Lake Champlain Maritime Museum (May 2014-August 2014)

Long-term Marketing Strategy & Event Protocol

Goal:
To promote the Maritime Museum as an essential and valuable part of the
community that preserves Lake Champlain history and fosters education,
ecology, archaeology, and life-changing experiences
Target Audience:
People who use technology
Local colleges
Local businesses
[Potential] sponsors
Local schools
Similar organizations (ECHO, Blue Mountain Lake Museum, Shelburne
Museum, etc.)
Marinas, waterfront organizations
Artisans and craftsmen
People interested in history
People from nearby Lake Champlain
Current and potential members
Out of state visitors (especially Canada, Connecticut, Maine, New
Hampshire, New York)
Objectives:
To create multiple new outlets for community engagement by next season
To provide the community with easy access to relevant updates and
information using a variety of media
To increase education program/class participation by 10%
To increase membership by 10%
To increase social media and web traffic/subscriptions by 20%
To make the transition toward a more organized, strategic and systematic
routine for marketing using technology as comprehensable as possible for
LCMM employee

Strategies:
Create and explain how to use social media platforms and/or maximize
the benefits of current ones
Establish an interactive media relationship with local businesses and
organizations (esp. social media), including the redesign of LCMM website
Develop uniform marketing procedure/timeline for LCMM employees to
follow (overall marketing procedure as well as special events, etc.)
Develop public relations protocol/guidelines for all employees
communicating with the public to refer to
Develop and grow relationships with local organizations, communities, and
businesses (sponsorship, etc.)
Develop a system for logging information digitally and enumerating all
programs
Tactics
Create automated email workflows in Hubspot
Create automated email messages and messages requesting feedback
regarding guest experiences using Hubspot email workflow
Create procedure for collecting and entering guest contact information and
feedback replies
Continue to engage Facebook and Twitter followers using pictures, links,
exciting news, and regular updates (there should be continuous social
media growth if used and monitered regularly).
Designate one person to moniter and update LCMMs Twitter and
Facebook page
Use Bit.ly or Hubspot to shorten and track links that are posted to the
Twitter page- this allows us to measure and alter posted material
efficiently
Make sure that all social media, blog sites, and web page connect
together and are accessible in one, central location.
Create a photo campaign (similar to Humans of New York) featuring
guests/members with captions that answer questions about how the guest
connects with the museum/lake, what is special about the museum/their
experience, etc. These photos could be posted every few days or once a
week during the season on social media (Facebook) and featured on the
website occasionally. This creates a visual and relatable experience for
potential guests to connect to and engage with.
Make some interesting videos available to to public (members postcards
could be made available (one month) after the members get exclusive
viewing rights.
Regularly add and follow members of the community, similar organizations,
businesses, and reporters on social media. This will get LCMM more
followers and also create transparency so that the rest of the community
can see more easily what LCMM is all about and have more options for
how to communicate or engage with us.

Redesign the website to be more user-friendly and attractive, emphasis on

social media icons and blog
Create a data access page that makes research and archival information
from the library and conservation lab public digitally.
Feature ROV shipwreck preview videos
Make the message from the executive director from the Spring/Summer
newsletter visible on the homepage or in a prominent spot on the website.
Create a functional list of guidelines pertaining to how to handle negative
feedback, difficult guests, etc. on social media and other public spheres as
well as guidelines to help assure information is being distributed
accurately and to the appropriate people.
Create data input procedure for contact information as well as guest and
program participant numbers
Collect and track growth for membership numbers, class and programs
participant numbers to see how marketing is effecting them and to help set
goals for growth
Virtual Guest Book
Update Media Contacts List
Compose comprehensive list of sites to distribute print materials

Cover Your Bases: Creating a Social Media Policy

Internally:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Google AdWords
Pinterest
Instagram
Bit.ly

