Marketing 101: Digital Marketing in Three Easy Steps (Part One)

May 15, 2012 – 2:39 pm

If someone had told you twenty years ago that you could have a direct line of communication with nearly all of your customers, would you have been excited?  Of course!  What an amazing opportunity.  Not only do you have the power to tell your story, but you have the ability to hear from and measure the impact of conversations by, between, and with your customers.  Leveraging these tools is a must for any business.  There are so many digital options out there; we could spend months chatting about all of them.  Over the next few weeks, I am going to share three key steps to help you find success in digital marketing.

Step #1 – Website and e-mail marketing

In Step #1 you can build a compelling one-two punch for your business.  I trust this goes without saying, but it is imperative that you have a fully functional website up and running.  Your website is your digital storefront/billboard/welcome mat for your business.  Not having one is a mortal sin, but having a website that is out-of-date or non-functional is just as bad.  What are the keys to a good website?

First of all, you need to make sure the site is well-designed.  It should be clean, easy to navigate, and fully convey your brand and messaging throughout.  Make sure it doesn’t take fifteen clicks to get to the pertinent information.  It should be easy for anyone to figure out who you are, what you do, and how to get in touch with you.  Also consider the amount of text on each page.  Unless your products or services are highly technical, try to limit the number or words you use.  Convey your message clearly and in simple fashion.

It is equally as important to make sure the website is designed in a way that will allow you to keep it updated.  Too many times companies invest in a custom website, but must rely on an outside company to make any updates or changes.  We highly recommend building a website with a Content Management System (CMS) platform such as WordPress.  This will provide you with a significant amount of control and ease-of-access to make updates and keep your website fresh and engaging.

With your website where you want it, make sure you integrate e-mail marketing into the mix.  You’ll want to have a landing page, opt-in page, or form somewhere on your website.  This will provide people with an opportunity to share their e-mail address and begin receiving newsletters or other e-mails from you.  The easier you make it for someone to provide their e-mail address, the faster you will build a relevant e-mail database to use for marketing.  Consider providing access to a whitepaper, e-book, or some other kind of “digital goodie” to incentivize/thank each person for sharing their e-mail.

Once you have a marketing list, you can begin to e-mail your clients and customers, prospects, and partners.  Be careful not to abuse your list (sending e-mails too frequently or e-mails that lack any relevance).  Those companies who really figure out the right message and frequency to their e-mail marketing strategy will be able to deliver strong call-to-action messaging to drive additional business.  You will want to make sure you are using an e-mail marketing program that can help measure key statistics and keep you in compliance with the CAN-SPAM Act.   The investment is worth it for the insightful data and for mitigating your liability.

Do you have a creative way you are leveraging your website?  How are you using e-mail marketing to drive business?    What is working for you?  Share your thoughts and opinions with us!

By John Robbins | Posted in Uncategorized, interactive marketing, web development, indianapolis, usability, web design, social media, Facebook, Twitter, marketing, content management systems | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment

Marketing 101: The Power of Traditional Marketing Tools

May 1, 2012 – 8:58 am

Does anyone else out there feel old?  I have to admit that I am creeping up on a very important milestone in my life…the big 3-0!  Previously I would have told you that “thirty is young” and “I won’t feel any differently.”  Recently it seems as though I can instantly date myself and sound really old with a simple comment.  It’s happening almost daily.  At thirty you’ve been on the planet just long enough to establish a decent history of the world, while still looking forward to a lot of teachable moments.  In essence, you’ve seen enough to “wing it” without looking stupid. What’s my point here?

When it comes to marketing, there’s nothing quite like trying to keep up with the slew of emerging digital marketing tools to make you feel old and dated.  They seem to spring up quickly and multiply like rabbits!  Sometimes I’ll hear someone mention a hot new digital tool and think “huh?” while I run off and quickly do a Google search.

I have decided enough is enough.  I am putting my foot down on digital, (at least for the next week or so) which is why I want to spend some time talking about those old, outmoded traditional marketing tools.  I’m kidding of course!  Often, while we are all wrapped up in what is new, bright and shiny, we forget about some of the tried and true tools that still deliver results consistently.  When your team is made up of a lot of young, talented individuals, you can quickly forget that the entire world isn’t tied to Facebook, using Pinterest, or checking-in with Foursquare.  Sure, the demographics are certainly leaning digital, but you might be surprised to find that every marketing tactic in your arsenal doesn’t need to be digital to be relevant.

