're better off targeting the big shows directly and not wasting your time doing interviews on tiny stations with no listeners.Mass blast your show idea to producers Costs money, most producers trash junk blasts and SPAM, and what little response you do get will come from a few little stations who are so far out in the boonies they actually have time to read junk blasts! I mean seriously, do you like SPAM? Do you really think big show producers are any different? Fat chance. They delete it just like you do! This may SEEM like the "easy" way to get on a bunch of shows, but I'm here to tell you: IT'S A WASTE OF TIME. Call the producers and pitch your show idea directly If you want to be on the big shows, this is how it's done. This is how successful PR agents do it, this is how savvy self-promoter's do it, and this is how I do it. The reason it's so important to CALL them is because they get to HEAR your voice when you do. Why is this important? Because radio is an auditory medium, and radio people need to hear what you sound like before they'll book you on their shows. Other ways of getting radio time is to give tickets or another prize to a station for a radio contest. (In order for the radio station to hold this contest that could increase their listening base, they have to mention your business, website and name every time that the contest is announced.) OR submit an event on the radio stations community calendar. (Sacramentos 107.9 the end radio station, for example, has a Public Service Announcement page where youll find information about local events put on by non-profit organizations. http://www.endonline.com/pages/5713488.php)

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Q & A

6. Resource guide: The handout I provided is divided up into 2 columns 1 is a list of marketing resources for libraries and the second is a list of grant agencies for libraries and non-profit organizations. a. highlight the marketing resources to share what tools are out there for libraries to investigate b. Do a crowdsourcing activity ask people to look over the resource guide and mark which ones theyve heard of, and which ones they havent. But also share which ones they know about that arent already on the page.

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Contact Info

Lena Pham(916) 651-0376Lena.Pham@library.ca.gov

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