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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tony Vann is a veteran public relations and communications professional with more than 20 years of experience in media relations, state and federal government relations, marketing communications, and non-profit administration. He has represented organizations and individuals in the health care, hospitality, travel and tourism, insurance, real estate, and retail industries.
Prior to founding Vann & Associates, he served as President of Christian Companion Senior Care, a national franchise corporation offering services for seniors in their own homes. A position he gained by growing the company from a start up to more than 32 locations within seven states.
Read more about Tony Vann+
Prior to founding Vann & Associates, he served as President of Christian Companion Senior Care, a national franchise corporation offering services for seniors in their own homes. A position he gained by growing the company from a start up to more than 32 locations within seven states.
Read more about Tony Vann+
IS IT TIME FOR A WEBSITE TUNE UP?
I designed and coded my first website in 1998 – literally 20 years ago. It is fantastic to see how website development has evolved over time. When I was building animated GIFs and “huge” 800 x 600 pixel backgrounds, there was almost no way to see how my new hobby would one day create industry giants.
Back in those days, we used to think websites lived forever. As time went on and technology moved from evolutionary to revolutionary, it became increasingly important to maintain the content of your website and re-skin the site every three to five years maximum. With the advent of factors such as responsive websites, social media integration, SEO algorithms and the like, websites are extremely long in the tooth if they haven’t received substantial updates within three years of their launch.
One may ask, “why do I need to upgrade or relaunch my website at all?” Just like everything else, websites age. Believe it or not, some of the code I used in 1998 just isn’t robust enough to perform the many tasks we demand of websites today. If your institution has a website that might be gracefully passing into its golden years, there are a few free tools such as nibbler.silktide.com, sitechecker.pro or dareboost.com to check your website’s viability.
The next step is often the most daunting of tasks – finding a reputable website developer. An organization’s website is one of the most crucial marketing tools they may have. I suggest using the following five standards when choosing:
Experience
Website design is a delicate combination of mathematics and music rolled into one medium. Choosing a firm with several years of experience gives you immediate knowledge of new trends, coding standards and hopefully design portfolios from which you can judge their work.
Similar Taste in Design
Your new website needs to look great and be intuitive for users. A great site needs to be easy to navigate, showcase your museum and exhibits as well as allow for visitors to engage and interact. Ask for a firm’s top five or 10 websites. Make sure you like them as a visitor before you engage a firm as a consumer.
Understanding of Integration
It is exciting to get a new website. However, make sure your website fits within your overall marketing plan including branding, content and language. Choose a firm that understands your website isn’t a one-off, but rather a marketing engine propelling your communication efforts forward.
Price
Generally speaking, websites simply don’t cost tens of thousands of dollars any more. There are some extreme cases which may demand a website have a higher price tag, but if you are searching for a great-looking, responsive website that tells the story of your museum, you shouldn’t have to pay more than $5,000 for that site. Remember, the more bells and whistles you add, the price will increase, but don’t fall in love with something just because the price is exorbitant.
Customer Service
Remember, whether you have a content management system, or depend on your website company to help with maintenance of your site, customer service before, during and after the development process is crucial. Often, a website will still be hosted with your design company. If you have needs or questions, you want to feel comfortable sending an e-mail or making a phone call. No one wants to be a burden, especially if you paid for the service the firm should provide.
Hopefully this information will help you and your institution when making the critical choice to upgrade your website!
Back in those days, we used to think websites lived forever. As time went on and technology moved from evolutionary to revolutionary, it became increasingly important to maintain the content of your website and re-skin the site every three to five years maximum. With the advent of factors such as responsive websites, social media integration, SEO algorithms and the like, websites are extremely long in the tooth if they haven’t received substantial updates within three years of their launch.
One may ask, “why do I need to upgrade or relaunch my website at all?” Just like everything else, websites age. Believe it or not, some of the code I used in 1998 just isn’t robust enough to perform the many tasks we demand of websites today. If your institution has a website that might be gracefully passing into its golden years, there are a few free tools such as nibbler.silktide.com, sitechecker.pro or dareboost.com to check your website’s viability.