I was chatting with the VP of Marketing for a National chain in the travel industry last week.  He mentioned to me that 50% of their customers still prefer a direct mail approach.  While it may sound like an antiquated approach in the traditional marketing sphere, it is hard to beat something physical in the hands of your customers or prospects if it is getting the desired results.

It is the tangible and authentic feel of some of the traditional marketing tools that still makes them successful.  At the end of the day we like to connect with things, we like to touch them, and interact with them; we like to feel like they have some personal connection to us.  Sometimes a very well executed flyer, brochure, or direct mail piece can speak volumes about your business.  A well placed ad, especially in a highly targeted publication, can still reach the ideal audience for your product or service.  As radio and television become more decentralized and fragmented, there are opportunities to pick up valuable air time at a fraction of the cost. Right now there are businesses telling their story using traditional broadcast formats and finding success in their given markets.  One of the most effective of all the traditional tools is investing time and energy to connect within your community.  Whether through sponsorships with local events and organizations or providing support to a non-profit or charity event, this type of exposure is by far the most real, tangible interaction you will ever get for your business.  (Look for a future article discussing creative ideas for leveraging an event or partnership).

Again, I don’t want all of you to run off and put an end to all of your digital marketing initiatives, that’s not the point of this article.  We will spend plenty of time examining the power of digital marketing tools as well.  My hope is you will remember or at least consider the value traditional marketing can provide.  It’s ultimately about broadening your reach through multiple channels.  You might even consider how traditional marketing can strengthen your digital marketing efforts.  Although we have a lot of amazing developers and programmers working at xiik, we’ve worked diligently to keep our traditional offerings robust.  We have designers, graphic artists, strategists, and researchers ready to help your company develop, revise, or execute a comprehensive traditional marketing approach.  While it may be exciting to focus on emerging tools, please resist the temptation to put all of your “eggs” in the digital marketing “basket.”

What do you think?  Do you feel old?  Do you see the power of traditional marketing tools?  We would love to hear your success stories?  Reply here or leave your response on Twitter or Facebook.

By John Robbins | Posted in advertising, branding, Facebook, indianapolis, interactive marketing, marketing, marketing promotions, print design, social media, Twitter, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment

Marketing 101: The Evolution of Marketing

April 17, 2012 – 10:43 am

Greetings from cyberspace! A few weeks ago I officially joined the xiik team, which is beyond exciting. None of this is particularly relevant to you, but important to me nonetheless. I’ve been asked to start contributing to the xiik blog this week and I hope this is the first of many entries where I share my thoughts, ideas, and perspectives on marketing, partnerships, and other topics that pique my interest.

Where to begin? I grew up loving business and have a real passion for marketing and strategy (probably one of the reasons I am now working at xiik). It seems natural to start this series with the basics…a real 50,000 foot view of marketing. It’s hard not to really “xiik out” when I think about where we’ve come in the world of marketing. There are so many amazing digital tools at our disposal and some tried and true traditional tools that work equally well. If we step back in history for just a second it’s amazing to consider just how far we’ve come.

In 1992, just 20 short years ago, a good marketing mix for a business might include: print advertising, direct mail, community sponsorships and engagement, and local radio and television commercials (if you had the budget). So simple we could probably manage our marketing plan in our sleep.

In 2002, we were still relying heavily on these traditional tools. Maybe we were using e-mail to do some marketing. If we had the budget, we probably had a website, but it was likely very static. There was still no Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, no saturation of text messaging, and blogging was still the little brother to message boards and chat rooms. Wow! How times have changed!

You might be wondering why this history lesson is relevant to you. Quite simply, the level of complexity that Presidents, CEOs, and Marketing Executives have to navigate just to keep their company and their brand at the forefront of consumer’s minds is overwhelming. While it might seem easy to say, “We’ll just stick with what works for us,” the reality is a fully optimized mix of marketing tools is the only way to remain relevant and positioned for success in today’s fast-paced business climate.

If you have an in-house marketing team there can still be a lot of value in using an outside firm to assist with strategy and execution. Regardless of the size of your marketing team or breadth of your marketing capabilities there can be a real savings of time, resources, and energy when you look for external assistance. Pardon me for the in-blog commercial, but the reason I get so excited about xiik is the fact that we have the ability to deliver the most cutting-edge digital marketing tools, while still maintaining good old fashioned expertise with traditional marketing tools as well. This approach can be a real win-win and can keep you from falling too far behind to the competition in terms of your marketing mix.

