Monday, June 7, 2010

Channel Your Inner Marketing Genius

Because ten heads are better than two, we are asking for your help. I need some fresh perspective on how to get our information OUT THERE! I will tell you the things that we've done and you tell me the things we should do. Deal?

Print ads
  • Minnesota Daily- Classified ran for 11 days
  • UMD newspaper- Classified ran for one weekly issue
  • Minnesota State University in Mankato- Classified ran for 3 monthly summer issues
  • Rochester area "Coffee News" (free newspaper found in coffee shops, bookstores, etc)- 3x2 ad run for 6 weeks
Hung fliers
  1. Colleges
  • University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (thanks to Kelsey and Annika who even check up on the fliers to see if they're still visible=)
  • St.Olaf
  • Gustavus
2. Towns
  • Farmington
  • Stillwater
  • Osseo
  • A few in Duluth
  • A few in New Ulm
Facebook
  • "Childhood Questionnaire" to be completed and passed along with our adoption info and blurb attached.
  • Message to all our Facebook friends (about 20 friends responded from all over the country and said they'd be willing to hang fliers, so those got mailed to them)
  • "J&B Adopt" fan page

In the workplace
  • Placed fliers and adoption cards in both of our lunch rooms. Wrote notes encouraging people to take a bunch and pass them along.
  • Talk, talk, talk!
And I think that's about it. So, what's next? There are a few ideas floating in my head, but I need to hear yours!

When all is said and done, who knows how the mom of our baby will find us. Maybe she'll find us through our agency and all of this outreach will be for nothing. But even then it won't be for nothing because it gives me a little tiny feeling of moving forward in this waiting game and I need that. Feel free to leave your thoughts as a comment or e-mail us at jonathan.becky@gmail.com

Bring on the brilliant ideas!

5 comments:

Kelsey said...

I just sent you both an email about Facebook ads. I'd been thinking of checking into it for a while and your post was what I needed to get off my butt!

Betsy said...

I still keep in touch with a friend at Haworth (marketing company), and I've asked her for advice.

This may seem obvious (or illegal, not sure), but have you contacted any teen-pregnancy programs for advice? I know Anoka Hennepin has a program called "Compass- Teen Pregnancy" that sounds like a school for teen mothers to attend while pregnant. (http://www.anoka.k12.mn.us/education/staff/staff.php?sectionid=28558)

Becky said...

This is EXACTLY what I was hoping for.

Kels- Facebook ads have never really been on my radar, but looking into them, they sound like a GREAT resource! You can even choose your demographic and cap how much you want to pay!

Betsy- I wouldn't have thought to go through the school district. Where I graduated from, we didn't have a program like that, so it never would've occurred to me. I actually e-mailed the counselor at the Teen Pregnancy program just a few minutes ago! =) Thanks guys.

Keep 'em coming!

Laurie said...

I second the school suggestion. Also target nurses, counselors, and school social workers, who, while not labeled as part of pregnancy programs, are often the first people to talk to pregnant high school students. I would also say check into the communities that are most likely to consider adoption. As I said, the demographic I teach generally doesn't consider it an option.

Pregnancy Resource Centers, like we talked about...

What about youth/college ministries that are large? It sounds weird to suggest a church, but I'm trying to think of young women who would not consider abortion as an option but might also not want to be moms yet. I'm also trying to think of people that young women might confide in, and a youth minister seems plausible. Can you do that tactfully?

Becky said...

Good thinking, Laurie. I particularly like the youth group idea.