The next step is often the most daunting of tasks – finding a reputable website developer. An organization’s website is one of the most crucial marketing tools they may have. I suggest using the following five standards when choosing:
Experience
Website design is a delicate combination of mathematics and music rolled into one medium. Choosing a firm with several years of experience gives you immediate knowledge of new trends, coding standards and hopefully design portfolios from which you can judge their work.
Similar Taste in Design
Your new website needs to look great and be intuitive for users. A great site needs to be easy to navigate, showcase your museum and exhibits as well as allow for visitors to engage and interact. Ask for a firm’s top five or 10 websites. Make sure you like them as a visitor before you engage a firm as a consumer.
Understanding of Integration
It is exciting to get a new website. However, make sure your website fits within your overall marketing plan including branding, content and language. Choose a firm that understands your website isn’t a one-off, but rather a marketing engine propelling your communication efforts forward.
Price
Generally speaking, websites simply don’t cost tens of thousands of dollars any more. There are some extreme cases which may demand a website have a higher price tag, but if you are searching for a great-looking, responsive website that tells the story of your museum, you shouldn’t have to pay more than $5,000 for that site. Remember, the more bells and whistles you add, the price will increase, but don’t fall in love with something just because the price is exorbitant.
Customer Service
Remember, whether you have a content management system, or depend on your website company to help with maintenance of your site, customer service before, during and after the development process is crucial. Often, a website will still be hosted with your design company. If you have needs or questions, you want to feel comfortable sending an e-mail or making a phone call. No one wants to be a burden, especially if you paid for the service the firm should provide.
Hopefully this information will help you and your institution when making the critical choice to upgrade your website!
SOLID GOLD: DELIVERING THE RIGHT MESSAGE TO THE RIGHT AUDIENCE
My daughter loves dance music. I am a talking intense music that will get your heart racing so fast and your head pounding, you don't know what to do except either dance spontaneously or just hold your ears. So, what does this have to do with communication? Simple. I love music too; but boy do I dread getting in the car with my daughter in ultimate fear that I will be in the middle of a salsa competition right in the front seat of her car. Similarly, she has no interest in listening to CNN on Sirius or the Counting Crows, she could care less. We both like music, but the genres are light years apart.
The same is true for telling your museum's story. First you have to understand who your current audience is and decide if that is who you'd like to continue to target. If your organization wants to shift to a different demographic, that message needs to be crafted and tailored appropriately.
For instance, if you have an aviation museum, the bread-and-butter audience for you is an aviation enthusiast. Think about all of the tangent segments such as transportation enthusiasts, airline history buffs, aerospace history influencers, etc. Don’t waste resources on delivering your message to a general audience hoping to "convert" interested visitors. The number of times that message has to be delivered and the cost associated with those methods are often not worth the return.
So, what happens if your demographic is aging? In other words, what if the subject matter of your museum skews to an older generation, one which is unable to continue to visit? This is a bit trickier, but the same concept is true. Find the single thread of interest which connects your current audience to your desired future audience. Once you make that connection, deliver the same story but through a different voice and medium. Think of it this way, if you are currently purchasing newspaper ads to showcase a new exhibit, to reach a younger demographic, try using social media, digital targeting and/or audio and video ads on third-party entertainment channels such as YouTube, Hulu, Spotify and Pandora. Although expensive because you are executing two campaigns simultaneously, ultimately, your focused execution of these two campaigns will allow you to maintain your current audience while seeing younger, eager faces come through the front door.
The moral of the story is pretty simple. Find the right audience, play your best music and let them sit back and enjoy the entertainment and educational value of your institution.
The same is true for telling your museum's story. First you have to understand who your current audience is and decide if that is who you'd like to continue to target. If your organization wants to shift to a different demographic, that message needs to be crafted and tailored appropriately.
For instance, if you have an aviation museum, the bread-and-butter audience for you is an aviation enthusiast. Think about all of the tangent segments such as transportation enthusiasts, airline history buffs, aerospace history influencers, etc. Don’t waste resources on delivering your message to a general audience hoping to "convert" interested visitors. The number of times that message has to be delivered and the cost associated with those methods are often not worth the return.
