[Ubuntu Chicago] e-ntroduction

[Patrick Green]

Marketing this is going to be a tricky thing. I've been a Linux Migration
consultant and tehnical writer for three years and before that I was
involved with a company in Lisle that made SIP based PBX boxes with a
heavily customized version of RHL with the 2.4 kernel.  In the latter
enterprise we were able to commit to conventional marketing. In my
operation, I am mostly a one horse show unless the job is big.  I have to
rely on a guerrila marketing approach.

Magazine ads, a small radio spot, etc.  That is not gonna do it.  Not unless
we had the money to canvass the Chicago area in a huge way.


There are two ways to get good marketing; one involves money, the other
work. Since we don't have any money, we're going to have to focus on the
other way.

There is a great book on the market that should be required reading
"Guerrilla Marketing: Secrets for Making Big Profits from Your Small
Business" by Jay Conrad Levinson. Levinson gives chapter and verse on how to
get your name out on a small budget.

Some of the tips you'll find in this are similar to Levinson's tips, others
come from my experience.

Let's start with our own members

Many community groups rely on members.  This is one place where a group
should be less concerned with cost and more concerned with quality.

Brochures

Don't make the assumption that once a member signs on, they're yours for
life. If we create a brochure or flyer that includes descriptions of the
group and it's activities, we generate enthusiasm.  Have the brochure or
flyer designed, not just typed up. If we can afford it, use a professional
graphic designer to prepare our materials. If we can't spend that kind of
money, try for a trade or a sponsorship or have a member with design skills
and tools create our materials.

Have your brochures professionally printed. Again, it's an investment that
pays off. Professionally printed materials makes a difference.

Bulk Mailing

Once our materials have been printed, it's time to do a bulk mailing. If we
don't have a bulk mailing permit, it's time for a trip to the Post Office.
Non-profit bulk mailing permits allow you to send out large mailings for
less than half the face value of a stamp. The Post Office will be happy to
help us apply for a permit and teach us how to use it.

Keep your mailing list up to date and growing.

Print extra brochures

Be sure you have a hundred or so extra brochures printed for display.

Press Releases
There are certain essential things that have to be in a press release: who,
what, when, where, how. The first four are pretty obvious, as is the last;
"how" is "how do I get more information ?".   The trick is to make the
release interesting enough to get published.

In a press release, don't make the mistake of providing too mcuh
information. Tantalize, tease and generate interest. Ask questions: "Is your
PC secure? If you were audited for licensing, would you be fined?" You get
the idea. One cardinal sin here is to be dry and have no punch whatsoever.

So when should we send out press releases? Every chance we get.

Weekly papers are more likely to give us a story than the dailies. Weeklies
have more room and tend to be more community-oriented than dailies. But it
never hurts to ask. Follow up on press releases by giving a call and
inviting the paper to send a reporter.

If we do end up being interviewed for a news story, remember three things:
1) talk as though everything you say will end up in the story, but not
necessarily in the right order, 2) NOTHING you say is ever really "off the
record"… that just looks good on TV, and 3) you will not get to approve the
story before it is printed.

Whole books have been written on the art of the interview, all of them full
of great advice; "don't be rushed," " think over every answer," etc. The
best advice in each of them is summed up above.

Radio is a great way to get the attention of people who make decisions on
the spur of the moment. It's also a great way to create awareness. But
working the radio angle requires thought, ingenuity and imagination.
Pick your station(s) wisely

Today there are more radio formats than ever before...Talk, Music,
News/Talk, Adult Contemporary, Adult Alternative, Classic Rock, Oldies,
Contemporary Hit Radio, Urban and many, many more. Each format appeals to a
different demographic. A little research and thought will making choosing a
radio station to work with easier. For instance, what we have is a little
cutting edge and a disruptive technology. I wouldn't recommend trying to
work with a conservative News/Talk station. On the other hand, a church or
dentist may be listening to easy listening and they are people who could
benefit from Ubuntu.

We need to focus on trying to reach people like the ones who we wish to
reach, preferably in the lower age brackets of that demographic. In general,
I would focus on a 19 - 40 age bracket. This puts us looking at pop,
Country, College music and Classic Rock type formats.

