Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary is on a mission to raise (and measure) overall awareness and appreciation of Seabirds.
The Real Challenge
Get audience to care about such a targeted mission
- Minimize the number of human disturbances to birds along the coast.
- Pilots – Fly higher. Currently fly 500 – 1,000. We want them at a 1,000. Reduces disturbance by 96%.
- Boaters/Kayakers – Stay back 1,000 feet (3 football fields) from cliffs and rocks.
What you are currently doing.
Send Newsletter twice a year. Don’t want to bombard. 4 articles in each newsletter.
Subject: The Seabird Update and buzz words about articles
Strategic Recommendation
Small Tips. Big Results.
- Give your newsletter a fun and memorable name.
- Use a large hero image. People love them. They are pleasing to the eye, and a big striking photo grabs people’s attention, gives them an initial focus point (a place to start), and engages people quickly with your mission.
- Write journalistic, powerful headlines. People have short attention spans. If they are not engaged right away, they will not keep reading.
The Plan
Create an Emotional Connection
- Make it fun and engaging, it makes you memorable. They may enjoy it so much that they forward it along to their friends!
- Keep it short and sweet :: Interest of content in an email diminishes as the email extends below the fold, so keep it short, and most important messages up top
- Send more often—every three weeks
- Build a larger list—give them something in exchange for signing up, Clear sign up on website
- Focus the message – You’re only going to have the readers attention for a few seconds, so avoid covering too many topics, and use a standout call-to-action.
- Use a Welcome Email for immediate engagement – Just like transactional emails open rates for welcome emails are much higher than typical email correspondence—up to 80%
Everyone :: Be a part of their tight-knit community
Mix of faces of those who are on board with this initiative.
Pilots :: I fly 1000 feet and it is good for Seabirds
Boaters :: I stay back 1000 feet and it is good for Seabirds
Pilots :: Geek out with them
Seabirds are the original aviators.
Photos of Seabirds
Seabird aviation facts – example needed
CTA: Pledge to . . .
Boaters :: Get them to say “Awwww” with moments they can relate to
Seabirds are a part your experience.
CTA: Spot and share photos of your moments.
Add on :: Impact Report / Progress / Story – Ongoing in each email.
Project: Campaigning Virtually
Transfer in-person experiences to digital experiences.
- Collect emails virtually
- Webinar presentation
- Be engaging
- stream questions,
- run polls,
- wear fun/silly things,
- put on a show/skit,
- ask people to sign up for your newsletter every 20 minutes, give them something to do.
- Share your social handle and a specific event hashtag so people can chat during the event. Or some live feeds come with a chat stream, too. So ask questions and encourage chatting.
End with a quiz, prizes! - Use your amazing photos for zoom backgrounds, give them away during presentations for people to add while you are presenting. I attended an online event where they provided the zoom
backgrounds while we were waiting so it gave us something to do while waiting and was an opportunity to connect with the backgrounds we chose.
