How much do you really know about your target audience? And how effectively are you reaching them in a sea of competing interests? This session will provide insight into the creative positioning, marketing strategy, research and planning that every educational institution must consider for their annual giving initiatives. Featuring learnings from two major California universities (CSULA and National University], we will discuss the importance of target audience definition (e.g., who are the most active donors and what is their cumulative impact over time), competitive analysis and using innovative engagement tactics (e.g., social media) to create a lasting bond. From there, we will share various successful interactive marketing strategies which the Annual Giving Professionals audience can use.
4. Positioning & Interactive Marketing Strategies to Help Annual Giving Fine Tune Your Marketing Target audience Understand the competitive landscape Develop “differentiated” messaging to market yourself Case study – Cal State LA by Interactive Go To Market Strategies Social media Centralize analytics & attribution Search engine marketing
13. Creative Theme To inspire both immediate online giving and gift planning, the creative direction/theme aims to: Establish a strong, vibrant sense of place. Make it feel personal and real. Promote inclusion. Creative Theme = Be a part of it.
16. What is IT? To Be a part of it, potential donors must first know/feel what IT is. CSULA is a… Dynamic, architecturally interesting campus. Populated by motivated, personable students and faculty. And supported by active, progressive alumni and donors.
17. Prove IT. How do we make it dynamic? The black-and-yellow challenge. Invite interaction and exploration. How do we make it personable? The use of story. Compelling characters. Goal=Engage, Form Emotional Connection
20. How can you be a part of it? Both messaging and navigation answer this question. Get Involved = Attend an Event; Join a Group Annual Giving Designated Giving = Give to Your Passion Planned Giving At any level = Make a difference.
25. How do we keep them coming back? Renewable Content Events filtered by interest. Relevant stories. Develop Marketing Campaign in line with Creative Theme/Messaging
31. Are other professionals or donors really using social media…? You bet Professionals http://doteduguru.com http://www.bloghighed.org/ http://www.annualgivingexchange.com/ http://www.bizbabble.org http://philanthropy.com/ Alumni/Donors: http://financialfellow.com/2009/01/16/poll-do-you-donate-to-your-alma-mater/ http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x491120 http://www.wisebread.com/it-pays-to-be-true-to-your-school-5-ways-your-alma-mater-can-save-you-money
32. Are other professionals or donors really using social media…? How can you start & get better with social media? Use trackur, google alerts, radian6, google/yahoo/bing blog search to understand: Who is talking about: Your university Your competitors Tax issues Giver’s needs Etc Listen, then engage Measure against benchmarks
33. Understanding and Reaching Out to Donors Social media is a perfect way for many organizations to: Learn from customers first hand what they want & expect from you Before launching any campaign – check with your end customers - donors Make “consumable” content available – let donors spread the word Develop relationship with alumni/donors, instill trust – annual giving will follow Lower cost per acquisition – increase conversions
36. Centralize Analytics – Multichannel Optimization – Simple Steps Use Google Analytics, Yahoo Analytics, Omniture, or WebTrends to “centrally” track: SEO Paid search Emails Surveys Direct mail – use “info.universityX.edu” to track “offline” results Social media – use Bit.ly & Google Tracker Other offline campaigns – lead them to landing pages Then run attribution Example of findings: 20-30% of paid search “credit” comes from other marketing “Offline doesn’t work” – Not true – tracking is usually at fault! Save 30-40% on marketing & re-invest
52. Use Mobile Marketing to Generate Micropayments? Sponsor all relevant keywords: “Like Cal State – LA? Can’t give big, consider a simple $5 donation!” Resources: http://www.singletouch.net/index.php http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micropayment http://www.mobileaccord.com/ http://www.sonicmobile.com/case_studies/ http://www.eschoolnews.com/2010/01/15/haiti-text-donations-to-red-cross-pass-5m/
53. Thank You! e-storm international William Gaultier Tel.: +1-415-352-1214 william@e-storm.com www.e-storm.com twitter.com/wgaultier linkedin.com/in/williamgaultier beyondform Melinda Maerker Principal Beyondform.com Tel: 323.667.3366