Marketing - Signs on Top of Signs - Too Much Equals Very Little.

Are you posting signs on top of signs?

 

There's only a few things that are critical knowledge at any given point in time and the tower of signs above is not very likely to help in reminding me or anyone else of those.  Chances are, the items above are things that may have been important to the DMV at one point, but are not very important to the folks at the counter.  

The goal of sign posting is to make everyone aware of one critical thing that really needs fixing but often these things get a bit messed up.  For instance, the next photo illustrates a use of signage that would appear to be a huge problem for the DMV - pets.  I looked around and there weren't any at all in there.  So, does the sign work remarkably well, or is there really no pet problem? So kind of you to allow service dogs!

 

Next up, I suggest that there is only a limited amount of mental resources available to customers who enter your establishment, enter your school or see your materials.  They can be barraged with a bunch of stuff that begins to not make much of an impact.  Considering the folks already seated inside are not going anywhere (even if they are sick), how well does this sign work?  I'm not dogging on the CDC but there's a million better ways to get this across.

Movin' on.  So... how's this one for being a bit confusing.  Are my kids in danger if they are unattended or are unattended kids just annoying?  Not real sure. Just a side note, unattended children actually provide a bit of comic relief.  In the DMV, I'm really not too concerned about keeping my kids quiet. Sorry but I'm not.  Make your line faster so you don't have to hear them for long.  Believe me, they will be laying a wake of destruction in their paths so the faster you are, the less you need this sign.

Wow, a great big fax number!  Looks like fun!

Nothing like duplicate lame-o posters!

So, the madness at the DMV goes on and on.  I really just want you to know that you don't have to post flyers everywhere for everything.  You do not need to include every single specific in your letters, emails, posts, newsletters etc.  Just dilute the content to what is most needed and provide a way to get more info.  The key is that the people that need the info need it and the ones that don't... just don't.

Is there a difference between telling me that you can't take checks under $10 vs. saying that you don't and then pointing to a flyer?

In your marketing the point is to make it so everyone gets the gist and a select few can find out more.  That's it.  You do that and you're golden.  By the way, there were a lot more signs than this posted.  Most of it was old and outdated and nobody asks if the information is needed or relevant any longer.

Out with the old and in with the new.  New things people want to find out about and old stuff should be removed.  Go ahead, try it.  Take down the no pets allowed poster and see what happens!

Publish Post

Apply this to your school or business or even marketing materials and you'll be better off.  No need to thank me, just do it!

Ok, until next time!

Market Your Elementary School Fundraiser!

If I could put this in all caps, I would.  Oh, wait.  This is my blog and I can do whatever I want...

MARKET YOUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FUNDRAISER!

There.  I've gone and done it.  I've broken several cardinal blogging rules such as tacky use of over-sized text, bad use of color and ALL CAPS!

There's no way school fundraising will have the type of performance it had in the past so if you don't get the word out succinctly, you will under-perform.  The parents at your school absolutely need to know that your fundraiser is critical and they need to know they are expected to participate.

Ok, until next time!

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fundraising blog

It's time for another school fundraising time management post!

Yep, it's been too long.  I cruise right along forgetting that my time management skills need constant attention.  Here's where I'm at and maybe this is similar to the situation you find yourself in:

Many small daily tasks to complete.  Some ongoing big picture tasks and a heck of a lot of ideas filed away for future use.

I am writing a list daily of no more than 4 things to work on.  This list is setup so that I can get the items done.  It seems to be working.  Everyday, it's a clean slate and the only challenge is remembering what to put on the list and keeping open to adjustments throughout the day when things come up.

If you are a planning a fundraiser then you know time management is a huge part of that. Focusing your efforts where they will make the biggest impact is crucial to the success of a fundraiser. Great marketing and promotion will lead to higher participation and ultimately more money for your school or organization.

Here are a few time-management tips I ran across that may help you as much as they will help me :)

1) Plan, Plan Plan
Instead of making a "to-do" list that's miles long, take a few minutes and organize your priorities. What is it that requires your immediate attention? Is there a deadline that you have to meet? What is going to take the most ammount of time/ what is going to take the least ammount of time? Asking these questions while you are organizing your tasks will ensure the most efficient use of your time.

2) Set attainable goals
Do not get overwhelemed. Sometimes you have several important tasks with a short deadline, or many items that may take a long time to complete. Take a breath and have a zen moment, then look at your plan. Set a a goal for the day and set a goal for each hour. If you break down your larger tasks into smaller, attainable tasks, everything will look much more manageable.

