Why Marketing Fails Dan Belhassen greatBIGnews.com Modern Earth Inc.

Your session leader Dan Belhassen  Founder & President of Modern Earth Inc., an Internet technology company  Website creators, online software developers, search engine consultants, new media marketing specialists  Booth in exhibit hall

Don’t believe the session title… marketing can do great things for your program IF you follow some best practices..

The promise of Marketing Reach thousands for pennies Significant ROI

Why not explore this medium? Budgets are tight? Internal IT roadblocks? Concerned about time requirements? Afraid of being labeled a spammer?

What can they look like?

Top 10 Best Practices Based on LERN practices & feedback from our clients

Touch your market! On a regular basis Based on their need to know Timely content  New brochure/session starting soon! Meaningful content  Since you’re interested in kids camps.. Call to action  Registration ends in 6 days!

Send segmented promotions! Don’t use one look for all your markets Different designs for each of your 7 segment, ie: Seniors Boomers Gen X Gen Y Children Activities ESL Certificate Courses / Accreditation courses Health & Wellness Sports Plus an “alert” template to change expectations

Send segmented promotions! Sample “General” template

Send segmented promotions! Sample “GenX” template

Send segmented promotions! Sample “GenY” template

Forget newsletters! Who has time to READ A NEWSLETTER? Think PROMOTIONS  Receiver focused  Easy to scan  “What’s in it for me?”

Don’t “over content” Less is more Don’t make reading your promo work Better a fast, interesting read Give them a reason to read it

Use teaser paragraphs Small paragraphs Click link to read full text  Use link tracking to know what people are actually reading

Measure your results! Keep track of open & click statistics The truth about open rates  40% is “Good”  80% periodic readership average  The long tail… Measure results & seek improvements

Use humour or controversy! Entertainment drives readership Readership drives registration Be different!  Einstein with a clown nose = “serious fun”

Blend promotion & content! Feature high profile instructors Use anecdotes Use past student testimonials Pass the WIIFM test

Send follow ups! Use click-through tracking to send targeted follow ups Pay attention to what gets low clicks  And what gets high clicks!

Track conversions! Click-through > website Website > registration form Registration form > submission

Sample Marketing Plan Sample plan is for community programs  Easily modified for other program types

Sample Marketing Plan Assumptions  4 or 5 brochures per year  Not yet doing marketing  1,000 initial subscribers Culled from past reservations Online registration capability Detailed for one quarter  Replicate for rest of year

Sample Marketing Plan August  Modify website to accept subscribers Create promotion page with incentive Free course? Gift certificate draw? Register with a friend discount? Let them know clearly what to expect  Train your staff to ABA!  Feature promos in brochure

Sample Marketing Plan August  Modify online system to capture addresses (opt in if required)  Brochure -2 days Send promo “watch for brochure..”  Brochure +3 days “Looked at the brochure yet? Download instructions

Sample Marketing Plan September  Create a series of spotlight promotions  10 courses in one theme  Include images and more details  Sidebar for “courses in danger” Low & high enrollment  Once per week for 4 weeks

Sample Marketing Plan October  Promo every 2 weeks  Spotlight 6 upcoming courses  Focus on “part two” courses

Sample Marketing Plan November  One promotion  Promote upcoming winter brochure  (also any other up-coming courses)

Sample Marketing Plan Replicate plan for other 4 or 5 brochures Modify as suitable for your programs Create a plan, stick to it, evolve it

Gathering addresses

Ask for them! “Do you want to be notified of upcoming courses?”  Phone / online registration  Phone inquiry  Website prompt  In the classroom (evaluation form)  Community course promotion events

Selecting a system Key features  Deliverability  Tracking (opens, click-throughs)  Import subscribers & prevent duplicates  Capture from website  Send to a friend w/self sign up option  Design matches your branding

Questions? Dan Belhassen  (866)  Presentation available at See me at our booth in exhibit hall

Thank you! Presentation available at