online community building | for private schools & summer camps
DESCRIPTION
Canadian parents and kids are some of the most active online users. Being involved and active in online communities is the best way for Private schools, summer camps and kids programs to build relationships and market their services. These slides will help you create a social media marketing strategy for your school, camp or after-school program. Includes case studies and examples of schools and camps using social well. Originally presented by Eden Spodek for Our Kids Media at the Our Kids Marketing Academy Lunch & Learn in Toronto on April 29th, 2014. Visit www.ourkidsmedia.com/marketing for more free marketing tools and resources.TRANSCRIPT
Online Marketing for Private Schools, Camps and Programs
Digital Communications Strategist
April 29, 2014
Copyright © Eden Spodek, Eden Spodek Inc. 2014.
Online Marketing for Private Schools, Camps and Programs
• Digital Communications Strategist
• Instructor at U of T SCS Digital Strategy Certificate
• 25 years in communications and marketing, including • 19 years in digital
• Launched first online community in 2001
• Ran PodCamp Toronto (5 years) • Blogger since 2006
• Variety industries, agency and client-side
Introducing Eden
Copyright © Eden Spodek, Eden Spodek Inc. 2014.
Online Marketing for Private Schools, Camps and Programs
• 99% have access to the Internet, mostly on cellphones and smartphones
• 39% sleep with their cellphones
• Favourite websites allow users to post and share content: • 75% YouTube, 57% on Facebook
• 38% have posted a story or artwork they created online
• 32% of grades 4-6 students have a Facebook account; 16% have a Twitter account
MediaSmarts Global News, Jan. 2014
Copyright © Eden Spodek, Eden Spodek Inc. 2014.
Canadians kids grades 4-11
Online Marketing for Private Schools, Camps and Programs
Community Building
Copyright © Eden Spodek, Eden Spodek Inc. 2014.
Online Marketing for Private Schools, Camps and Programs
• Focus on the hub (e.g. blog) and have a regular publishing schedule • link to your channels from
your website and ALL of them – don’t make me work too hard
• add social sharing buttons so people can share your content
Observations about Engagement
Copyright © Eden Spodek, Eden Spodek Inc. 2014.
Online Marketing for Private Schools, Camps and Programs
• You don’t need to be everywhere – fish where the fish are
• Images are a great way to provide a quick snapshot of the school or camp culture
• Tag/describe your content assets and include your URLs to drive traffic
• Use calls to action (CTAs) • Respond to comments • Don’t just post, participate!
Observations about Engagement /2
Copyright © Eden Spodek, Eden Spodek Inc. 2014.
Online Marketing for Private Schools, Camps and Programs
Purpose of Online Communities
• Marketing, brand awareness, relationship-building
• Virtual “meeting” place • Collaborate with audience
and influencers directly • Parents • Staff/Partners • Students/Campers
• Discover, cultivate and reward brand ambassadors
Copyright © Eden Spodek, Eden Spodek Inc. 2014.
Online Marketing for Private Schools, Camps and Programs
Developing a Strategy
Ask questions • What are the goals? • How does community building
fit into your organization’s objectives?
• How will it be managed? • Internally or externally?
• Who is your community? • Membership criteria
• How can you help community members?
• How will you recognize and reward members?
Copyright © Eden Spodek, Eden Spodek Inc. 2014.
Online Marketing for Private Schools, Camps and Programs
Developing a Strategy /2
Make Decisions • Understand the objective(s)
of community members and listen to them
• Set S.M.A.R.T. goals • Choose an appropriate
platform(s) • Decide how your community
will be managed • Develop guidelines • What will success look like?
Copyright © Eden Spodek, Eden Spodek Inc. 2014.
Online Marketing for Private Schools, Camps and Programs
Case Studies
Copyright © Eden Spodek, Eden Spodek Inc. 2014.
Online Marketing for Private Schools, Camps and Programs
• Starbucks tracks interactions and progress on the site and shares them with members
• Transparency helps build: • A community of collaboration • A feeling that members are
partners • Customer/brand loyalty
• Building community around the brand creates an environment of trust between Starbucks and its most passionate customers
Case Study: My Starbucks Idea
Copyright © Eden Spodek, Eden Spodek Inc. 2014.