Who is going to be managing these platforms? While it is safe to say all of these
social media sites will become integrated into the Hubspot portal, it is important
that there is cohesion between every social media tool we are using.
Consistency is key in the success of social media, and social media is key to a
successful marketing mix.
While Pinterest may mostly be helpful for specific campaigns, it could be used in
place of or in addition to the online catalogue we discussed in regards to visiting
and permanent exhibits. This would increase sharing options and accessibility
when showcasing some of our exhibits.
It is important that whoever takes charge of these platforms is consistent with the
frequency, accuracy, and cohesion of the messages shared. Consistency in
format and aesthetics is also important. A cohesive look and feel to all platforms
will make them easier to navigate and remember. Think branding. If the
responsibility is to be split among people, there should be frequent strategy
meetings to ensure that everyone is on the same page. By combining these
platforms you are appealing to the widest possible audience, and allowing them
to choose the ways in which they interact with you. All platforms must link to the
main website and vice-versa.
Aside from managing the types of posts that are available for the public to view
or create, it is important to consider how to maximize the benefits of social media
by engaging your target audience. A great example of ideas for how to do this as
a museum comes from the San Diego Zoo:
(http://www.resources.blackbaud.com/fundraising-ideas/museum-socialmedia.html)
This article on making the most of social media emphasizes that technology is a
key ingredient to the success of a nonprofit organization, especially in todays
fast-paced, tech-heavy environment.
It also points out that over 17,000 United States museums have introduced social
media into their marketing mix, and rely on it heavily for sharing content,
engaging and connecting visitors, and displaying the work they are proud to do.
The article will provide helpful tips for how to use social media most effectively.
When creating a social media strategy, it is very important not only to think about
what your posting and how to manage others posts, but it is also important to
consider what times the most people are likely to read your messages.

Many organizations have done in depth studies of social media sites with each
year, and since we are using Hubspot and they have a wonderful info graphic,
this might be the right tool to guide designated social media marketers when they
are getting ready to schedule important posts
(http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/best-times-post-pin-tweet- social-mediainfographic):

Engaging Visitors Visually

Photo Campaign:
I noticed that social media was where my growth was. So I removed my 'freestanding' website, and began hosting 100 percent of my content on social media.
As another example, Stanton said he noticed that when people commented on or
shared his photographs, the captions and stories were as important as the
photos themselves.
"HONY was evolving from photography to mixed medium," he said. "So I really
started focusing on getting better with my interviews."
Connect, Connect, Connect
Stanton's photographs are interesting, but as he said, it's the captions and stories
that keep the audience coming.
He gets the stories, he said, by asking some of the same open-ended, soulsearching questions over and over
(http://www.inc.com/bill-murphy-jr/how-humans-of-new-york-got-nearly-1-millionfacebook-likes.html)
Humans of New York is an extremely successful Facebook page that features
real people in every day life with captions answering open-ended questions. The
popularity of the site is ever-increasing because, as the photographer explains,
people are fascinated by other peoples experiences. The stories paired with the
visuals are touching and relatable.
Doing a Humans of New York inspired campaign would likely bring similar results
to an organization, because your guests can see that someone just like them
was affected or inspired by LCMM. It also gives visitors an opportunity to not
only relate, but engage by sharing their own experiences in the comments
section:














https://www.facebook.com/humansofnewyork

Re-designing Our Web Page

Despite the accessibility and affordability of good design, it still
seems to be one of the key things that small business owners
overlook when assembling a marketing plan. Think you can skimp on
design? Think again. Were living in an age where good design is no
longer a luxuryits everywhere. If youre a startup, youre also
cultivating an image during a time when brand designs turn into iconic
symbols. Thats why one of the most important elements for a small
business competing in a land of box stores and too much information
is to invest in great design.
(http://www.minneapoliswebdesign.com/blog/design-is-important-for-smallbusiness/)
More and more people are getting their information from the Internet. It is likely
that your website will be the first place people go for information, and they are
used to aesthetic, legibility, readability, and accessibility. Having a good web
design is important for people who are having higher and higher standards of
what a good, easy to use website looks like. Also, when your website is likely to
be the first impression visitors have of the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, a
better design makes the museum look even more impressive.
For tips on dos, donts, and SEO information that could help improve the future of
lcmm.org:
http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2014/03/21/5reasons-visitors-leave-your-website.aspx
http://www.nten.org/blog/2010/07/28/creating-website-content-what-do-yourvisitors-really-want
http://www.seochat.com/c/a/search-engine-optimization-help/does-your-websitehave-what-your-visitors-want/

Adding a Data Access Page to

lcmm.org
A digitized archive collection is an educational tool student and teachers could
access our research, collections, and archival documents easily to enhance their
research or lessons. It also reinforces visitors experiences because they are
able to access items of their choice, before or after their visit to the museum, and
enables them to share some of their favorite parts of the museum. Having a data
access page would also highlight LCMMs community involvement and the
importance we place on sharing Lake Champlains history. To learn more about
benefits of a data access page:
http://www.theguardian.com/culture-professionals-network/culture-professionalsblog/2013/may/03/museum-archives-digital-online
http://www.library.illinois.edu/dcc/resources/introduction.html
For an example of a great digital archive:
http://www.research.frick.org/directoryweb/home.php?

