Statewide Website Marketing and Outreach Promoting Your Site Online and Off 2007 TIG Conference Austin, TX

Our goal Introduce and discuss forward-thinking yet realistic online and offline marketing strategies and tactics for statewide websites. Overview of developing a marketing strategy Examples from the field and beyond

You have a head start! Marketing and outreach are terms for many of the communications functions you do already. They start at your front door with everyday interactions -- your reception area, voice mail message, website front page. Service delivery PR maintains positive relationships with people you work with and serve (staff, clients, volunteers, funders). Outreach develops relationships with new partners and audiences.

Common marketing myths The Internet will do your marketing for you You have to hire a professional to get any results You have to make headlines to have an impact You have to spend a lot of money for your campaign to be successful

But planning is important Develop a plan -Who is your audience? -What do you want them to know? -How will you reach them? -How often? -Who will implement the plan? LawHelp Resource Series article on developing a marketing plan: “A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow.” - Proverb

How do you think of your audience? - Clients - Staff - Stakeholders - Funders - Key Decision-makers - Groups / individuals that interface with all of the above

What do you want them to know? Marketing Mad Libs: Brainstorm what you would like people to know and how you would like to be perceived: -[My statewide website] is so ____(adjective)________ -It’s great at ______(noun or verb)__________ -It’s different because _______(reason)______ -It matters because _____(reason)__________

Communicating your message Headline & Sub- head summarize news release, draw readers in Most important info in first ¶ Contact info at top Quote in 2 nd ¶ repeats message that site solves a serious problem

Little or no cost at all (except staff time) Make sure everyone at your organization, especially receptionists, knows about your web site – and what to say about it (back to Mad Libs!) Add the web site address to your organization's voice mail message &/or hold message, and your hotline. Use the website as the home page of all computers in your office (especially if you have computers in your waiting room)

legal services social services agencies bar associations courts libraries schools elected officials state and local government web pages houses of worship local United Ways Make sure the web sites of relevant organizations in your community are linking to your web site. Suggest a general link or links to specific content: Little or no cost at all (except staff time)

Post announcements on relevant listservs (law and public librarians in your state, court clerks, CTCNet, others?) Send out press releases when you add new types of content, receive new funding or reach a major milestone. Pitch an op-ed piece or by-lined article to local media when you have a “hook” (a tie-in with a national or local news story, or around tax season, etc.)

TexasLawHelp press release

LawHelp.org/NY Press Coverage Article in El Diario, number one Spanish language daily in NY, widest distribution in NE US (250K). Interview on NY1 Noticias, daily news broadcast for New York’s Spanish- speaking community.

Little or no cost at all (except staff time) Co-author article for public library association magazine Offer to do a presentation for your state and federal legislators. Example: MN letter to state legislators: Nominate your project for an award!

Minimal cost Make flyers about timely content and distribute strategically (e.g. to libraries during tax season). Potential partners: SeniorNet Centers HUD Neighborhood Networks Centers Community Technology Centers Network Court Interpreter Programs $ Example: to Cyber Centers about LegalAid-GA.org

Leave something catchy behind! Put your URL on a pen (CA courts) Adhesive stickers (WA) Coasters (MT) Fans (IA) Bookmarks (WA) Palm cards $$ Minimal to moderate cost

Turn presentations into partnerships Example: People’s Law Library (MD) “Techno-Literacy” brochures and presentations Make it easy for others to champion the site on your behalf Example: People’s Law Library (MD) talking points for poster distributors within Court and library system $$

$ but can have a big impact Request pro bono advertising from local transit authorities (ads on buses or trains) Videos, websites or other special media Develop PSAs for local broadcast media $$$

Develop a marketing schedule 2007 Marketing/Outreach Initiatives JanFebMarAprilMayJuneJulyAugSeptOctNovDec What's New E-NewsletterX X X X X X Direct mail brochures X X Press release on EITC content X Palm card for state fair X Community presentations/PR X X X X

Test and evaluate what works Sample metrics…art and science: Gather baseline usage stats and track over time Surveys: ask users where they heard of your site (client and advocate) Survey stakeholders / access partners about referrals to the site Monitor referral traffic in WebTrends (client) Track media coverage (Google alerts) Number of inbound links

You don’t have to do it alone Cultivate evangelists – people who can speak for you (clients, advocates, stakeholders) Go beyond your circle of like-minded organizations –reach out to for-profit companies with strong social interests that can help spread the word. –reach out to a business / marketing class at your local university to help design or implement your campaign.

Marketing: the long view Marketing is an ongoing process – it’s never done But it’s not necessarily about adding new activities or expenses, it’s about integrating these activities into what you already do. Look for quick wins to build momentum.

Marketing: the long view Successful marketing and outreach don’t happen in a vacuum. They are directly tied to your content development, partnership and service delivery strategies. Similarly, your investment in PR and outreach can boost your content, partnership and service integration activities by introducing new audiences to the site, attracting new resources, and serving as a source of feedback on the site.

Other ideas?