3) Give 100% effort
It's important to remember to give whatever you are working on all of your focus and attention. I know it's hard to only focus on one thing at a time when there are a million things vying for your attention, but I promise it's worth it. If you give one task at a time all of your attention, you will finish it effectively and you will know that it is the best that you could possibly do. Then you can move on to the next task and give that just as much time and attention. Not only will you accomplish your goals, but everything you finish will be valuable.

4) Eliminate distractions by taking breaks
When you have been working on one item for a long time, it is easy to find your mind wandering. Instead of trying to just keep pushing through til you get to the end, take a five minute break. Visit your favorite website, get up and walk around, go outside, call a friend or family member. Don't look at these things as a distraction, sometimes it's important to back away from your work for awhile to gain fresh perspective later on. This will make you more efficient, and keep your mind fresh.

5) Don't procrastinate
Plan early and give yourself plenty of time to finish your tasks so you are not waiting until the very last minute to finish something. Stick to your plan and don't put things off. The reason you took the time to organize your tasks and make a plan was to avoid procrastination and rushing at the last minute. So stick to it!

3 Ways To Improve Your School Fundraiser Marketing TODAY!

Let's face it. Your School Stinks at Marketing!

And really, it's to be expected. The point of a school isn't to be a marketing agency. Your school, however, can improve your fundraising quickly and easily by following these 3 helpful tips:

1) Do not waste your marketing prowess on little stuff.
2) Do not take on fundraisers that make less than $2,000.
3) Limit efforts to one major fundraiser per semester.

The Little Stuff

How many times has a school or group made a big deal out of box tops? OMG! Every school seems to make this the default effort and it drives me bonkers. I have no problem with box tops and by all accounts, it's good for about $1,000 profit or more per year but it gets in the way.



By marketing this on kiosks and signs and in newsletters, you make this a priority.

When people start to make a conscious effort to save these and bring them in, they feel they are doing their part. Yes, they are doing exactly what you want them to. Where is the problem then?

When you ask them to participate in the next effort, they feel as-if they just did their part. So, you run the risk of losing $100 in your major fall fundraiser for a few bucks worth of box tops. Are you willing to take that risk?

My suggestion is to not market the little fundraisers, let folks discover them for themselves. Save up your marketing and push as hard as you can on the fundraiser that makes you the most money! Then feature it prominently in newsletters, email blasts, kiosks, posters, handbills and anything else you can possibly think of.

Imagine the sign above saying 'please support our fall fundraiser!' How many additional sales do you think that would generate?

Get rid of the small guys.

You may think that adding more fundraising efforts in different categories is a great idea because people like different things. It's just not really the case when it comes to fundraising efforts.

The amount of money raised in a small fundraiser is not worth it. The reason is quite simple. The amount of money raised per student in a heavy-hitting school-wide fundraiser is so substantial that just a few students selling would make up for the entire effort of the smaller fundraisers.



This is a fundraiser that can go.

If you are doing an auction site thing such as the schools in the image above, realize that you will make a few hundred dollars but risk losing sales and participation in your other efforts by marketing it and making it a priority.

This fundraiser, which can generate a little money will likely do more harm than good if done school-wide.

As much as I like the idea of these companies wanting to support education, if you actively market fundraisers that do not make a big impact on your bottom line, you are going to create a problem:

There is only so much parental involvement to go around. So, ask for it only when it's going to make a difference.

Concentrate your efforts

What you choose for your main fundraiser each semester is a big deal.

You should choose something that students, parents, faculty and the community are familiar with and will stand behind. You should choose fundraisers that have a high average per student and the highest participation rates available.

Once you decide on a fundraiser, market the living daylights out of it, make it important and make it a team effort!



Schools and groups can improve their school fundraising revenue by doing less.

By concentrating on what works the best and marketing it effectively. It makes a lot of sense because you only have a limited amount of times you can ask for parents to get involved without them being overwhelmed.

Stand back, take a good look at your offerings, simplify and focus your efforts!

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Authors Note:

I want to be up-front in saying that small fundraisers do serve a function and they do not have bad intentions. From a school-wide fundraising perspective today, they can be part of the problem and as everyone knows, participation in fundraising is down across the board and adding more fundraisers to solve the problem is not the answer regardless of the good intentions of the fundraising companies have.

Jay Moneta is the Vice President of Believe Kids Fundraising. If you have a comment, please feel free to leave it here on my blog or reach me via twitter - twitter.com/BelieveKids