Online Marketing for Private Schools, Camps and Programs
St. Michaels University School
Copyright © Eden Spodek, Eden Spodek Inc. 2014.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgVMuAN2-wk
Online Marketing for Private Schools, Camps and Programs
• 4,366 views –YouTube video announcement
• >250 video entries • 30 semi-finalists • 3 finalists selected by 14-person
panel, meet on campus May 2 • semi-finalists evaluated on three
major criteria: • quality of their entry video • potential to get involved in all
aspects of school/boarding life • potential as a spokesperson for
the boarding experience during their year as the BSYE winner
• Winner announced May 6 • A success! They’re already
building a mailing list to announce next year’s contest!
Best School Year Ever campaign
Copyright © Eden Spodek, Eden Spodek Inc. 2014.
Online Marketing for Private Schools, Camps and Programs
Copyright © Eden Spodek, Eden Spodek Inc. 2014.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys0WVOPmA6g&list=UU8-Th83bH_thdKZDJCrn88g
Driving Earned Media
Online Marketing for Private Schools, Camps and Programs
Engagement, Reputation & Trust
Copyright © Eden Spodek, Eden Spodek Inc. 2014.
Online Marketing for Private Schools, Camps and Programs
“The only way to build trust … is to develop relationships and provide valuable educational information… Whatever it happens to be, harvest stories that humanize the company...”
– Gini Dietrich, Spin Sucks: Communications and Reputation Management in the Digital Age
Building a Culture of Trust
Copyright © Eden Spodek, Eden Spodek Inc. 2014.
Online Marketing for Private Schools, Camps and Programs
• Community manager – a trusted and transparent part of the community
• This helps demonstrate the community manager cares about the community because he/she is invested in it as well
Reputation and Community
Copyright © Eden Spodek, Eden Spodek Inc. 2014.
Online Marketing for Private Schools, Camps and Programs
• Essential consideration in strategy development
• Define role of community manager
• Cultivate community ambassadors • Engage, feature and highlight
your biggest fans • Role of other community
members (active participants, lurkers, etc.) • All members need to feel like
they belong • Be transparent
Building a Community of Trust
Copyright © Eden Spodek, Eden Spodek Inc. 2014.
Online Marketing for Private Schools, Camps and Programs
Don’t Just Post…
Copyright © Eden Spodek, Eden Spodek Inc. 2014.
Online Marketing for Private Schools, Camps and Programs
Participate!
Copyright © Eden Spodek, Eden Spodek Inc. 2014.
Online Marketing for Private Schools, Camps and Programs
Participate!
Copyright © Eden Spodek, Eden Spodek Inc. 2014.
Online Marketing for Private Schools, Camps and Programs
Show Don’t Tell
Copyright © Eden Spodek, Eden Spodek Inc. 2014.
Online Marketing for Private Schools, Camps and Programs
Show Me
Copyright © Eden Spodek, Eden Spodek Inc. 2014.
Online Marketing for Private Schools, Camps and Programs
Storytelling
Copyright © Eden Spodek, Eden Spodek Inc. 2014.
Online Marketing for Private Schools, Camps and Programs
Blog, blog, blog…
Copyright © Eden Spodek, Eden Spodek Inc. 2014.
Online Marketing for Private Schools, Camps and Programs
Paid, Earned, Social and Owned
• Social Media • Word of Mouth • Referrals/Reviews
• Your Website • Your Blog • Your Content
• Media Relations • Blogger Relations • Influencer Relations
• Social Advertising • Traditional Advertising • Sponsored Content • Google AdWords
Paid Earned
Shared Owned
Copyright © Eden Spodek, Eden Spodek Inc. 2014.
Online Marketing for Private Schools, Camps and Programs
Paid Content
Copyright © Eden Spodek, Eden Spodek Inc. 2014.
Online Marketing for Private Schools, Camps and Programs
Earned Content
Copyright © Eden Spodek, Eden Spodek Inc. 2014.
Online Marketing for Private Schools, Camps and Programs
Shared Content
Copyright © Eden Spodek, Eden Spodek Inc. 2014.
