Integrated Marketing Strategy: KCARE - THE STORY · 2020-03-15 · For KCARE’s Social Media Policy and Twitter plans, our team recommends evaluating your progress 6 weeks after

Integrated Marketing Strategy:

KCARE

2 Kansas Center for Agricultural Resources and the Environment, 2017

Table of Contents

About Us 3SWOT Analysis 4Audience Analysis 5Vision and Goals 6Phases and Times 7Social Media Policy 8Twitter 10Google + and Alerts 14LinkedIn 16Facebook 17Additional Resources 19

KCARE, a trusted resource.

3Kansas Center for Agricultural Resources and the Environment, 2017

About Us

Sarah MoyerJunior, Kansas State UniversityAgriculture Communications

and Journalism

Madison OgleSenior, Kansas State UniversityAgriculture Communications

and Journalism

Kyler LangvardtJunior, Kansas State UniversityAgriculture Communications

and Journalism

As students at Kansas State University, Sarah, Madison, and Kyler utilize scientific studies and resources to correctly learn about the agricultural industry and how to best communicate those ideals to others. By promoting KCARE as a trusted agriculture and environmental resource, our team of students can take advantage of their rural and urban backgrounds to reach KCAREs various audiences. Our team will promote KCARE as a scientific, accesible, and personable resource for Kansans.


SWOT Analysis

STRENGTH WEAKNESS

OPPORTUNITY THREATS

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internal, negativeex

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• Natural resources education in Kansas

• Extensive work experience• Strong values and mission• Unique to Kansas

• Not Commonly Recognized• Negative Personal Characteristics• Limited Platforms for Engagement• Improved Networking • Communication Skills

• Leveraging KCAREs brand publicly• Partnering with local entities for education• Activating on social media platforms

• Poor outside recognition/ connection • Resource readability for audience

What advantages does KCARE have? What unique quality separates KCARE from others?

What could KCARE improve? What should KCARE avoid?

What interesting trends is KCARE aware of (i.e. changes in technology, social patterns, population profiles, lifestyle changes, local events, etc.)?

What obstacles does KCARE face?


Audience Analysis

K-State Research & Extension Employee

Governmental Agency

Member of the Media

Highly Literate

Agricultural InterestsNatural ResourceInterestsConsidered CredibleSourceInvolved in ResearchHighly trained in mediaState funded oremployedInvolved in policy

KCARE has many different audiences; but looking to further KCARE’s media outreach and because of KCAREs existing presence on Twitter, we have pulled three distinct groups from the page’s followers. Below, we have analyzed three distinct followers on KCARE’s page who rely on its reliable resources and indentified traits that will be used to target future audience members.

TRAITS OF THE

AUDIENCE


Vision and Goals

The first priority in any marketing or social media practice is to set KCARE’s goals and objectives.

• Coordinate and enhance research and extension.• Teach environmental issues related to agriculture.• Forge partnerships between K-State scientists and other research institutions.• Help Kansas agriculture remain successful and sustainable.

Not only should our team focus on KCARE’s goals and objectives, but we’ve also come up with three goals and objectives for this communications plan as a whole.

As a result of this plan KCARE will:

• Become an accessible resource• Remain science-based• Build a community

“KCARE, a trusted resource.”

As a leader in the agricultural and environmental fields in Kansas, KCARE is reputable resource for Kansas farmers, ranchers, conservationists, and more. Our team see’s KCARE as a trusted organization who can share their findings to further the lives of all Kansans, from students to agribusinesses. To share the incredible resources that KCARE provides, the outreach of the Center will have to expand. Below, we have outlined goals to reach that vision of becoming a trusted source.


Phase 1

Phase 2

Phase 3

Each phase of the plan breaks down what to implement or improve. After mastery of the strategies or completion of the action steps in Phase 1, move on to the second phase, growing KCARE’s reach in Kansas.

Here are recommendations for when KCARE can evaluate and move from step to step:

In Phase 1, use the Social Media Policy to keep communicaters focused on science, and Twitter to help build a interactive media community. For KCARE’s Social Media Policy and Twitter plans, our team recommends evaluating your progress 6 weeks after beginning Phase 1. If KCARE feels its needs are met, move on to Phase 2.

