Marketing Matters

1. Marketing Matters Marketing Team Texas Distance Learning Association Fall Leadership Conference

2. Marketing Person • Bylaws for Position (Approved 10/06/10) • Person to Coordinate Marketing for Conference • Someone in charge of all social media sites – Facebook, Posterous, Podcasting, Email (E-vite) so all are updated at the same time and have the same information • We need to look at hitting all the social media sites we can, but we also must examine which ones work the best and are the most useful for marketing • Roxanne Glaser – great at Twitter, ask for advice

3. Membership Marketing • Membership and Marketing go hand in hand • Create a way to market to current educators/teachers to where they will not delete emails • Look at recruiting legislators focused on education or STEM • Push all members to bring a friend to regional meetings, conferences, workshops • Reach out to ESC centers for new members

4. Student Membership Marketing • Advertise to students, both graduate and undergraduate, high school (STEM) • Students get discounted rate for membership and the conference • Get more members through marketing to graduate and undergraduate schools • Have a student session at conference

5. General Marketing • Surveys – ask interests for future groups/conference • Add on membership page a place for people to report who/what referred them • Send survey to members about how they get information, which sites they get updates from, what ways they would like to get more information • We must learn who in the organization runs what when it comes to social media/websites • Focus on STEM initiative in Texas, big right now in education • “We put the T in STEM” • Main Social Media Sites to Examine and Use: Facebook, Podcasting, Twitter, Posterous, E-mail (Evite.com)

6. General Marketing continued • Utilize video/podcasting more with video sites such as Youtube, video on Facebook • Reach out to CATE teachers – create lesson plans for them to use with creating videos, logos, etc • Create a network or support for STEM teachers through TXDLA • Podcasts of conference sessions – one especially for high school students • Ask surrounding states with DLA conferences to attend ours or even to share marketing information • Text Messaging?

7. General Marketing w/ Website • Member database needs to be easily accessible for new members to meet others in their area • Look at groups (military, K-12, Higher Education, Legislator) as communities of their own, what benefits would there for each group • Testimonials from members, from each group (teachers, corporate, tech directors, etc.), from each region • Not clear about registration fees, need to make it clear and explain for new members • Put links, widgets or icons that link members from homepage to all social media sites we utilize (Example: UT Dallas site) • Website – flip important words, social, collaborative: “ ______ learning. We have an App for that”

8. Regional Marketing • The region that the conference is being held in needs to be more active for higher conference turnout • Look at creating consistent information for each regional leader to disseminate to region members, letters, newsletters, etc. • Encourage regions to increase student memberships, contest for regions based on percentage

9. Branding • Single versus separate • Annual campaign based on conference theme • Logo remains the same – all concur on its effectiveness • T-Shirts for Branding • Look at high school programs and college programs to get untapped resources for videos, posters, logos – free work exchanged for real world experience (21st Century Skills)

10. Mission Statement • Reviewed current mission statement • Spoke about “promoting development and application of Distance Education” • Modify current Mission Statement, will help with marketing

11. Slogan or Tagline • Create a slogan for TXDLA • Important for branding • Key Words: Collaboration, Sharing, Best Practices • Idea: Collaboration of Distance Learning Practitioners • Idea: Fostering Collaboration and Enabling Texas to be a leader in Distance Learning • Idea: Enabling Texas to be a Leader in Distance Learning Collaboration • Idea: Collaboration and Resources to Advance Distance Learning in Texas • Idea: TXDLA – Innovation, Inspiration, Collaboration, Education • Idea for T-shirt: Distance Learning – We have an app for that! • Add: Technology word, virtual learning, advanced tech • Change Wording – Distance Learning….update?

12. Conference Marketing • Registration begins December 6th • Registering until March 15th • Promote & Market Conference • Sandra in charge of Conference Marketing • Flash Drive/USB bracelets for Conference with all presentations • Create video to introduce Conference to members, new people – Show the site, the city, where they will stay, where it will be held, fun events • Streaming sessions for remote participation at conference

13. Newsletter Marketing • Refer people to join Facebook site/page/group • Provide Information on all social media sites • Information about contests for membership drives • Information about contests in general for students

14. Marketing Contests • Logo Contest (students) • Video Contest (students) • Student Member Referral Contest • Regional Member Referral Contest (percentages) – Two contests: Students and General new members • Have a vendor sponsor the prize for contests • Reward the Region for new members – gift cards, prizes

15. Four Main Marketing Priorities • Focus on increasing student membership, graduate and undergraduate • Update our image – modern terminology, modern look, public relations • Update Images on Website, Information on Website, Website Widgets • Send Text Messages for Important TxDLA Information

16. Thanks to TxDLA Fall Leadership Marketing Team Members: • Katrina Adams, University of Texas at Dallas • Lisa Brown, Texas A&M University • Auburn Carpenter, Texas State Aquarium • Terry Comingore, Brazosport College • Teresa Lawson, Birdville ISD • Kelli Montgomery, Birdville ISD • Jessica Pettyjohn, Career and Technology Education • Marshall Scott, Remote-Learner • Brian St. Amour, Temple College