Online Marketing for Private Schools, Camps and Programs
Owned Content
Copyright © Eden Spodek, Eden Spodek Inc. 2014.
Online Marketing for Private Schools, Camps and Programs
• PAID: Our Kids continuously speaks to a highly targeted audience, Typically that parent who is researching school and/or summer camp or recreation options for her/his children
• EARNED: Some partners, such as Our Kids, will allow you to post articles directly to the website (earned media) and will highlight you in photo, article or video features.
• EARNED: You can also build relationships with influencers who may help co-create and share your content.
• SHARED: You can pull feeds from your Facebook and Twitter conversations onto your Our Kids online community profile to amplify your message
• SHARED: If you're looking for great content to share, such as eBooks, reports, stats, checklists or calculators, Our Kids produces new sharable content every month.
Amplify your message
Copyright © Eden Spodek, Eden Spodek Inc. 2014.
Online Marketing for Private Schools, Camps and Programs
• Canada leads in Internet usage; 99% of kids are online
• Build community around a common goal, be conversational
• Collaboration, listening, problem-solving and sharing of meaningful content builds community
• Community managers are the eyes, ears and voice of an organization
• Integrated approach to content distribution – “PESO” opportunities help build relationships and amplify your message
• Don’t just post, PARTICIPATE!
Summary
Copyright © Eden Spodek, Eden Spodek Inc. 2014.
Questions?
Copyright © Eden Spodek, Eden Spodek Inc. 2014.
Thank you!
Copyright © Eden Spodek, Eden Spodek Inc. 2014.
Continue the Conversation Online
Connect Eden Spodek Digital Communications Strategist Eden Spodek Inc. [email protected] EdenSpodek.com
@EdenSpodek LinkedIn.com/en/EdenSpodek
Copyright © Eden Spodek, Eden Spodek Inc. 2014.
Online Marketing for Private Schools, Camps and Programs
3 Ways Social Media Creates a Social Local Community http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/3-ways-social-media-creates-a-social-local-community/ Canada’s youth are highly connected, girls face different rules online: study, Global News, January 2014 http://globalnews.ca/news/1098160/canadas-youth-are-highly-connected-girls-face-different-rules-online-study/ Capulet Goes Back to School, Darren Barefoot, February 24, 2014 http://capulet.com/2014/02/capulet-goes-back-to-school/ Delvinia’s AskingCanadians – How are Canadians Using Social Media? Stryve Group, July 12, 2012, http://stryvegroup.com/how-are-canadians-using-social-media Guide To Online Community Management, ReadWriteWeb, eBook, http://www.slideshare.net/readwriteweb/rww-community-report-12107798 How are Canadians Using Social Media?, Stryve Group, July 12, 2012, http://stryvegroup.com/how-are-canadians-using-social-media/ The Common Craft Blog, Lefever, L., July 2003, http://www.commoncraft.com/archives/000208.html My Starbucks Idea, http://mystarbucksidea.force.com/
References
Copyright © Eden Spodek, Eden Spodek Inc. 2014.
Online Marketing for Private Schools, Camps and Programs
No Bullshit Social Media, Deckers, E., Falls, J., 2012 Reputation Management, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reputation_management Seven Trends in Community and Social Business for 2013, Community Roundtable, Leanne Chase, January 3, 2013, http://community-roundtable.com/2013/01/seven-trends-in-community-and-social-business-for-2013/ Six Revisions blog http://sixrevisions.com/mobile/design-mistakes-iphone-app/ Social, Digital & Mobile Around The World, We Are Social, January 2014 http://www.slideshare.net/wearesocialsg/social-digital-mobile-around-the-world-january-2014 Spin Sucks: Communications and Reputation Management in the Digital Age, Dietrich G., 2014 "Structuring a Social Media Team”, Ragan/NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions white paper, http://www.ragan.com/Main/StructuringaSocialMediaTeam.aspx The Can't-Miss Social Media Trends For 2013, Ryan Holmes, Fast Company, November 29, 2012, http://www.fastcompany.com/3003473/cant-miss-social-media-trends-2013 What is an Online Community, Lee Lefever, July 2009, http://www.commoncraft.com/archives/000208.html
References
Copyright © Eden Spodek, Eden Spodek Inc. 2014.