IT’S AS EASY AS ABC:IT’S AS EASY AS ABC:PROMOTING IREMPROMOTING IREM®® ED ED

Lynn Disbrow, CAEVice President, Membership & Marketing

Matthew LeshMarketing Manager

Today’s Session

• Share best practices – the do's and don'ts of marketing IREM®® ED

• Share strategies to promote IREM®® education and increase course attendance

• Develop a plan to promote courses in 2012 • Share ideas

As easy as A B C• Awareness

– Those who know us– New markets/new prospects

• Branding– Consistent Messaging– Look & Feel

• Commitment– Plan and execute– Result in new customers and repeat customers

Why is it important to growour students?

More Students = More Members

Best Practices

Best Practices: E-mailThe Do’s

• Use IREM®® ED design guidelines• Target the message• Use course descriptions• Create a schedule• Cross-promote• Create a call to action• Be bold

Best Practices: E-mailThe Don’ts

• Be too wordy• Hide the message• Send to people for whom the message is

irrelevant

Best Practices: E-mailThe Art of Writing Subject Lines

• Always be concise – 35 characters or less• Be clear but attention-grabbing – recipients

should know what the e-mail is about and want to read it

• Avoid words that set off SPAM alarms – free, act now, offer*

•Source: "The Seven Dirty Words you can't say in subject lines; plus 100 others you shouldn't use either."

Best Practices: E-mailTesting and Tracking

• Test subject lines• Test days and times, and “from” • Record results and learn from your efforts

Best Practices: E-mailTips and Tricks

• Fewer words and more links receive better open rates and fewer unsubscribes*

• Careful use of graphics – mobile users will have problems reading e-mails^

*Source: HubSpot^Source: Informz

Best Practices: E-mailDid You Know?

• Smaller target groups outperform (under 50 average 60% open rate)

• 61% read on desktops• Web and mobile device usage increasing• Mobile readership more than doubled in

2010, from 6% to 13%

*Source: Informz

Best Practices: PrintThe Do’s

• Use IREM®® ED Design Guidelines• Use IREM®® ED logo, fonts, and styles

consistently• Use full chapter logo• Include dates, location, web address and

phone • Include a call to action - create a sense of

urgency• Use IREM® trademarks correctly

Best Practices: PrintThe Do’s

• Balance content vs. design• Maintain a professional appearance• Stock photos and images

– www.istockphoto.com• Use white space

Best Practices: PrintThe Don’ts

• Use meaningless graphics• Overuse “cute” clip-art, if at all• Mix your messages – be consistent• Use lofty, trite, or “cutesy” themes• Use insensitive or inappropriate design or

content

Chapter Samples

IREM®® Georgia Chapter No. 67

IREM®® Houston Chapter No. 28

IREM®® Michigan Chapter No. 5

IREM®® Minnesota Chapter No. 45

Practicing Leadership

Your upcoming course has low enrollment. The course dates are fast approaching. What’s your promotion strategy?

2 Minutes Left!

The MarketProspecting

The MarketRed = Rank of IREM®® Members

Blue = Property Managers from U.S. Census

The Market: Prospecting

• 499,025* property managers who are not IREM® ® Members

• Without prospecting, there is no marketing• Prospects become students, students

become members• Existing customers vs. new customers

* Source: U.S. Census Bureau

The Market: Prospecting

• Swap lists with other associations and organizations

• Hold joint events with other organizations• Attend trade shows and acquire lists• Data-mining – comb the web for contact

information• Member referrals – word of mouth• Solicit prospects via your website• ODIE visits

Branding: Messaging

IREM® ED is . . .

A professional development program to maximize your potential and the value of the real estate assets you manage

Branding: Messaging

• New customer vs. existing customer - customize

• Your Choice. Your Pace. Your Program.• Your Career Partner.• It’s all about you – your professional

development, your business, your success.• Up-to-date, leading-edge information.• Solutions you can use in your business

tomorrow.

Branding: Messaging

• A diverse learning environment.• Heighten your abilities and maximize the

value of the assets you manage.• Enables real estate managers of all levels of

experience to reach their potential and maximize their earnings.

• Subject matter that matters to you and your business.

• Course descriptions and benefits.

The Right Marketing Mix

• Don’t rely exclusively on e-mail marketing – avoid “E-mail Exhaustion”

• A mix of print, e-mail and phone calls is ideal• Develop a budget for marketing expenses• Multiple touches increases likelihood of

action

The Right Marketing Mix

Practicing Leadership

A nearby chapter is holding the same course your chapter is holding, at a similar time. What changes in your marketing strategy?

2 Minutes Left!

2012 Headquarters Promotions

• Monthly targeted e-mails (members & non-member)

• Annual Education Catalog mailing• Direct mail to targeted markets• Customer relations outreach• Phone calls to targeted markets• Content marketing campaigns• Prospecting• Advertisements

Chapter Resources for IREM®® ED Marketing

A version for every track and every individual course

Second page is a registration form

Recruitment Promos

Education Promos

•IAE login only•Excel Report•Members & non-members•Contact information•Which CPM®® courses completed

Online request for lists

Online request for brochures, catalogs, and applications

Chapter Resources

• $50 chapter rebate for online and self-paced registrations with chapter referral– $20,750 in 2010 (415 referrals)– $7,150 in 2011 thru July (143 referrals)– Promote all course delivery formats

• Coming in early 2012– Hot prospect lists

50.00

Commitment:Course Marketing Timeline

• Dedicate the right resources• Plan and execute• Start promotion as soon as your course is

scheduled:– Review your Student/Candidate Course Reports for

targeted promotions – Craft a targeted message for your audience with a call

to action and a sense of urgency, i.e., Register today! – Add your course schedule to your chapter website

Commitment:Course Marketing Timeline

• Four months out:– build awareness with flyers, e-mails, and advertising

• Three months out:– contact local employers, place phone calls, utilize

your newsletter

• One month out:– notify the media of your course

Commitment:The Full Customer Experience

• Happy customers become repeat customers and word-of-mouth ambassadors

• Marketing doesn’t end when the course begins

• Cross-promote other courses and membership on-site (use powerpoint)

• Every touch matters – from confirmation letters to returned messages to on-site

As Easy as A B C• Awareness

– Those who know us– New markets/new prospects

• Branding– Consistent Messaging– Look & Feel

• Commitment– Plan and execute– Result in new customers repeat customers

As Easy as A B C

• Always

• Be

• Closing

2012 Course ScheduleComing November 1

visit www.irem.org

Lynn Disbrow: ldisbrow@irem.org 800-837-0706 ext. 6009

Matthew Lesh: mlesh@irem.org 800-837-0706 ext. 6064