In the coming weeks, I am going to delve deeper into both traditional and digital marketing tools and further expand on the growing complexity of marketing today. Soon you will understand why having multiple marketing tools in your arsenal just makes good business sense and why finding the right marketing partner to help you can make all of the difference.

In the meantime, if you think your marketing plan might be due for a “check-up,” please send us an e-mail or give us a call.

Here’s a quick question as well: What area of marketing do you see as being most challenging for your company or business to execute? We’d love to hear your feedback!

By John Robbins | Posted in advertising, branding, Facebook, indianapolis, interactive marketing, marketing, marketing promotions, social media, Twitter, web design | Leave a Comment

A Universe of Marketing Options

April 12, 2012 – 2:14 pm

I was recently asked to put together a few thoughts about how all the bits and pieces of what we do at xiik fit together.    My friend’s  concern was that he ‘didn’t know what he didn’t know’ and he was hoping that a 10,000 foot glimpse of the landscape would help him get his bearings about what marketing tools exist on the horizon that he’s not aware of, but should be.

In essence, it doesn’t seem like a difficult request to fulfill:  gather the tools and resources at our disposal, and lay them out for someone to see in a lovely list.  An Excel Spreadsheet, even.   And, in theory, it’s easy to categorize what tools might be helpful consider putting in someone’s toolbox.  Yet as I find myself sitting down repeatedly to craft this list, I continue to struggle.

Because it’s not in the list — it’s in the strategy and skilled execution of the plan that the magic actually happens.    It’s similar to having Harry Potter’s list of school supplies.  Even if you could find the perfect wand (yes, I know the wand chooses you, Potter fanatics), education, knowledge and care are required to pull off the perfect spell.

My hesitation and struggle in creating this metaphor for my friend is this:  without fully understanding what he’s trying to accomplish, any such list holds very little value.  It doesn’t provide recommendations, guidance, priority, or measurable results.   Instead, it’s almost dangerous because it might send him down a path without the appropriate guard rails in place.

Ultimately, the presentation ended up titled the “Universe of Marketing.”  A 150 Million KM view of how the pieces put together.  I pulled in a 3rd grade graphic of the solar system (old, as Pluto was still a planet on this version) and outlined the planets as aspects of what we do.  The metaphor works well enough to explain the depth of information within each area of business, and to some degree the scope of ‘orbit.’  The presentation went well in person, when I was able to explain the weaknesses of the metaphor, dig into some of the intricacies and overlap, and answer questions as they came up.  However, it’s also one I’m not likely to share without being available in person to fully explain.

The number of options available these days to craft a strategic plan are as infinite as the universe itself.  There’s no one ‘right’ solution, just a variety of tools to be used to meet your end goal.  Beware of any organization that utilizes a ‘one fits all solution’ or fails to think about the big picture while asking questions and crafting your plan.  And ensure you’re carefully considering your measurable end goal.

Is what you don’t know you don’t know keeping you up at night?  If you find yourself lying in bed concerned about a business problem that needs a solution I won’t offer an intricate chart to let you go off and figure it out on your own.  But I can offer this:  a willing ear, diplomatic and straight-forward questions and guidance, strategy, and a customized solution based on what makes sense for you.  Plus, we’ll have a hell of a lot more fun and be more effective than if I just give you an Excel sheet with a list of things you *might* want to consider doing.

What methods have you found that are helpful in taking an integrated approach in your marketing strategy?

By Dora Lutz | Posted in advertising, branding, customer service, interactive marketing, marketing, social media | Leave a Comment

There’s Something About the Mission

February 27, 2012 – 5:36 pm

Walden School Mission Statement

Scores of nonprofits operate under a mission with the highest standards to add value to individuals and society. When it comes to growing the organization and strengthening existing relationships, those same standards sometimes lack the benefits of a Fortune 500 marketing budget. But gosh dang — those nonprofit projects are ones that xiik loves to work on. There’s just something about the mission. We get excited about humanity-oriented organizations and want to help preach their gospels in the digital landscape.

So, how do we make it work when we don’t want to sacrifice quality while meeting a nonprofit budget?

  • Collaborate Creatively
  • Set Clear Expectations, Define Phases
  • Educate About Value of Long-Term Investment

I’d like to expand on each of these in detail below, using our recent Walden School website launch as a case study.

