Email and Web 2.0 Marketing, part 4
I've talked about the means I used to promote the speaker series and now I want to talk about the content that was created by the series.As soon as I agreed to produce this speaker series geared towards micro and small business owners, as well as business students, I knew that I wanted to create something lasting as a part of it. I knew that there was a possibility that many people would hear the speakers live, but that many more people might watch videos of the events. So I looked to ensure that there would be something for people to see after the events were over.
First, I acquired a domain name for the series and had that domain point to http://enitiative.syr.edu/talkingbusiness/. I felt that it would be easier for people to remember SyracuseTalkingBusiness.com while I was promoting the series, than something less memorable. (All of the collateral material included that easy to remember URL.) It was the Enitiative Program that gave me a grant for the series and that was willing to host the videos, etc.
If you look at the Enitiative web site, you will see information on all of the events. Prior to the event, this was promotional material. After the event, this became a repository for the materials that were created for the long-term. The materials created include text, video recording and photographs.
Text -- I was fortunate to have access to a student who was able to write notes for several of the sessions. For the other sessions, I wrote notes during or after the event which are admittedly at varying quality levels. All of the notes give the reader an idea of what the session entailed and hopefully entice the person to watch the video.
Video -- I contracted with a video service to video record all of the events and to make them Internet-ready. Having a videographer is not necessarily cheap, but it allows you to create a wonderful resource that is available at any time for someone to use. The videos are linked to the event pages on the Enitiative web site.

Photographs -- I also hired a photographer for the series. The photos were used in several ways:
- I used the photographs in some of the email promotions. I thought it would be helpful for people to see what the series looked like.
- Every speaker received photographs from his or her session as a speaker gift. I was amazed at how appreciative the speakers were when they got photos from their events. If you are considering a different speaker gift, consider giving photos after the fact.
- A few of the photos from each session were placed on the Enitiative web site.
- At least one of the photos was used in the Enitiative annual report.
- Several of the photos were uploaded to Flickr where people often trip over interesting content. All of the photos have links back to the Enitiative web site.
I should note that one of the effects of having a videographer and a photographer at the sessions is that people took the sessions more seriously. It was clear that these sessions weren't "throw away" events. Everything that was done to promote the series and to ensure that quality content was left behind made people feel that these sessions were meant to have an impact.
I will admit that this was all a lot of work. I produced on event per month, which gave me little downtime between events. Once one event was done, I needed to begin work on the next one. In hindsight, I should have done few events. Maybe I should have done them every other month. For sure, I should not have done sessions in the summer (July and August) or in December. Those are times when weather -- both good and bad -- becomes a factor.
All of the work was worthwhile when people learned something new, made new connections, or found a new resource. I kept hearing that I was doing good work and the smiles I saw on the faces of speakers and participants tell me that was true.
If coordinating an event or speaker series is in your future, I encourage you to try some of the things that I did. Yes, it will take time, but I guarantee that it will be worthwhile.
Thanks to Enitiative, Syracuse Technology Garden, South Side Innovation Center, WISE Center, Franciscan Collaborative Ministries, and Women Business Owners Connection for being partners, funders and sponsors. Thanks also to all of the speakers because without you this series would not have been possible.
Previous Posts:
- Email and Web 2.0 Marketing, Part 1
- Email and Web 2.0 Marketing, Part 2
- Email and Web 2.0 Marketing, Part 3
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