In Phase 2, create and utliize Google Plus and Google Plus Alerts to recieve notifications when others search for or mention your resources. Use LinkedIn to build a community of researchers and agribusiness people which you can share new information with. For KCARE’s Google Plus Account and Alerts and LinkedIn plans, our team recommends evaluating your progress 6 weeks after beginning Phase 2. If KCARE feels its needs are met, move on to Phase 3.

In Phase 3 , the creation of a page on the internet’s most used social media, Facebook, will allow KCARE to become more accessible. For KCARE’s Facebook Account and Additional Resources, our team recommends evaluating your progress 10 weeks after beginning Phase 3. If KCARE feels its needs are met, revaluate each phase to identify KCARE’s strongest offerings, and continue to implement tools into current plan.

Phases and Time


Social Media Policy

Phase 1

Benefits for having a social media policy

The three most valuable benefits to implementing a social media include; (1) Gives employees reason to align with KCARE’s values and rules. (2) Creates consistency among company employees. (3) Prevents legal troubles or risks.

Disclaimer: On the next page, we have outlined a possible Social Media Policy for Kansas Center for Agricultural Resources and the Environment (KCARE). As communicators, we feel that it is important to set expectations for employees and social media, in order to be a trustful source to the public.

Have all staff members sign an official social media policy before they begin posting about or on behalf of KCARE.


Social Media PolicyKCARE: Social Media Policy

At KCARE communication with the public is important, we encourage all employees, researchers, etc. to share on social platforms to keep the company audience informed and engaged. Through the social media networks – Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+ – we seek to provide efficient communication to provide useful information for the KCARE audience. In order to prevent communication gaps, we have constructed a few guidelines that will help employees to post on a social media platform.

Basic Guidelines

You will be held personally responsible for any or all communication you engage in. Be cautious to what you are posting and how you are communicating, whether on a personal account or KCARE platforms. You are representing KCARE everywhere you go.

Do not comment on hot-button topics. As an employee of KCARE, no matter the opinion of the individual, persons must remain professional on social media. This includes engaging in political debates.

Be professional and be knowledgeable about using others information. If you are conducting research or interacting with clients, be courteous about using names and additional information.

Think about consequences. Remember that all actions have results, be mindful of the actions you take and what possible consequences they can have. The first occurrence will result in a warning. The second occurrence will result in a write-up and meeting with executives. The final occurrence will result in probation with a timeline determined by employer.

Most importantly, make our audience feel apart of what you are doing. It’s key to making our clients feel engaged with the research and other work we are doing. When sending out information, direct it to the client medium and on a reader level.

I agree to all of the above terms.

(signature)


Twitter

Phase 1Currently, KCARE has a Twitter page. Increasing the number of followers is a goal to strive for. The best approach gaining more followers, is by following friends and people already known first. Eventually, Twitter will generate and send follower suggestions. All together, increasing the followership for the social platform.

Best practices:• Post at least once a day. • Appropriately size profile and cover photos

Twitter Analytics. Analytics from Twitter will need to be gathered weekly. Allot about 10-15 minutes to collect and reflect on the data.

To access KCARE analytics, click on the drop down box through the KCARE profile picture in the top right hand corner. Select “Analytics.”

On the home page, view account statistics by month under the “Home” tab. There are also average engagement rates for link clicks, retweets, likes and replies under the “Tweets.”

Training Researchers. We recommend that researchers connected to KCARE be trained to use Twitter. The main benefits of this include:

• Advancing KCARE’s mission• Engaging researchers with communications• Creating content that can be retweeted or quoted

In order to help them get started, assist them with creating a profile. For instance, provide a cover photo they can use on their profiles, tying them to the KCARE brand.

Train 10 researchers on Twitter in two months to extend KCARE’s reach.


Twitter cont.

Phase 1Here is a good example of a non-pixelated cover photo on Twitter. In the case of KCARE, a sample cover photo could have the center’s full name over top of a landscape.