CREATIVE COLLABORATION

Whenever possible, we help non-profits leverage their organizational strengths to create an efficient, value-conscious process. In the case of the Walden School, we were blessed with a deeply committed staff with exceptional writing skills. Given that, we could provide them with page navigation and a style guide to let them write and format their own content, using the Content Management System they’d eventually need to learn anyway. Once the Walden School staff had completed their content migration, xiik was brought back to the project for technical/editorial QA and of course, site launch. Not only did their contribution provide a lower cost at the outset, but it also created early ownership and enthusiastic buy-in of the site from the Walden School staff.

SET CLEAR EXPECTATIONS, DEFINE PHASES

Budgeting a new web presence for the average client is usually driven by estimating the most effective investment to serve short- and long-term goals. With nonprofit clients, though, the conversation may instead be: what can you budget right now?

That reality aside, it’s still critical to consider the long term objectives — we want the initial product scalable for future enhancements. It’s also crucial to set expectations early on in the process to ensure a detailed scope of work is agreed to between xiik and our clients. A project with undefined scope will end up experiencing the dreaded scope creep, i.e. “But I assumed the donation page would include PayPal integration costs” (when it did not). In a situation where one is already attempting to accomplish much in a shorter span of hours, having adequate communication — both verbal and contractual — to clearly define the limits of what you’ll accomplish together is critical. It helps ensure both client and agency enjoy a good relationship during project development. It also undoubtedly impacts the final product.

One effective way to manage budget, scope, and those inevitable dreams of having the most-fully-loaded-integrated-marketing-experience-ever, is phasing.

With the Walden School, we prioritized based on their website goals to deliver a rich user experience with room to grow. As staff have gotten familiar with their WordPress CMS, they’ve naturally discovered customizations that would further streamline their workflow. They are keeping a running wish list and we will be able to address these as follow-up enhancements in the coming months. We had also discussed integration of their separate alumni community site, Hand Over Hand, into the primary Walden School domain early on. Because it was not critical for this site launch, we’ve instead designed a site that can accommodate this feature sometime down the road.

EDUCATE ABOUT VALUE OF LONG-TERM INVESTMENT

To ensure expenses serve the organization well, all nonprofits must ultimately answer to a Board to receive approval for budgets and larger investments. It’s not just necessary to get buy-in and demonstrate ROI for larger capital costs — it’s worthwhile. We find it relevant to educate our clients as to the shelf life and extensibility of certain site features for which a client might question its initial cost.

Most non-profits are already adept at looking for opportunities to shave cost. It’s a reasonable way to operate. However, as a partner, xiik is responsible for advocating for the most effective end product — one that doesn’t go so bare bones that it inhibits a client’s potential growth. What would be the point of that? So, it is also then incumbent upon us to help the client make the case to their Board about why a certain feature might be the right investment now.

The Walden School was initially hesitant about building their new website within a Content Management System platform. Would the additional development cost be defensible in the long run? We made the case that not only would their ability to update content on the fly make them more agile and improve their pool of applicants and donors, but it would also enable them to save cost on the content migration. In essence, we were replacing one cost for another but adding long-range value.

Every client brings a different set of needs. The above list of tactics can apply to non-profit clients as well as many for-profit clients. But the point is that nonprofits can and should strive for the right marketing partnership to help them achieve their goals on budget and with excellent deliverables. We find value in accomplishing for a nonprofit organization something beyond what they ever thought feasible. We love it…there’s just something about that mission.

If you’re a nonprofit or agency, we welcome your thoughts and would love to hear your strategies that have resulted in a successful nonprofit/marketer relationship. What has worked for you?

By Christopher Maikish | Posted in content management systems, nonprofits, web design, web development | Tagged , , , | Leave a Comment

5 Tips for Choosing a Marketing Partner

February 3, 2012 – 10:11 am

In the course of my job I’m often faced with the question of price for work rendered — a fair question given the veil of complexity that accompanies discussions of integrated marketing, branding, and digital strategy.  What kind of team should I work with?  What makes one agency better than another?  How do I decide?

The best answer is found by considering your own needs, your current knowledge of the process and available resources.  Still, because I hear this question so frequently, here’s my two cents in the hopes it helps you in your own researching phase.  Of course, I’m also always happy to guide you to a decision in person, as well!

How to choose an Agency

You’ve most likely realized that working with an agency brings the benefit of having a team of experts, each adept at their particular area and experienced at working with others to produce results no one could achieve on their own.  At this point, the choice should become less about price, and more about fit.  Here are a few questions to ask yourself as you begin the research phase:

Has the organization does this before?

