Probono Spotlight: Reach out & Read Virginia Reviews Online Presence and Strategies
Just because your organization does not have a huge budget and tons of staff doesn't mean you aren't impactful. The Spark Mill certainly doesn't believe an organization's size should preclude them from receiving external assistance. That is why we have an ongoing commitment to providing high quality services to small organizations who wouldn't otherwise be able to afford working with a consultant. The probono program is a key feature of our goal of equitable access. Last month, we focused our attention on Reach Out & Read Virginia (RORVA).
RORVA builds on the unique relationship between parents and medical providers to promote early literacy and school readiness in pediatric exam rooms statewide by giving new books to children and advice to parents about the importance of reading aloud. Reach Out and Read delivers an “ROR" prescription to over 124,000 children and their families by over 500 trained medical providers in 163 pediatric practices/medical systems in Virginia. Their key question was: How do we transform this work into stories we can tell through social media, on our website, and with marketing?
Our Process
Gather
An environmental scan and assessment of the current marketing and social media activities of RORVA was performed. The review included online analysis of existing marketing activities and a scan of fellow Reach Out & Read affiliates.
Soak
Taking what was gathered, the leadership of RORVA sat down with TSM to review and finalize a marketing and social media strategy complete with content and strategy recommendations developed specifically for RORVA.
Radiate
“Because of Rebecca’s astute knowledge about how to utilize social media, she has set us up with a plan to take forward in order to help elevate the brand of Reach Out and Read Virginia. We look forward to implementing and measuring the impact of this strategy that The Spark Mill helped us create. Thank you, Rebecca and Sarah and look forward to working together in the future!”
We rounded out the project by providing training and instruction on specific tools, techniques, and platforms outlined in the marketing and social media strategy to improve efficiency and effectiveness of efforts. Content related templates and tools were also provided to support and facilitate ongoing efforts by RORVA staff and volunteers.
When you’re a statewide organization with a small staff, it can be very easy to let your marketing and communications efforts fall by the wayside. However, making the time to take stock of your online brand and developing a plan on how to focus your (limited) resources can pay huge dividends – by providing clarity and direction, as well as making a seemingly daunting task less overwhelming.
Stay Tuned for updates from our other current probono clients - Startup Virginia and The Pace Center for Campus and Community Ministry.