The document outlines strategies for marketing student media, emphasizing the importance of creating a structured plan using the ROPE method (Research, Objectives, Programming, Evaluation). It suggests conducting research to understand audience perceptions and establish specific, measurable objectives to enhance visibility and credibility. Effective programming and evaluation processes are essential for achieving marketing goals and gaining support from the campus community.

1. Marketing and Promoting Your Student Media Presented by Dr. Kay L. Colley Assistant Professor and Student Media Director Texas Wesleyan University

2. What do you currently do to market your student publications? Advertise within your publications Cross-promote with other student publications Host events or contests Foster word-of-mouth marketing Subscribe to social media Collaborate with other campus organizations Attend recruiting events Attend job fairs on campus

3. How do you determine which of these or other choices will work for you? The Big Question:

4. How to create “The plan” Use the public relations campaign strategy of ROPE Create an integrated marketing communication campaign Combine the tools from public relations and marketing Ultimate goal: To increase awareness or visibility of your student media in the campus community

5. What is ROPE? R esearch O bjectives P rogramming Evaluation

6. SWOT Analysis Research tools Primary Secondary Qualitative Quantitative How do I choose? Research

7. Research—what we have Rambler focus group findings from Spring 2009 (qualitative, primary) nGenera focus group findings from Fall 2009 (qualitative, secondary) Institutional research report on student demographics (qualitative/quantitative, secondary)

8. Research—what we want Rambler e-mail survey of students (quantitative, primary) Content analysis of Fall 2009 newspapers (qualitative, primary) Content analysis of website (qualitative, primary) Focus groups—student, faculty, staff—website (qualitative, primary)

9. Why do research? Gives us a benchmark Tells us what people think, in their own words Tells us why people think what they think Gives us ideas of how we can improve

10. Analyzing the Research Where do you start? Remember, every research project is undertaken to get specific information. If you haven’t made that clear from the beginning, you’ll have a hard time making sense of the research.

11. Objectives Specific and quantifiable for measurement/evaluation Support your overall goal Can be impact and output objectives Should be no more than 8 objectives

12. Objectives--Impact To improve newspaper perception as a credible source by 20% by May 2010 To increase page views on therambler.org by 5% per month To increase readership by 20% in 2009-2010 To increase number of fans to 1000 by Jan. 31, 2010

13. Objectives--Output To provide source feedback survey to each source after the story appears To sign-up 10 people per week for e-mailed updates To deliver papers to individual classes each issue as requested To invite 10 new people to become fans per week

14. Programming Start with a laundry list of everything you could do Narrow and focus based on your objectives and budget Make sure your programming supports your objectives

15. Programming--Done Joined student media associations Redesigned paper (summer) Revised job descriptions, pay and hiring processes Began training prior to classes and continued throughout semester, bringing in outside experts to supplement knowledge

16. Programming--Done Returned to beat system of coverage and announced beat reporter via email to departments Redesigned rate card and invoices and had professionally printed Launched new website Launched social media sites Launched video log, using students throughout campus as hosts

17. Programming--Done Met with President’s Office to have newspapers sent to Board of Trustees Met with offices across campus to collaborate on coverage Met with faculty members in developmental English to provide newspapers directly to class Advertised website every issue Cross promotions arranged with athletics Source survey sent to every person who is a source to help understand veracity and credibility

18. Programming—In Process Signage—for new location and racks Racks—purchase of new racks that are branded Contests—focused on Facebook to increase student involvement Cross promotions—Music department, theatre department

19. Evaluation The other side of the research coin Focused on results of objectives Should be undertaken throughout the campaign Can take many forms, depending on your programming and objectives

20. Evaluation Objective To improve newspaper perception as a credible source by 20% by May 2010 Evaluation Campus-wide, benchmark survey administered at end of Fall; mid-Spring; May 2010 Conduct focus group in early Spring to determine actions

21. Evaluation Objective To increase page views on therambler.org by 5% per month Evaluation Review page view counts on a weekly basis

22. Evaluation Source survey—how would you evaluate this? What about those focus groups and surveys that you did in the research phase? What about the content analysis of the newspaper? How would you evaluate that, or would you?

23. What can you take home with you? Marketing and public relations campaigns allow you to gain more credibility on campus, more funding from advertisers, and more good students as recruits Taking the time to plan and put on paper a marketing and public relations strategy will give you the strategic direction you need to succeed

24. Feel free to contact me at: Dr. Kay L. Colley [email_address] 817-531-6525 Twitter: @kaycolley Blog: http://kaycolley.blogspot.com Student Media Director for