Yes, your needs are unique, but the organization you work with should be able to provide comparable examples to the work you need under discussion. At a minimum, look for signs that the organization has skills that will be easily transferrable to your project!

Can the organization provide comprehensive strategic thinking?

Most agencies can throw together a website these days.  However, the recommendations provided must consider your long-term organizational goals.  If you’re not discussing the ways the strategy will provide a return on your investment, your team may be missing the boat.  Also, make sure your team is capable of bringing ideas, recommendations, and long term support as your needs or problems change.  A great article we’ve posted on in the past about digital vs. integrated marketing teams was written a few years ago by our own Topher Overstreet.

Are the recommendations provided scalable?  Do they integrate with your full plan?

Your team is responsible for ensuring your project meets your immediate needs, but should also be an advisor to keep you abreast of the latest trends and ideas to further enhance your business.  Additionally your agency should steer you in the right direction because a tool meets your needs, not because it’s something they like doing.  (A great read about custom Content Management Systems by Doug Karr can be found  here.)

Do you have an excellent rapport with the team you’ll be working with?

Expect to have a few bumps in the road.  Your agency team should be your advocate, and will occasionally need to ask difficult, challenging questions.  Ensure you’re comfortable that the team you’re working with will do so, and that when they do, you’ll be comfortable answering them honestly.   Do you feel like you’re interviewing these guys?  Run.  Like.  Hell.

Does the team have great references?

Most agencies have case studies of the work they’re proud of on their site.  If you’re happy with the look and feel on their portfolio, ask for references and ask about their satisfaction with the work throughout the process, and after the project was completed.   The number one question:  was it effective?   The number two question: was the process fun?

Making a choice about the organization to work with does require research and a great deal of trust.  Above all, make sure you’re comfortable that the team you work with brings the right mix of skills to make your project both effective AND enjoyable.  I’d love to know – what research did you do when you chose a team to work with?   What other steps or questions would you recommend?

By Dora Lutz | Posted in about xiik, advertising, customer service, interactive marketing, marketing, web design, web development | Leave a Comment

How to Choose a Brand Name

July 8, 2011 – 2:54 pm

So you’re starting a new company or developing a brand-new product. What should you name it?

If, like most companies, you can’t invest months of time and committees of people in developing and choosing an effective brand name, these tips can help you.

1. Remember your audience. If you’re selling high-end home furnishings, a down-home name like “Mama’s Furniture” probably won’t appeal to the average wealthy buyer, whereas “Haute Homeware” tells customers both what you do (sell home furnishings) and what you’re about (fashionable design.)

2. Choose a name that’s memorable. A memorable name can either a) clearly relate to the service you provide (“Closet Works“), or b) be completely unique (ahem, “xiik“.) As companies such as Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks have proven, either approach can work.

3. Don’t necessarily choose the first name that comes to mind. Sure, brilliance can strike from nowhere – once in awhile. But choosing your brand name based on things like available domain names, whether your friends and family like it, or because it’s fun to say doesn’t make sense in the grand scheme of marketing your business.

4. Do your due diligence. Check registered trademarks in your state and with the United States Patent and Trademark Office before you settle on a name. Seek legal counsel – especially if, like any successful businessperson, you’re investing considerable money and time in your efforts.

5. Contact xiik to help name your brand. If you need help branding your organization or product, get in touch with us – we’ve been through it before!

By xiik | Posted in branding, marketing | Tagged , , , | Leave a Comment

Mutt Strut Site Design

July 1, 2011 – 12:37 pm

If every dog has its day, every good fundraising event should have a good website. Sure, you can set up an event and invite people to it on Facebook, send a press release to local media touting it, and design and print promotional posters at local businesses. But if you don’t have a dedicated website for your major fundraising event, you’re missing out on an opportunity to share important info with fans and potential attendees – and donors.

Mutt Strut, a dog walk around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, is the signature fundraising event for the Humane Society of Indianapolis (IndyHumane), bringing in hundreds of thousands of dollars for the non-profit organization every year.

The 2011 IndyMuttStrut.org website

The 2011 IndyMuttStrut.org website

Several years ago, the event had only one section dedicated to it on IndyHumane’s website. For an event of this magnitude, this had to change. IndyHumane needed to raise more money at the event to support its services, and it needed to do that by sharing more info in better ways with its followers.

