Promotion

Introduction

When scholars like ourselves create educational works, they can only be successful if others know about it and can participate. Books and movies are promoted and sold by distributors. Workshops and conferences are promoted by businesses or academic institutions. And web sites are promoted by building quality online relationships and accessible code. For some experts, the art and science of web promotion is a full time job.

Because Wordpress, the blog of choice for this course, has taken care of our coding needs,* we will focus this portion of the Activism Plan on building our online presence via print and online resources. **

* Wordpress by default will list your site in search engines. If you chose NOT to keep this feature on the default when you made your blog, click on the Options tab when you login. Scroll to find the check box that turns it back on.

** If you've made your Educational and Information site without the assistance of Wordpress or other Content Management System, be sure to read the appropriate sections of the Promotion Begins at Step 1 checklist and set up the code to assist search engines in properly listing the site.

Outcomes and Activities

Begin to learn the language of online promotion and to practice creating a few of the options listed in the Readings above.

Add resources to your Database

As a result of the following activity, students will be able to identify funding sources.

1. Find a wide range of promotional sources to support your Activism Plan.
2. Add at least 10 resources to the Database which relate to promoting the Education and Information part of your Activism Plan.
   • Categorize them according to the type of resource: directory, link exchange, web ring, catalog, event program, etc.

Promote in print and online

Based on your Plan, promote your activism activities using a variety of methods, including at least one printed vehicle and at least two online vehicles.

1. Name and identify the educational informational activity.
   1. Ask for feedback about the name; keep it short and catchy.
   2. Design a wordmark and/or logo to identify the component each time you discuss it in print or online.
      • Save time by using an online logo generator.
2. Create a printable advertisement that concisely explains who, what, when, where, how, why about your project/product.
• Examples include: business card, flyer, poster, invitation, postcard, advertisement.
• Use software you have on hand.
• Add visuals that are at least 150dpi.
• Include the wordmark and/or logo.
• Keep the text and visuals easy to read.
• Have your work reviewed by someone who can catch typos and incorrect information.
• Save the final file as .pdf; no other format will be accepted.
  • .PDF file are a universal web format.
3. Secure at least two online promotions.
   • Examples include: topical directories, link exchanges, web rings, affiliate programs, Google and Yahoo maps, clickable ads, Google Adword listings, postings in related forums.
     • Set up accounts at these locations so you can be listed in their sites and track your progress.
4. Report in your blog.
   • Add a Page in the blog called Promotion.
     • Describe the process and tools you used to create the promotions.
     • Display the resources from your Database.
     • Link to each location where your work is promoted.
     • Link to the PDF file of the print advertisement.

Scoring Criteria

• At least 10 suitable venues for promotion are added to the Database and displayed in the Promotion report in the blog.
• At least one printed media sample is provided as a .pdf file.
• At least 2 online avenues list the student's blog and/or Education and Information web site.
• Print and online promotions include a wordmark and/or logo.

Examples

Delicious/GenderTechnology/promotion

Pam Van Londen and students. 2007. Four-hundred plus resources hosted by Delicious, related to gender and technology. View the list as a cloud or alphabetically. The promotion category hosts sources related to gender and technology.

Promotion Report for Role Models ~ Interviews of Women in Technology

Pam Van Londen. 2007. Promotion report summarizing tools, process, and resources, in addition a printed flyer and three online listings.