Training materials: We have created the following basic training videos specifically for KCARE to jump start researchers’ on Twitter. Scan the QR codes to see the materials.


Creating a Profile Editing a Profile Composing a Tweet Interacting witha Tweet


Lay down basic ground rules or principles to guide KCARE partners as they begin.

Basic principles. • First, follow @KStateKCARE.• Include photos in tweets whenever possible. • Allow researchers to use a lower resolution photo if it helps further demonstrate their tweet.• Tag @KStateKCARE in related posts.• When tweeting KCARE-related information, avoid bias and focus on science.

Other suggestions. • Demonstrate how to turn on mobile notifications for the @KStateKCARE account.

If someone already has a personal twitter account, they have two options.

1. Create a new KCARE-focused profile. 2. So long as his or her personal account would not discouraging or tarnish the KCARE mission and brand, let him or her extend the type of content that he or she shares on their personal account to include KCARE.

Encourage the second option, because people like to connect with other people, especially on social media. Partners can connect his or her current followers to KCARE through an existing account. Suggest he or she change their cover photo to the one mentioned on page 11.

Twitter cont.

Phase 1



Twitter cont.

Phase 1


Auditing Twitter. A social media audit provides an opportunity to analyze how KCARE is performing and what areas can be improved. Use the article linked to the QR code to audit the KCARE twitter account. During that process also consider the following:

Photos and graphics. Watch for how often KCARE incorporates photos and graphics in tweets. So long as the photos are of decent quality and relevant they attract more interaction.

Content Proportions. For every three tweets by KCARE, retweet or quote two from other accounts’ relevant content. This could include retweets from researchers. Not every retweet needs to be quoted if it does not add value, interest and understanding to the content being shared.

Aim for 3-5 tweets per day with consistent messages.


Google+

Phase 2Another form of a social network that would allow KCARE to promote itself and widen its audiences is Google+. Enhancing and monitoring KCARE’s reachability through it will mitigate the threat of poor outside recognition and connection to KCARE’s mission. A Google+ page can be created at http://plus.google.com/pages/create.

Best practices:• Create an account registered with a Gmail account. There are five steps to creating a Google+ Page. • Add a profile photo that fits in the circle with a minimum size of 250 x 250 pixels, later it will be scaled to 104 x 104 pixels.• Add a compelling headline. Example: Creating new innovations to offset the changing landscape and help Kansas agriculture remain successful and sustainable.• Use pictures and videos for higher engagement. • Max out the about section and select the business category KCARE is categorized in.

Manage KCARE’s appearance on the web by monitoring alerts as they are received.


Google+Manage KCARE’s appearance on the web by monitoring alerts as they are received.

Phase 2Google Alerts. This provides updates about news, products, or mentions of the KCARE name.

• Step 1: Set-up Alerts using the Gmail account created for Google+. Go to https:// www.google.com/alerts to access the Google tool and search for different phrases, business names, etc. • Step 2: Select the options. Create the alert and KCARE can select to have the information delivered to its email, RSS feed, etc.


Phase 2

LinkedIn

LinkedIn. Creating a page on LinkedIn allows the center to build its brand and connect with partnering researchers and institutions.

According to a Forbes article entitled “10 Reasons Your Brand Needs To Be On LinkedIn,” the platform excels with talent recruitment, business-to-business communication and professional brand development.

When creating a profile, be sure to add the KCARE logo as a profile photograph and apply a photograph for the cover, rather than leaving it as the preset graphic. Scan the QR code to the right for step-by-step instructions on how to create a business page.

A business-oriented social networking platform, LinkedIn, is beneficial in reaching statewide business professionals. The best days to post to LinkedIn are Tuesday through to Thursday during work hours.The worst time to post content on LinkedIn is between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. (Source: The Huffington Post)

Best Practices:• Post 1-3 times a week. Include writing pieces, graphics, slides and videos.• Focus on professional communication. • Share newsletters on this platform.

Share updates on KCARE LinkedIn two times every week with content.