In 2009, IndyHumane chose xiik to design and develop Mutt Strut’s first dedicated website. In addition to giving Mutt Strut an enhanced brand experience for supporters, the site integrated the event registration system IndyHumane had successfully used in prior years. That year’s event broke previous fundraising and attendance records, attracting thousands of people and raising hundreds of thousands of dollars.

In 2010, IndyHumane worked with xiik to redesign the site again, giving it a smoother interface, the ability to feature videos on the homepage, and a comprehensive FAQ section. The event broke its previous records again, in spite of a torrential day-long downpour.

This year, in addition to hiring xiik to develop the back-end of its newly redesigned website, IndyHumane again used xiik to redesign IndyMuttStrut.org, integrating design elements from the event’s new branding, photos from past events, and RSS feeds with updates on fundraising goals. The event raised more money than last year.

The success of the past several Mutt Struts have been due in part to IndyHumane’s ability to share the most pertinent information about such a big event in a simple yet effective way. How many times have you planned to go to a special event – a concert, fundraiser, fair, etc. – only to be frustrated by the lack of information online? A dedicated, easy-to- use website helps any event.

Whether you’re a for-profit business or a non-profit organization, you need a good web presence to promote your major efforts – it’s the easiest, fastest way to get the most important information out to the most valuable people.

Have you used a particularly great special-event website lately? Seen one in need of a touchup? Or do you know of a great event that doesn’t even have a web presence and is missing out on its potential? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

By xiik | Posted in indianapolis, interactive marketing, web design, web development | Tagged , , , , | Leave a Comment

Power in (Neighbor) Numbers: Closet Works

June 23, 2011 – 10:00 am

How do you create instant credibility for your business for people unfamiliar with your products and services? Idea: leverage your existing customer base in new ways.

Closet Works Customers Near You

Closet Works Customers Near You Map

Closet Works specializes in creating custom cabinetry, and with more than 22,000 customers in the Chicago area, they had a powerful client base but no way to use it to attract more customers. After all, custom cabinets aren’t something the typical homeowner purchases often.

Closet Works partnered with xiik to develop a customer map tool that shows potential customers just how much of an impact Closet Works has had in their area. The xiik-designed Customers Near You map enables site visitors to plug in their zip code and see how many of their neighbors within a 5-mile radius chose Closet Works for their custom cabinets.

Customer information and address are left anonymous to protect privacy, but individual branded placemarks identify the collective presence that Closet Works has within a neighborhood. With so many customers, the visual effect of the map is immediate and impressive.

Closet Works’ Customer Map is featured prominently on their homepage. But they know this application of technology isn’t a one-stop solution for growing their business, and they carefully consider all aspects of their brand online and in person. They specialize in good customer service, as their 4.5-star rating on the popular review site Yelp attests.

Closet Works has proven that it’s easy to leverage what you already have with new technology if you work with the right people. If you’re interested in learning how you can use new technology to grow an established customer base for your brand, contact xiik today.

By xiik | Posted in Chicago, customer service, interactive marketing, testimonials | Tagged , | Comments (1)

Website Design & CMS: Fostering Media Connections

June 17, 2011 – 5:08 pm

Last year Fostering Media Connections, an advocacy group for children in foster care, needed a more effective web presence: it had to be easy to update with fresh content, it had to be easy to use for visitors, and it had to narrate their campaign and mission in an emotionally compelling way.

FMC looked to xiik to design and develop their new site, which recently helped them attract and register participants for their campaign-building town hall events — critical social opportunities to spread their message. The events promoted on the site also helped them garner national media attention.

FosteringMediaConnections.org

In a featured article on the Huffington Post this week, FMC project director Daniel Heimpel writes about the education needs of children in foster care. He also describes their successful series of town hall events produced in May.

Driving attendance to FMC’s events was easier thanks to their website, where their content management system enabled them to incorporate a simple registration form alongside engaging program information — a vital interactive moment to compel people who are casually interested into confirmed event attendees. Additionally, the site’s ubiquitous social media integration allowed for attendees and community partners to share event content across their online networks, expanding FMC’s reach beyond their own resources.

The ease of use of FMC’s site is a tremendous benefit to them. And if you’re part of the typical non-profit — short on time, capital, and human resources — such a site could be immensely beneficial to your organization, too.

Unsatisfied with your current site’s capabilities to draw attention to your cause and loop people into your mission? Let us know in the comments section or contact us so we can help you reach your goals.

By xiik | Posted in public relations, web design, web development | Tagged , | Leave a Comment
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