The Making of a TV Series - Part 2

I just confirmed my first guest. And, a date has been set to film. Things are moving along quickly. Today I spent time writing my opening and my script for the first show. Without giving too much away, I had a few ideas I jotted down earlier, so today I wrote up my notes and edited them down to the point where it will feel more natural when reading it from a teleprompter.  Next I timed it to see how long it will take and I'm feeling like it's a bit short. I will need to review all of this with the production team and be sure it all works and makes sense.

As the filming date gets closer and more and more details are filled in, I find myself getting excited. But I'm also realizing how much work this has become and will continue to be as I move forward. Regardless, I'm enjoying the process and am learning lots each day.

My next step is to meet with my first guest and review my notes with her. I want to let her know my vision for the first show and what her role will be. I tend to work best when I have material in writing in front of me to refer to so I do have a written script of the first show to go over with her.

More about my meeting with my first guest to come. Stay tuned...

Making the Most of the Written Word

Print materials are the staple of marketing and communication initiatives. Non-profits need effectively packaged information to promote their message and communicate with their clients, volunteers, and donors. Effective collateral material can be the most cost-effective and successful way of marketing your cause.

A wide variety of materials can be used to get your message across, including brochures, business cards, letterhead, product packaging, press and media kits, direct mail pieces, advertising, newsletters, announcements, and letters.

Any marketing piece requires three components for success:

• Good design- it has to capture the reader's attention, use color appropriately, and balance appropriate amounts of white space, and text.
• Good writing- not only grammatically correct, but easy to understand and persuasive without being overbearing.    
• Solid strategy.  The best constructed marketing piece has no value if it collects dust on a shelf.  Collateral should be integrated with the rest of your sales and marketing efforts, including web design, trade shows, special events, and promotions.

Effective use of non-profit promotions can turn your marketing efforts into an exciting and rewarding experience. The key to successful promotions is often as simple as creativity, simplicity, and strategy.

Marketing in a Tough Economy I

When money is tight, a business owner’s first instinct is to cut back on marketing. After all, saving dollars is a priority, right? Maybe not. It’s important to keep your product or service in front of your customer at all times.  Otherwise you are leaving the door wide open for your competitor to swoop in. Here are a few tips to consider when times are tough:

#1) Track everything! – Tracking is ALWAYS important but never more so when every penny counts. If you are using lists or placing ads, it’s imperative to know what kind of response you are getting from every marketing dollar spent. All marketing activity can be tracked in someway (websites count hits, collateral has inventory and a distribution channel, ads have 800 numbers, etc.). I know it seems like common sense but you would be amazed at how many businesses don’t track a thing!

#2) Utilize economies of scale – Now is the time to consider making collateral (i.e. brochures, reports, postcards) with a longer shelf life. Take out time sensitive information so you can print larger quantities. You might even consider removing individuals’ names from material in the event the person is no longer with the company, rendering the pieces outdated. Printing larger quantities helps you save money as your cost per piece goes down.

#3) Move communications online – If you haven’t already done so, consider making your quarterly newsletter an email blast. Rather than spending thousands of dollars on printing four times per year, develop an interesting and creative e-newsletter to send to customers via the web. Post it on your website and let people know it’s there for their viewing whenever they like. Start building a good opt-in list and you will save significant dollars. Instead of reinventing the wheel, lots of printed material can even be used for your own blog. What other communications can you email to people or post online instead of mailing?

Evaluate Your Most Important Resources- Part II

Another important resource to review is your brochures, flyers, and other marketing materials.

Take stock of all your collateral. When was the last time you reviewed all the printed material you have on hand? Pull together all communications materials you are still using and read it over with a fresh perspective. Does it still communicate your vision clearly? Is your audience responding to it in the way you had hoped? Are there better, more cost-effective ways to get the message across? Are there additional pieces you need to have on hand to talk about the benefits of your program or service? Are there new programs or services offered that are not covered in existing pieces of collateral? Often times, non-profits use outdated or inappropriate materials to save on costs. Ask yourself, what is the cost of not accurately communicating your mission, programs or services simply to save budget dollars?

Even logos need updating once in awhile.  AMW Marketing can help.

Marketing and Non-Profits

Non-profits have unique challenges when it comes to marketing. There are a variety of constituent groups who need special communications, there are budgetary constraints, there are limited resources and there are many, many other factors that make marketing one of the more difficult disciplines for non-profits to perform successfully.

The most important thing to remember is you don't have to do it alone. There are many affordable resources out there to help. To begin, get organized. Think about what questions you might need answered, what goals do you have for your organization, what projects would you like to tackle first. Then ask! Find a marketing specialist who understands your unique challenges and start the dialogue. Not all marketing agencies or consultants understand the intricate world of non-profits.

AMW Marketing is a marketing and communication firm specializing in working with non-profits. To learn more visit www.amw-marketing.com or call 781-241-2083.