How to Begin Building a Marketing

Procedure/Timeline:

Media Relations

Event Calendars

Website

Email

Social Media

It helps to be organized, especially if there are multiple people promoting a

program or event a progress chart like this can help make sure everyone is on
track and completing their designated tasks in the most effective time range:

Media Relations
Press releases and media kits can be used to gain publicity before an event in
order to sell more tickets to events, increase membership, and encourage the
media to attend or cover the event. Including as many materials below as
possible can ensure the best possible promotion for events.
Press Release: Writing a press release encourages media to cover your event.
A well-written release can be put into print with little alteration and a
reporter looking for a story or event will appreciate your hard work to your
benefit. Some media may just take bits and pieces of information from
your press release, so be sure it is clear and convincing, providing all of
the important information and highlighting the most exciting details.
Media Advisory: this is tailored to the media, inviting them to come to the
events at the museum. Who, what, when, where and why, as well as
interview availability and other specifics that are of particular interest to
someone trying to write a story. Providing a media kit with exclusive B roll
(images of speakers, art, exhibits, music, etc. that are special to the event
and can not be obtained easily on site or via time-consuming research).
Media Alert: Remind everyone about the important details of the event about a
week prior!
Backgrounder: Include this in the media kit for the event. It can also be sent
along with other aforementioned materials to provide additional
information on your organization (mission statement, etc.) and event.
The method you use to send out your media releases will depend on your
relationships with our media list and the size and extent of the event and/or
program we are promoting
Local coverage (newspapers, radio, TV stations)
Specific editors based on the event, story, or program (Arts, Leisure,
Environment)
Local Blogs (Art Blogs, Adirondack Almanac, etc.)
Post your press release on the news section of the website and on the blog if
relevant
You should also send your event news release to other organizations that
might be able to publicize your event, including UVM, Middlebury College,
St. Michaels, local marinas, sailing clubs, robotics clubs, environmental
organizations, and Burlington Chamber of Commerce.:
In addition, youll need to plan out a strategy for handling the media at the event
itself. You should consider the following:
Provide media kits to those who do not yet have them:
Event program
Backgrounder
Event Press Release
Speaker bios & photos (if available)
Have Press passes and make sure staff, volunteers and speakers are

wearing their name badges for events

Determine a point-of-contact person who will greet the media and introduce
them to the speakers, VIPs, etc. and make interviews easier
FOLLOW UP

EVENT CALENDARS
Online event calendars offer some great free publicity for your event. For
example, there are.
Continue to post events on the list of calendars we use including Burlington Free
Press, Seven Days, and other local papers. These need to be submitted at least
a week in advance to be considered for publication
WEBSITE
Use the website and Hubspots membership management and email workflows:
Include a message about the event on your homepage
Include an event listing on our Google Calendar
Include information on the event in Members-only emails
Promote the event through a series of posts on the blog, Twitter and Facebook
#HASHTAGS!!
EMAIL Schedule automated event reminders to email workflows, members, and those
who have pre-registered for events.

SOCIAL MEDIA
While this Mashable post, by Ben Parr, offers some great advice on How to Plan
and Promote Events with Social Media, here are some event publicity social
media basics to consider:
Facebook: If you dont already have one, consider creating a Facebook page.
As Ben Parr notes they are better than groups because you can appear
in news feeds every time you update the Pages status. You can also
create a Facebook Event.
Twitter: Be sure to create a Twitter hashtag for the event and promote it and
ask for retweets of key event information and updates. As noted above,
don't forget to include your hashtag on all event web pages, emails, blogs,
etc. to build buzz.
YouTube: Make members exclusive videos on upcoming events, research,
programs, etc. available on Youtube for the public. Allow members a sneak
preview a few days before everyone else gets to see it.