So, what happens if your demographic is aging? In other words, what if the subject matter of your museum skews to an older generation, one which is unable to continue to visit? This is a bit trickier, but the same concept is true. Find the single thread of interest which connects your current audience to your desired future audience. Once you make that connection, deliver the same story but through a different voice and medium. Think of it this way, if you are currently purchasing newspaper ads to showcase a new exhibit, to reach a younger demographic, try using social media, digital targeting and/or audio and video ads on third-party entertainment channels such as YouTube, Hulu, Spotify and Pandora. Although expensive because you are executing two campaigns simultaneously, ultimately, your focused execution of these two campaigns will allow you to maintain your current audience while seeing younger, eager faces come through the front door.
The moral of the story is pretty simple. Find the right audience, play your best music and let them sit back and enjoy the entertainment and educational value of your institution.
INTEGRATING ALL OF YOUR INGREDIENTS
I love to cook. Although not a professional, I have been known to make my own homemade sauces and do the “Food Channel schmear” on a nice white platter, piling delicious greens and grilled parmesan-garlic chicken in an imposing tower. I digress, the point here is that if you have had any experience in the kitchen, then you know the importance of getting a thorough mix or integration of ingredients.
The same can be true when planning and executing a communications strategy. It is imperative a communication strategy has both consistency and frequency of message. This can be achieved by understanding how to layer messages and how that message should be delivered to each audience segment. In today’s marketing and communications environment, there are a variety of vehicles in which to utilize such as:
Website: Post all important information concerning the service or product including description, preview images, background information and pricing if applicable.
Social Media: Repeatedly post information, short factoids, images, videos, contests or giveaways and other on-going enticements. Be sure to ramp up product or service availability messaging approximately 10 days prior to the reveal. This could also include online advertising as well as boosted posts.
Traditional Advertising: Identify the best medium to reach your audience. If that is print, be sure to use a common ad design, individually redesigned for each publication, to develop frequency enticing visitors to purchase your new offering.
Media Relations: Contact local media outlets by either sending a press release or an e-mail pitch with the pertinent information about the product, your company and connections to the consumer.
Public and Community Relations: If applicable (such as for a grand opening or major unveiling) make sure you send invitations and e-newsletter alerts to current stakeholders including donors, board members, advisory members, elected officials and others connected to the business and community.
As you can see, just like the culinary arts, communication is often a mixture of important ingredients delicately refined with a pinch of this and a dash of that. Most importantly, just remember to bring all of the layers together to achieve the greatest results for your business.
The same can be true when planning and executing a communications strategy. It is imperative a communication strategy has both consistency and frequency of message. This can be achieved by understanding how to layer messages and how that message should be delivered to each audience segment. In today’s marketing and communications environment, there are a variety of vehicles in which to utilize such as:
- Integrated digital marketing (website, social media, et al.)
- Traditional advertising
- Traditional marketing
- Media relations
- Public relations
- Community relations
Website: Post all important information concerning the service or product including description, preview images, background information and pricing if applicable.
Social Media: Repeatedly post information, short factoids, images, videos, contests or giveaways and other on-going enticements. Be sure to ramp up product or service availability messaging approximately 10 days prior to the reveal. This could also include online advertising as well as boosted posts.
Traditional Advertising: Identify the best medium to reach your audience. If that is print, be sure to use a common ad design, individually redesigned for each publication, to develop frequency enticing visitors to purchase your new offering.
Media Relations: Contact local media outlets by either sending a press release or an e-mail pitch with the pertinent information about the product, your company and connections to the consumer.
Public and Community Relations: If applicable (such as for a grand opening or major unveiling) make sure you send invitations and e-newsletter alerts to current stakeholders including donors, board members, advisory members, elected officials and others connected to the business and community.
As you can see, just like the culinary arts, communication is often a mixture of important ingredients delicately refined with a pinch of this and a dash of that. Most importantly, just remember to bring all of the layers together to achieve the greatest results for your business.
