Hi, Liz Roesel here, the Marketing Manager at Horizon Software. If you’ve listened to an episode of Gab ‘N Go Podcast, follow Horizon Software on social media, or have met me at an SNA Conference, you know I’m passionate about two things – marketing and child nutrition. Making complex marketing tactics simple for the busy school nutrition professional is one of my favorite aspects of my position at Horizon. So I’m very excited to introduce to you three new marketing resources. (And one old one. But maybe you missed it the first time.)
- Marketing 101: The Ingredients for Tasty School Meal Promotions. This e-Book breaks down marketing at the basic level. It gives you ideas for different marketing mediums, branding basics, graphic design tips and tools, and suggestions to make your marketing message resonate with your audience. It’s written for school nutrition and includes examples of some of my favorite school nutrition departments that are pros at the marketing game. Click here to download it.
- Marketing Plan Template. If you have a big event coming up, such as Open House or National School Lunch Week, you might want to draft a formal Marketing Plan. This may be especially helpful if you’re asking for funds or assistance from key stakeholders. Click here to download a Marketing Plan Template – just fill it out to fit your needs.
- Marketing Plan Example. Not sure where to start when it comes to writing a Marketing Plan? Check out this example to help get your creative juices flowing. I wrote it as if I was planning to market National School Breakfast Week, and included some real-life examples of marketing ideas from school nutrition departments.
- Checklists for Marketing Your Program on Social Media. This one is an oldie, but goodie, if I say so myself. If you want to promote your program on social media, this includes ideas for things to post about, the best times to post on different social media platforms, and a checklist of best practices for Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Click here to download these checklists. I always encourage SNP’s to not take off more than they can chew (excuse the food pun.) Don’t feel like you have to join all three social media platforms. If your district has social media accounts, see which one has the largest amount of followers and follow their lead.
I hope you find these resources helpful! If you have any questions at all, reach out to me via email. I would love to answer any marketing questions you may have!
Will you be at the School Nutrition Association’s Annual National Conference? If you’re currently marketing your program and looking to take your marketing to the next level, I hope you’ll join Stefanie Dove and I for our precon “Marketing Shortcuts and Tools for the Busy School Nutrition Professional” on Saturday, July 13, 2019 from 8am-12pm.
