| MARCH 3, 2012 -- What is your Grange story? Every Grange has at least one story to tell. Most Granges have numerous stories to tell - such as community service projects, Grange events, meetings and activities, long-time members, and a vast array of interests.
What is content marketing? It is the creation and distribution of relevant information to your audience.
A recent article published by Nancy E. Schwartz* compares content marketing to a campfire.
“To build a successful campfire, you need to begin with ignitable tinder and gradually add more and more wood until you have a roaring fire. It’s the same with content. But before you even start that campfire, you know what your goal is – to build a fire. You’ll need to set clear goals for your content marketing program, so you know where you’re trying to go with it — and the target audiences you must engage to meet that goal. Most importantly, with so many channels, formats and types of content options it is essential to establish a solid foundation for your content strategy rather than randomly gathering content and hoping it all ignites in the end.”
There are a number of sources that you can regularly utilize to reach your target audience of Grange members, potential members, Grange supporters and the general public-at-large. Here’s a few ideas:
• Report regularly in the Connecticut Granger newspaper (over 2000 newspapers mailed monthly to both Grange members and Grange supporters. Send your submissions to granger@ctstategrange.org.)
• Send news items, calendar dates and photos to the Connecticut State Grange website (over 4000 website visitors per day. Send your submissions to information@ctstategrange.org or publicrelations@ctstategrange.org.)
• Write articles and press releases for local newspapers (for example: the Hartford Courant has a circulation of 187,000 daily; Waterbury Republican-American has a circulation of 44,000 daily; New London Day has a circulation of 25,000 daily; and the Connecticut Post has a circulation of 76,000 daily.)
• Develop a Facebook Page and/or a Twitter Page for your Grange (Facebook has more than 800 million active users, adding more than 200 million of those in the last year alone while Twitter has 100 million active users.)
• Hang posters in your local library, church, grocery store, laundry mat and pizza place to promote your upcoming Grange meetings and events.
It is important to produce content that is both engaging and exciting. Content that catches the attention of the reader. Speak from the heart, and always see the human aspect of your content. Think about what you as a reader or viewer likes to see. It could be something as simple as a new recipe, craft or gardening tip to share, or as important as donating dictionaries to the local elementary school and honoring a 50-plus year member.
The most difficult part of Content Marketing with your Grange is finding the time to create a variety of content to keep your marketing active, fresh and current. Having a Facebook Page for your Grange is one thing - but make sure it updated regularly or it will be forgotten about and overlooked by your followers. Work together as a Grange marketing team. Share the responsibilities within your Grange, that way more members are involved and the work load is lighter per person.
Don’t let marketing your Grange slip through the cracks. Set clear goals and establish the foundations to tell your Grange stories. Ignite the fire of your Grange through content marketing.
* Source: Nancy E. Schwartz, GettingAttention.org, February 2012. |