RESOLVE TO MARKET SMARTER IN 2016!
It is that time of year again. We all make personal resolutions. Eat better, workout more, spend more quality time with our family; whatever your resolutions are in your personal life, don't forget your professional life as well. Embrace the next 365 days and don't forget to include marketing smarter as a resolution for 2016.
Here are a few tips to think about to take your marketing efforts to the next level:
Make your website responsive.
Making the look and functionality of your site the same on both desktop and mobile devices can go a long way in bringing in new visitors and leads and bettering your bottom line. Statista reports more than 25 percent of global web traffic comes from mobile, so make sure your site is completely optimized for phones and tablets.
Revitalize your content strategy.
Content is still king. Because of this, it may be smart to evaluate a variety of types of content that could work for your inbound campaigns. You can determine what's best for your efforts in several ways - chiefly, going over your analytics from the past several months and engaging in continual A/B testing. Take the time to test landing pages, looks of your site and other promotions to help ensure a connection with your intended audiences.
Adjust your digital marketing strategies as needed.
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Snapchat - these are the undisputed giants of social (at least for the moment).
While new, flashy social sites are bound to pop up over the course of the New Year, you'll first want to ensure you master these aforementioned platforms that have proven to bring substantial ROI for marketers worldwide before expanding to other social media channels. Ensure you are doing one or two of these very well, rather than posting mediocre content on multiple social media channels.
Don't forget your e-mail lists. Make sure they are clean and ready-to-go for 2016. Develop new content which pushes visitors to your website.
Take a look at your buyer personas, too.
What good are all of the resolutions above if you don't know for whom you should be creating inbound campaigns in the first place? There's likely no better time than the start of the year to reexamine your buyer personas.
Truly understand your audience by conducting thorough research on them. Consider doing some online surveys or focus groups to get a better, updated grasp on who they are and what they want.
Here are a few tips to think about to take your marketing efforts to the next level:
Make your website responsive.
Making the look and functionality of your site the same on both desktop and mobile devices can go a long way in bringing in new visitors and leads and bettering your bottom line. Statista reports more than 25 percent of global web traffic comes from mobile, so make sure your site is completely optimized for phones and tablets.
Revitalize your content strategy.
Content is still king. Because of this, it may be smart to evaluate a variety of types of content that could work for your inbound campaigns. You can determine what's best for your efforts in several ways - chiefly, going over your analytics from the past several months and engaging in continual A/B testing. Take the time to test landing pages, looks of your site and other promotions to help ensure a connection with your intended audiences.
Adjust your digital marketing strategies as needed.
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Snapchat - these are the undisputed giants of social (at least for the moment).
While new, flashy social sites are bound to pop up over the course of the New Year, you'll first want to ensure you master these aforementioned platforms that have proven to bring substantial ROI for marketers worldwide before expanding to other social media channels. Ensure you are doing one or two of these very well, rather than posting mediocre content on multiple social media channels.
Don't forget your e-mail lists. Make sure they are clean and ready-to-go for 2016. Develop new content which pushes visitors to your website.
Take a look at your buyer personas, too.
What good are all of the resolutions above if you don't know for whom you should be creating inbound campaigns in the first place? There's likely no better time than the start of the year to reexamine your buyer personas.
Truly understand your audience by conducting thorough research on them. Consider doing some online surveys or focus groups to get a better, updated grasp on who they are and what they want.
THE SILENT "P" IN PR
So you want to promote your product, service, business, non-profit, book or anything else? Great, then you need to begin generating PR. However, before you just jump out there and start telling everyone about your great product, service, business, non-profit, book or anything else, you should realize there is a silent “P” in public relations. However, if you don’t overlook that one little consonant and what it stands for you, you will get a bigger bang out of your public relations efforts.
