Once folks understand what it is, Ask an Expert is an easy sell. But are you marketing it effectively to build your program? This session will explore a variety of creative ways to market Ask an Expert both internally and externally. We’ll share examples of marketing plans, and how to build a branded identity. We’ll also demonstrate how we are using video, radio PSAs, brochures, flyers, press releases, presentations, and social media—and even lip balm– to get the word out. What worked? What didn’t? What could the future hold? We’ll give you several easy-to-initiate take home ideas for marketing Ask an Expert in your state. We’ll also discuss how we might share marketing resources. So come prepared to share your efforts and ideas about creatively marketing Ask an Expert!

1. Marketing Ask an Expert
Jeff Hino, Oregon State University

2. Presentation Goals
• Share ideas for creative approaches to marketing AaE using
examples from OSU
• Encourage discussion
• Explore collaboration and sharing nation-wide

3. Why Market Ask an Expert?
• AaE is a catalyst to provide an inroad for clients to pursue all types of
information in all formats.
• It offers a powerful means to market Extension
• Questions are among the best means we have of gauging attention of our
clients...Often our only one!

4. Marketing Planning
Marketing Author/Guru Seth Godin says the best way to
learn marketing is to do marketing.
• Goals:
• Bring more (and different) eyeballs to our website
• Leverage relationships with our clients
• Increase Extension faculty and staff enrollment in the system
• Encourage more questions
• Encourage more non-horticulture questions
• Provide a means for agents & others to market AaE to their clients

5. Internal and External Marketing
• Internal Audiences: Faculty, staff, administrators, volunteers
• Internal Marketing can help meet AaE challenges
• Get the word out about AaE: can we get extension personnel to share
AaE with clients as a key SERVICE?
• Create a buzz, build enthusiasm, reduce resistance, increase participation
• Encourage deeper use of AaE ties to content delivery…AaE as a way of
knowing

6. Internal Marketing: What We’ve Done
• Branding
• Trainings and overview seminars
• Newsletter items
• Reports - ADM
• Displays at OSU events and conferences
• Promote recognition of individuals involved in AaE

7. Statistics are a Marketing Tool
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
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Questions Resolved by
Oregon Experts 2011-12

8. What are they asking about?

9. A Berry Emergency!
Q: “My boyfriend just at some berries growing in the
garden…now he has an upset stomach.”
Response:
• Call Poison Information Center!
• Posted identification of berry on AaE
• Revised Pamphlet on berries
• Press release
• Story picked up by 2 TV news stations
Photo: Barbara Fick

10. Kudos from Users – they can be your best marketers!
“OH MY Gosh !!!!!! What a great and prompt
response. You answered my questions and
gave me additional information. I wish I had a
college age kid: I send him/her to OSU!”
--Comment posted by Anonymous Guest
June 12, 2012
Full question and response at:
http://www.extension.org/aae/question/91181

11. Recognition is a Marketing Tool
The Vice Provost for Outreach & Engagement awards the
AaE Deployment Team and Question Monitors
Special Recognition for Organizational Transformation

12. Internal and External Marketing
• External Audiences
• A key audience type is the extension volunteers demographic
• For over half those using AaE this is their first interaction with Extension
• Business cards
• Post cards
• Press releases

13. Marketing Materials
• Display

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15. Radio PSAs
• OPB Radio 15 second radio spots
“Our listeners support OPB and so does OSU Extension Service…”
• (Summer 2011) “…Introducing Ask an Expert. Answering your real-
world questions with research-based answers online at Extension
dot Oregon State dot E-D-U.”
• (Fall 2011) “…Where you can ask a question and a get an answer
from Extension’s Ask an Expert service, online at Extension dot
Oregon state dot E-D-U.”

16. Social Media
Featured on our FB page
• Question of the Week
• Timely and popular questions

17. AaE Lip Balm?!

18. Cycle Oregon

19. Flaunt it on your site

20. Our Ask an Expert Website Banner Animation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wf4CEm
LP7NA&feature=youtu.be

24. Question of the Week…the answer

25. Every Question Tells a Story (don’t it.)

26. Every Question Tells a Story (don’t it.)
We created an animation to help tell the story
behind a Question of the Week concerning
fruit flies in police evidence.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jayJVuu
NDcc

27. Ideas, ideas and more ideas…just try ‘em!

28. Ideas, ideas and more ideas…just try ‘em!
How about…
• Infographic demonstrating AaE
• Paid ad on Google and Facebook
• Meet the expert videos
• Pinterest page for AaE
• Pachyderm modules
• Tweets of all Questions and Answers
• Best question of the year award
• Top Tier Expert Awards
• Ask an Expert Tattoo
• Signs on the sides of buses
• Others?....

29. Discussion…

30. Thank You!
Jeff Hino
Learning Technology Leader
Ask an Expert Coordinator
Oregon State University
jeff.hino@oregonstate.edu