Marketing Communication Plans

Web Services often works with a client on campus who wants to do a lot with their website. What's missing is an overarching plan for communication using web, print, social, TV and/or radio and what it takes to produce that content.

For a select group we've pulled them aside and encouraged the development of a marketing communications plan.

Using a template from Kansas State, Web Services has adopted this strategy to strengthen the ability of a department or service to communicate and see return on that investment.

• CSUMB Marketing Communications template

It involves capturing what many times is already in the head of the client. The immediate need is to share it with their staff, but the real benefit comes from when new staff arrive or outside departments team up on more functional tasks. It means these partners can jump straight into creating content with intent and measure results.

Examples

We've worked with Campus Planning & Development, Inclusive Excellence, Athletics, College of Business, University Personnel, Camp SEALab and the Campus Advocate's office.

In many cases, we've been able to take fully flushed out plans, create marketing campaigns that go beyond just their website (e.g. print brochures, mailing lists), and measure results that are tangible and usable.

For example, Campus Planning & Development used their plan to increase awareness of their Master Plan Revise, and much of their success has resulted into people attending their forums.

Template

Here's how the plan works:

• Start with an analysis of what your group can do.
• Capture your goals.
• Think in detail about the target audiences for your content.
• Develop the key messages you need to communicate, no matter where that content shows up (e.g. web vs. print).
• Think about overall strategies and the tactics that will work 6-12 months out (e.g. Are students still using Snapchat?).
• Measure the results of your hard work.

Presentation

We just wrapped up a two-part presentation in the Technology Open Lab called "Creating a Marketing Communications Plan."

• Presentation: Creating a Marketing Communications Plan

Great marketing communications depends upon great composition of words, audio or video that convinces the visitor to act. The effect is return on investment (ROI).

Effect

There four ways to measure the effect of your marketing campaign: eyeballs, endorsement, engagement & effect.

In some cases, you might just want people to see your content (e.g. pageviews, impressions). Other times you might want to see someone's positive or negative endorsement (e.g. likes, shares). Infrequently you want to see people engage in evaluating your content (e.g. comments, discussion threads).

But ultimately you want to see some kind of conversion from just reading the content to acting upon it. This could be a visitor downloading a file, purchasing a ticket, or attending an event.

For example, if you are the College of Business, you want people to attend an important faculty presentation. If you are Athletics, you want students to see a basketball game. If you are IT, you want someone to download antivirus software.

Let us know if you would like to develop a marketing communications plan by writing to webservices@csumb.edu