I’m at the STAMATS SIM Tech Conference in Boston this week. So far, I’m impressed – the information offered is exceptionally dense and clear.
The first workshop I attended was “Building a Brand Strategy When Dollars Are Tight, Audiences Are Distracted, and You’re Not Sure of the Role Digital Media Should Play.” Sound useful? It certainly sounds like every non-profit and college I’ve ever worked with! The gist is that building a brand is about clearly and creatively communicating your brand everywhere and every way possible. The presenter, Dr. Robert Sevier, gave us these tidbits:
- Develop 1-2 messages and communicate those through LOTS of outlets (volunteers, clients, newspapers, donors, Facebook, Flickr, etc.)
- “Without data, it’s only an opinion.”
- Ask yourself if you offer the ONLY solution to a particular need. The need could be a need for education, a clients need for a service, or a donors need to connect with his/her passion.
The second workshop, “10 Innovative Ideas That Will Improve the Productivity of Your Website” was a mix of techie jargon and marketing savy. I loved it! If I pass on one recommendation to you, even the smallest and least funded non-profits among my readership, it is this: you NEED to look into Google Analytics. It’s free and any organization with a website needs to know whether that website is working for them.
Tomorrow it’s all about communications plans, content management systems, and media strategies. Oh yeah, and did I mention that I’m in Boston? It’s my first time in Beantown!
Photo credit: Jing Qu