If you want to reap the full benefits of your event and its objectives, you need to
do more than simply send out some thank-you notes and host a wrap-up or postmortem meeting. While you still have the participants', donors', volunteers' and
even the media's attention - you need to use the momentum to undertake some
basic post-event publicity and recognition. And to make sure this takes place, its
important to plan for and assign post-event tasks ahead of the event to ensure
they receive the attention they deserve. (Ben Prarr)

Post-event publicity opportunities will depend on the nature of your organization

and event, but here are a few examples of some basic post-event publicity
activities:
Fundraising event:
Update your event page to include information on the events success
(did you reach your goal? how much did you raise?) and photos of
the event be sure to offer opportunities for additional donations e.g., a link to your fundraising page, etc.
Create a news release announcing how much you raised at the event.
Remind the reader about the objective for the fundraising
event (e.g., if you are raising funds for a specific project offer the
details on what this project will achieve) - don't assume they
remember the details from your event press release, so include key
points about why you had the event and what you'll do with the
funds raised. Perhaps you promote upcoming campaigns - just be
sure you make a realistic connection.
Include post-event stories and photos in your next:
newsletter;
blog post;
member forum
People love to see themselves in photos, so be sure to offer captions and identify
event attendees or award-winners, etc. Remember you should get permission
to use photos and identify those in them in your newsletter or on your
website.
Take advantage of additional promotion opportunities: In all cases, make
sure the readers or visitors to your website viewing post-event materials have an
opportunity to:
learn more about the event especially if it is an annual affair
contribute funds either to the specific event-related cause or your
organization in general
receive information about upcoming events and/or volunteer!
Awareness-raising event:
Post videos and/or speaker presentations on your website and/or
social media platforms
Write a newsletter article about the event, summarizing its objective;

what transpired and how this will impact your organizations mission
in future. Again, this can link to photos, video and/or slide
presentations if they are available and let volunteers and/or
members know about: number of participants; media coverage
(offer links to articles), etc.
Educational / networking event: As above, be sure to:
Offer follow-up information to the media and your full networking
contact list.
Offer presentations via email and on your website -- if you have the
presenters permission.
Additional promotion opportunities: If you collected contact
information at registration or through other means (e.g., collecting
business cards for a door prize) be sure to send out any
newsletters or other post-event or organizational updates to your
list and link these folks to your website for coverage of the event
and/or presentations and promote future participation - e.g., joining
the organization; becoming a donor; attending the next event, etc.
Using all or a combination of these 5 publicity options - Media Releases, Event
Calendars, Website, Email and Social Media - should offer some effective, lowcost publicity for your event. But remember, to achieve high impact, youll need to
start with a well-thought out strategy, effective planning, ample lead time and a
lot of creative effort and follow-up.
(wildapricot.com)

Its never too early to start promoting an event. Many advertisers and marketing
specialists believe that people need to see a message at least 7 times in order to
act on it, and that message should occur over time and across multiple platforms.
Develop an incentives package, such as deep discounts and bonuses, for early
registrations.
Make an announcement about the event in your organizations newsletter and
feature event announcements on the web page.
Add the workshop, program, or event on Facebook and post it to your
Facebook timeline.
Start contacting potential partners that can help promote your event to their
lists.
Create a postcard and/or inexpensive flyer. Identify key locations and
happenings for placement of handouts or flyers.
Add events to free public events calendars
3-6 Months Out

Mention the event 2x a month in blog posts (ask me for a guest post or
interview!).
Post it weekly on your Facebook page varying the time of day you post.
Tweet it several times a week during high-traffic times.
Cite the workshop, event, or program in each issue of your email newsletter.
Make phone calls to key alliances that can attract attendees.
Follow up all online participants with confirmation welcome letters (when
possible). Always remember that these people are your guests and should
be treated as such.
1-2 Months Out

Continue all of the promotions youve been doing for the last several months.
Send a press release and reminders to all alliances to announce the end of
early registration. Dont forget to include the key bloggers in the area.

 Schedule a series of 2-3 emails to your list with the reminders. These emails
should be specific to the workshop, event, or program and include no
other offerings or announcements.
1 Week to 1 Month Out

If you havent sold out, expand your efforts to fill the seats. You want it to be a
success, dont you?
Send at least two more emails to your list.
5 Days Out

Continue with regular posts on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest