BEING "SOCIAL"

As you read this post, 

feel free to exercise the links for samples 

to some of my work for Steel Beam Theatre on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.  

Effective Marketing is being able to reach the right people, at the right time, with the right message.  Social Media is a very important channel in an effective integrated Marketing campaign.  I recently have had the pleasure to volunteer my time and expertise and put my recent DePaul Social Media and Internet Marketing training to work.

As a Mass Communication major (journalism/radio/television production) with a double minor in PR and Theatre, I was thrilled to offer my services to a non-profit, semi-professional organization, Steel Beam Theatre in St. Charles, for the third year of its annual fundraiser, a 3D Haunted House at the Kane County Fairgrounds.

My involvement ranged from developing an overall project budget, timeline and work plan as well as creating a comprehensive marketing strategy.  The client wanted to target a teen or younger audience for this event.  Although using social media would immediately come to mind, social media depends on a well-defined mission and a well-planned strategy and needs to compliment existing marketing promotions -- it cannot effectively exist on its own.

With a budget of $0, my role encompassed all advertisement and promotions:  from print campaigns (posters and flyers), writing and distributing frequent and compelling news releases, creating and promoting media events and providing "point of purchase" displays; to shooting and editing YouTube videos and creating/delivering content and monitoring all social media platforms.  For the theatre's annual fundraising event, I also created their Facebook and Twitter presence to target, promote and engage customers.  The bottom line, we needed to sell "tickets" for eight "performances" - and we did!

Using wristbands with coupon offerings (as opposed to tickets) was another new idea that I was able to bring to the table and execute. This process improvement proved to be an effective marketing tool as well provided valuable customer sales data. Enlisting partners within the community and contracting services with local businesses provided greater reach to existing and new customers for Steel Beam's special annual event.  Combining event planning and social media, I was able to successfully attract third-party endorsements and reviews.  These relationships will benefit Steel Beam in future years.  

What made this project so exciting and personally rewarding (other than being around some tremendously talented and good people) was the ability to integrate the promotion of this annual fundraiser with their year-round theatre business.  KC Scaregrounds brings awareness of this small non-profit business to so many new customers and enhances its relationships with its existing customer base, local businesses and community organizations. Through focusing on what you have to offer, to whom  and when - Steel Beam Theatre is on its way to meeting its fundraising goals!  


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