When thinking about radio, remember one thing: unlike television, people
usually listen to radio while doing other things, particularly driving and
getting ready for work or school... you have to get their attention. We must
tailor our efforts with this in mind. So how do we afford this?

Public Service Announcements

Radio stations are required by federal law to devote a certain amount of
time to Public Service Announcements (PSAs). These are free announcements,
usually read by the announcer, although some are pre-recorded.

We can call the station or stations we are planning to use and ask about
PSAs. Find out what their requirements are and, most importantly, find out
who to send to it to.

We would write the PSA as if it were a commercial, but keep it short. We
must make sure we have the basic information in there... Who, What, When,
Where, How. Some stations will re-write the information to their standards,
but, by giving them something more than just the basics, we can sometimes
influence how the information is presented.

Some stations, usually the smaller ones, or the ones with a higher
committment to the community, will be amenable to providing studio time for
you to cut yer own pre-recorded PSA or will cut it for you. It never hurts
to ask. In that instance, write the PSA ahead of time to the length we are
asked. Make sure whoever does it reads it out loud, for timing and flow.
Don't abuse the privledge of using the station's studio by taking time to
write or edit copy in the studio.

Almost forgot about one of the more interesting ways to get some exposure...
the Talk Show. Most News/Talk stations have at least one locally produced
show that might be interested in booking one of us for an appearance.
Stations with other formats will have some kind of community service forum
type show to meet their public service requirements, but that kind of show
usually ends up in the wee hours of Sunday mornings.

If we do get booked on a talk show, be sure to tease rather than give away.
Tempt the listeners.... be upbeat, enthusiastic and entertaining.

Above all else, be prepared when you walk in. You may not know what the host
is going to ask you, but you do know what you need to get out... the basic
information: Who, What, Where, When, How and how does one get information
and help. It's best to write this stuff down ahead of time and take it with
you. That way you don't get trapped with a case of the "ummms". It also
gives you something to leave with the host when you go, earning you at least
a few more mentions.

Now, some of these things require Ubuntu Chicago be a official not for
profit. That is not too hard, but perhaps that is something Ubuntu has
thought of to provide?  I don't know.

Cheers,

Patrick
------------------------------


On 2/1/07, Rich Johnson <nixternal at ubuntu.com> wrote:
>
> On Thursday 01 February 2007, James Ruffer wrote:
> | Wanted to introduce myself.  I am a unix user and lover since 1995.
> | I am currently using SuSe 10 as well as Ubuntu.
> | My current Ubuntu is with vmware server with xp/vista/2003 server
> | solaris intel/mandriva/mepis and OS X.
>
> Welcome, and hello!  I see you are somewhat of an old schooler as well,
> and if
> I am correct, my assumption would be that you are a KDE user :) as am I.
>
> | My skills are not only computer geek but also Sales/Marketing.
> | I own a computer consulting firm/Colocation and Wisp in
> | NY.
>
> Sounds similar to me. I am into Executive Marketing, Business Management,
> and
> Entrepreneurship. Business is my passion as well.
>
> | I would love to contribute to this group.  Please let me know how I
> | may participate.
>
> Well as I am sure you are aware, there is so much you can do. Advocacy is
> probably #1 at this time. We are still somewhat wet behind the ears, but
> we
> continue to advance every day now. There is a great diversity of people on
> the team at this time and that is what makes working with it so great. We
> would love to have you contribute in anyway that you can. Advocating,
> handing
> out CDs, offering support if possible or pointing a person to an available
> support channel, or anything else you can think of. I am a horrible
> graphic
> artist and I haven't seen many "graphical" contributions from anyone in
> the
> group yet (except a few months back someone sent some really cool Ubuntu
> Chicago logos). If you have any marketing/design ideas that would make for
> a
> great flyer the help is always needed there as well.
>
> Thanks James for contacting the list and showing interest in the team. You
> are
> more than welcome to stay around and be a member of a wonderful community.
> If
> you have any further questions, as I may have been pretty vague in this
> respones, please do not hesitate to contact the list. Thanks again James,
> and
> we look forward to hearing more :)
>
> --
> Rich Johnson
> nixternal at ubuntu.com
> GPG Key: 0x2E2C0124
>
> --
> Ubuntu-us-chicago mailing list
> Ubuntu-us-chicago at lists.ubuntu.com
> https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-us-chicago
>
>
>
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