Now I am sure you’re asking, “What is the silent ‘P’ I am missing?” Well that silent “P” stands for preparation. Too often individuals and organizations overlook the value of preparation in exchange for expediency and self-imposed deadlines. Even a greater faux pas, they understand the need to prepare, craft their story, accumulate resources such as photos, quotes and details and either fail to round those items up, or push the public relations process off until the end to either save time or money. The tragic irony with this strategy is that it actually hurts more than helps the organization, because time is time. Whether they spend those hours over a manageable time frame, or crush them into an impossible schedule, it is still going to cost. One step further, those costs may actually be greater because the time dedicated to ensure the deadline is met may be performed at premium rates rather than a standard rate.
How can one avoid the pitfalls of not sounding out the silent “P,” try this:
1. Ensure you have provided a sound plan to achieve your operational and public relations goals.
2. Consult with experts. If you are not sure what it takes to launch a public relations campaign, talk with someone who has.
3. Bring experts to the table early and listen. Often those who can help want your campaign to be successful for both entities.
4. Finally, make sure you listen when told time frames are tough. The reason why the Emperor wore no clothes is because someone didn’t have the courage to tell him. Surround yourself with individuals and organizations who are truthful about where you are and how to get where you want to be.
If you follow these steps, your next public relations campaign can start with preparation and end with jubilation!
Now I am sure you’re asking, “What is the silent ‘P’ I am missing?” Well that silent “P” stands for preparation. Too often individuals and organizations overlook the value of preparation in exchange for expediency and self-imposed deadlines. Even a greater faux pas, they understand the need to prepare, craft their story, accumulate resources such as photos, quotes and details and either fail to round those items up, or push the public relations process off until the end to either save time or money. The tragic irony with this strategy is that it actually hurts more than helps the organization, because time is time. Whether they spend those hours over a manageable time frame, or crush them into an impossible schedule, it is still going to cost. One step further, those costs may actually be greater because the time dedicated to ensure the deadline is met may be performed at premium rates rather than a standard rate.
How can one avoid the pitfalls of not sounding out the silent “P,” try this:
1. Ensure you have provided a sound plan to achieve your operational and public relations goals.
2. Consult with experts. If you are not sure what it takes to launch a public relations campaign, talk with someone who has.
3. Bring experts to the table early and listen. Often those who can help want your campaign to be successful for both entities.
4. Finally, make sure you listen when told time frames are tough. The reason why the Emperor wore no clothes is because someone didn’t have the courage to tell him. Surround yourself with individuals and organizations who are truthful about where you are and how to get where you want to be.
If you follow these steps, your next public relations campaign can start with preparation and end with jubilation!
CUTTING EDGE IS DIFFERENT FOR EVERYONE
Recently a colleague and I attended a conference dedicated to a particular very specific industry. During the conference, we had an epiphany: “Cutting edge is different for everyone!”
What we had assumed as common knowledge was actually virgin territory for many of these attendees. Assumptions in conversations were affected by background and met with blank stares. So for us, it was a true wake-up call – don’t talk past your audience.
The same can be said when developing messaging for marketing and advertising materials. Often, assumptions are made the consumer already has a basic knowledge by which to compare your product or service to another. More specifically, an item can be under or overpriced because the consumer’s basic knowledge is much lower than expected.
In order to solve this dilemma, it is paramount one understands their audience. Just as we did not realize the level at which ideas were being discussed, a potential consumer must be reached at his or her current level of understanding. Ensure this by doing some research. Knowing the consumer and, most importantly, don’t assume anyone knows about the product.
What we had assumed as common knowledge was actually virgin territory for many of these attendees. Assumptions in conversations were affected by background and met with blank stares. So for us, it was a true wake-up call – don’t talk past your audience.
The same can be said when developing messaging for marketing and advertising materials. Often, assumptions are made the consumer already has a basic knowledge by which to compare your product or service to another. More specifically, an item can be under or overpriced because the consumer’s basic knowledge is much lower than expected.
In order to solve this dilemma, it is paramount one understands their audience. Just as we did not realize the level at which ideas were being discussed, a potential consumer must be reached at his or her current level of understanding. Ensure this by doing some research. Knowing the consumer and, most importantly, don’t assume anyone knows about the product.