BSA DIGITAL TEAM Here to serve

The Digital Team We will amplify the organization’s ability to win, serve and retain members.  We will leverage technology to enhance the Scouting experience for youth, parents, volunteers and councils. We will continually optimize digital touchpoints so that they are increasingly useful, simple, consistent, user-centric, and available anywhere at any time on any device.  Everything we do is about moving the Boy Scouts of America forward in a digital age. 

WEB SERVICES

SCOUTING.ORG Re-platform to WordPress Works on desktop, too! Early indications are positive with increases in metrics for engagement month-over-month

BEASCOUT.ORG Focus on the “how” of joining Blazing fast mobile-first design FAST!

Complies with brand guidelines WORDPRESS THEME FOR COUNCILS Coming in Q2 2018! Complies with brand guidelines Easy to install, update and maintain

RESOURCE FOR COUNCILS Updated Digital Brand Guidelines Download now: bit.ly/bsaguide

TOWARD MORE USER-FRIENDLY WEBSITES Focus on the visitor first Be boring and deliver a great experience Know why your visitors come to the site and deliver on their needs. Don’t do anything the user doesn’t expect and they’ll thank you by coming back. Take advantage of analytics Set reasonable expectations Google Analytics is an easy-to-use product with tons of point-and-click reporting capability. Don’t apologize for doing what you can with what you have. Be mobile-friendly Simplify, simplify, simplify Start from the “minimum viable product” and only add when there’s a clear need. Content you publish is content you have to maintain.

EMAIL MARKETING

RETENTION New Member Welcome Series LIVE for Cub Scout parents and volunteers who registered through online registration. IN DEVELOPMENT for Cub Scout parents and volunteers who register offline, plus rollout to additional programs.

RETENTION Milestones and Achievement Series Personalized headline to grab attention Milestones and Achievement Series Copy ties milestone to the values of Scouting Using the behavioral activities tracked in Scoutbook, we will send emails to parents when their Scout completes an activity or milestone. The email will tie the activity back to the values and benefits of Scouting and reinforce their decision to join. Emphasize related character traits What’s next? Next milestones to complete and what rank they’re working on.

RESOURCES FOR COUNCILS Monthly Council Marketing Newsletter Sign up now: bit.ly/bsacmn Discussion: What resources would you like to see? Would providing email templates with sample copy be valuable? If so, what topics?

TIPS FOR OPTIMIZING YOUR EMAIL PROGRAM Subject Line Strategy Segmentation Your email subject line is the first impression of your message. It’s your first chance to catch your reader's interest and draw them in. The more you can send highly targeted and relevant content to your audience, the more they will engage. Optimize with A/B Testing Don’t Forget about Mobile Don’t assume you know how your audience will respond. Test subject, sender name, content and more! More than half of emails are read on either smartphones or tablets. Ditch the Dis-Engaged (List Cleaning) Engaging, Useful, Short and Sweet Don't pay to send email to people who never have and probably never will engage. This may seem like a no-brainer, but writing content that will be interesting and useful to your readers is paramount. Focus on highly relevant, bite-size content.

SMS/TEXTING Outbound SMS Inbound SMS Email is like the older brother — classic and dependable. He’s already proven himself and is generally well-liked and accepted. SMS is the younger, shorter, brother — hip, trendy, and loves the latest tech fads. He’s quick to action and eager to prove himself, which may turn some people off. But, for the most part, he’s starting to become more accepted and earn his place in the world. Event Reminders Promotions/Contests Urgent Notifications Personalized Reminders Outbound SMS Text 'join' to 313131 Text to give Email list sign up Inbound SMS