Effectively Communicating Scouting in the Digital Age

May 22, 2008

Who is this guy?► Paul Herring

• Sr. Vice-President with Fleishman-Hillard

• Digital practice leader

• 15 years of online communications experience with Fortune 500 companies

• Youth leader (soccer, Sunday school)

• Future scout leader

Agenda► Charting a course

► What could be

► “Switched on” Scouts

► Tools that you can use

Charting a courseCommunication strategy in a digital age

Charting a course

Audience

Goals

Best Practices

EffectiveCommunication

Charting a course - Goals► Types of communication

• Within the troop• Between troops• To future scouts

► Character of the communication• Consistent with the mission• Effective in reach• Efficient in content• Motivate to action

Charting a course - Audiences

Parents

Charting a course - Audience► Parents

• More time dedicated to work

• Often “leashed” to their work

• Just less than half are single parents led by moms

• Most are accessing internet at work

Charting a course - Audience► Parents typical internet use

• 52% of internet users are checking email

• 30% are there “just to have fun”

• 38% are doing research via a search engine

• 31% are reading news online

Charting a course - Audiences

Teens

Charting a course - Audience

Charting a course - Audience

Charting a course - Audience

Charting a course - Audiences

Tweens

Charting a course - Audience► Don’t forget the tweens

• 8 – 12 year olds

• Never new life before active use of cell phones and the web

• Spend less time surfing than older boys

• 35% own a mobile phone

• 70% use the Internet for gaming

Charting a course – Best Practices

Charting a course – Best Practices

Charting a course – Best Practices

What could beHow scouting could work in this new age

What could be

ScoutingPictures

ScoutingVideos

ScoutingStories

VideoChannels

Troops OnlineHome

PhotoSites

SocialNetworks

What could be

ScoutingExperts

Troops OnlineHome

Scouts inother areas

ScoutingLeadership

What could be► BSA Online Guidelines

• Don’t post scouts full names, especially those under 13

• Be careful who your “friends” are

• Supervise scout activities online

• Learn the tools yourself

• Keep consistent with the scouting tradition

Switched on scoutsScouts that are doing it right

Switched on Scouts

Switched on Scouts

Switched on Scouts

Switched on Scouts

Switched on Scouts

Switched on Scouts

Switched on Scouts

Tom Baker, Circle 10 President

Circle Ten CouncilDallas, Texas

Poptober Email Newsletters

Tom BakerCouncil President

Success in Popcorn Sales

• 2006 — $3.4 million in sales—14% increase over 2005

• 2007—$3.7 million in sales

—a 7.1% increase over 2006

• Goal for 2008—$3.95 million

Success in Popcorn Sales• Popcorn “Kernels” are a

key link in communicating details.

• They engage and motivate Scout sales force.

• Their buy-in and support is important.

• Effective communication with them is essential.

• Historically council used email, meetings, web, mail, fax and telephone.

• We needed a more effective tool suited to the needs of our kernels (aka our target audience/user)

Poptober Email Newsletter

Poptober Email Newsletter

Content was designed to be informative and useful to Kernels:

•Key Dates and deadlines•Information on Incentives•Surveys•Promotions•Downloadable forms•Hints and tips•Motivational stories•Contact Information

Poptober Email Newsletter

Details

• All content and graphics developed in-house

• E-mailed to 654 kernels 4 times during the sale

• Circle Ten uses Kintera for email and web (for the council’s regular e-newsletter)

• Other online email software products include Constant Contact, Double Knot

Positive Results

• $3.7 million in sales during 2007… a 7.1 % increase over the previous year.

• Kernels want even more.

• We will start emailing even earlier this year.

Benefits of Email Newsletters

• Cost-effective

• Regular Communications keep your messages in front of customers

• It’s not spam…this is content our leaders want and need.

• Provide important information such as deadlines hints and tips.

• Easy to target audiences with specific content

• Relatively simple to produce

E-Newsletters in Development

100th Anniversary Newsletter – for volunteers.

Circle of Faith – an electronic newsletter designed to meet the needs of chartered organizations, including churches and organizations.

Leader’s Circle – an electronic newsletter for CEOs and business leaders who support Scouting.

Download this presentation

To download this presentation, and copies of the Poptober E-newsletters go to

www.circle10.org/popcornnewsletter

Thank You!

To

Circle Ten CouncilMaking Our Country Better, One Man at a Time.

Tools that you can useNew online tools created by headquarters

Tools that you can use

Tools that you can use

Tools that you can use

Tools that you can use

Questions?

Suggested Color Palette

Solid Fills

Gradient Fills