Phase 3

Facebook

Facebook. Based on number of users and name recognition, the most common social networking platform to date is Facebook. The benefit of having a business page allows KCARE to reach clients who are already on the platform.

The important step in creating a clean Facebook is to develop a well-branded Timeline. Creating a Timeline would be valuable since it is how KCARE’s audience will serve as how people see and engage with KCARE.

Best practices: - Frequency of posts depends on audience size. For an audience of 1,000 to 10,000 Facebook Friends, KCARE should post three to seven times a week. As KCARE increases its audience posts can become more frequent. - Use graphics and pictures to get KCARE’s potential audience engaged. - Create a live post at KCARE events.

Generally speaking, the best time of day to post on Facebook is between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and more broadly, 9 a.m. through to 7 p.m.

Suggestions:Cover Photo. A cover photo has dimensions that are 851 pixels wide by 315 pixels tall. All texts and objects should be aligned on the right.

Profile Picture. Based on the Facebook Help Center, KCARE will upload a photo as 180 x 180 pixels and it will appear as 160 x 160 pixels. Choose a profile pictures that represents KCARE’s mission and brand.

Respond within 24 hours of engagements and connect with audiences through sharing updates, photos, videos and messaging.


Phase 3

Facebook cont.

Reach a Targeted Audience. The key to reaching selected audiences is through Facebook Ads, where KCARE can promote its business to larger audiences. KCARE can select audiences by interests, location, demographics and more.

Building Loyalty. It is important to be quick to respond to clients questions or comments, especially since the “rate of response time” will visible to all who view the page. All customers enjoy fast and personal service.

Tips:Graphics. Make sure KCARE creates a consistent brand image for all Facebook posts with graphics.

Facebook Analytics. If KCARE incorporates a Facebook page for its communications, analytics will be highly applicable, helping to justify having a presence there. Facebook analytics are not the most user-friendly, but valuable information can be gathered.

Moreover, Facebook will periodically tweak its interface and the arrangement of some features, so the following guidelines are correct but are subject to change in the future. To get started, we suggest working through a training on Facebook analytics. Scan the adjacent code to access training materials through the Center for Rural Enterprise Management.

We recommend utilizing Facebook analytics to monitor KCARE’s audience.

Facebook Live. This type of post is prioritized on Facebook news feeds. Prepare a short script or list of talking points prior to beginning the recording. Pay attention to sound and lighting. The following QR code gives an example of a Facebook live post:

Respond within 24 hours of engagements and connect with audiences through sharing updates, photos, videos and messaging.


Additional ResourcesAdditional suggestions:

Our team has included several additional suggestions, encouraging KCARE to incorporate them as it wishes. With limited human capital, these components should assist with organizational challenges and further justifying the role communications play with KCARE’s role as a trusted source.

Objective: Plan monthly topic-oriented campaigns for social media.

Social media campaigns. Focus on individual audiences for an individual campaign. Target one audience at a time. In the future, as KCARE has targeted different audiences over time, continue to “feed” them the type of information or resources they look toward to maintain relations.

Examples of topics include:• Water resources• Cover crops• Soil conservation• Summer/fall harvest• Livestock waste management

Objective: Track analytics weekly through link clicks and promote and KCARE brand.

Bitly analytics and branding. Bitly is a free branding and analytics tool. It is most compatible with Facebook and Twitter. First, it simplifies links by shortening a url address and has capabilities to brand that shortened link, which is referred to as a bitlink.

Another one of its key strengths is monitoring click-through rates. Visit bitly.com for more information and instructions.

Objective: Internally organize KCARE’s marketing brand moving forward.

Trello. A marketing plan involves many moving pieces and small tasks. It is helpful to have a home base and a place to track what needs to be done when. If organizing scheduled media posts becomes a challenge, Trello may be a good tool to utilize. According to its website, “Trello is the easy, free, flexible and visual way to manage your projects and organize anything.”

Scheduling analytics and posts would be key uses.

Phase 3

Documents

Integrated Marketing Strategy: KCARE - THE STORY · 2020-03-15 · For KCARE’s Social Media Policy and Twitter plans, our team recommends evaluating your progress 6 weeks after