Getting started with ECHO marketing

Before you create any marketing materials, define your ECHO program by answering what, why, where and when, then build a profile of the audience you want to reach.

ଏହି ନିବନ୍ଧଟି ଏପର୍ଯ୍ୟନ୍ତ ଆପଣଙ୍କ ଭାଷାରେ ଉପଲବ୍ଧ ନାହିଁ, ତେଣୁ ଆମେ ଇଂରାଜୀ ସଂସ୍କରଣ ଦେଖାଉଛୁ।

How do I tell people about my new ECHO program? Why are my attendance numbers low? Why aren’t participants presenting cases? Good marketing starts well before the first flyer goes out. This article covers the basics: defining your program and identifying the audience it serves.

This guidance comes from the ECHO Institute’s Communications and Marketing team. It is the first in a series of articles on marketing your ECHO program.

Define your program

Clearly defining your program is an essential step, yet it is often overlooked. Every communications product should answer four questions: what, why, where and when.

  • What? What is your ECHO program about, and what topics will it cover? What problem does it seek to address?
  • Why? Why are you hosting this program? Why should your audience care?
  • Where? Is it virtual or in person? Will you use Zoom or other software? Where can your audience register?
  • When? What are the dates and times of your sessions? Is it a series, and how often does it meet?

Use your answers to write a short summary of your program, one to three sentences long. You will reuse it in flyers, emails and social media posts.

Example: The MetaECHO Community Call is a monthly virtual meeting for ECHO partners and hub team members, facilitated by the ECHO Institute. The call covers best practices, marketing and other information on hosting ECHO programs, with presentations from successful partners across the ECHO community. The call takes place on the last Friday of every month.

Identify your audience

Once you have defined your program, identify who it is for. Start with these questions:

  • Who would be interested in your topic? Who would benefit most?
  • What is your big-picture goal, and who shares it?
  • What makes your program unique?

Then build an audience profile, using these questions as a guide:

  • Demographics: How old is your audience? Where are they located? What are their professions and education levels?
  • Psychographics: What is your audience interested in? What do they value? What are their goals and habits? What might they be struggling with?

Keep this profile in mind as you create every piece of communication.

Next steps

With a clear program summary and audience profile in hand, move on to Creating communications and marketing materials.