Page 55 - 2021-Mag-88-2

Communications & Marketing

consistent, and untiring in telling the DKG story to market DKG.
Where is the place to market DKG? Any place is the place to market DKG.
During a team meeting with colleagues or in the checkout line with a clerk who
mentions she is studying education suggest planned and unplanned encounters as
possible places to market DKG.
Why DKG? Go back to the basics and walk yourself through the Mission,
Vision, and Purposes of DKG to reacquaint yourself with the essence of the
Society. Take time to put your DKG story into words; make it authentic and
personal; practice orally presenting what DKG means to you. The goal is for your
DKG story to allow others to see why they need DKG.
How to market DKG? We must utilize quick, stress-free strategies to close the
deal of membership, establish community collaboration, or secure a donor relation.
For the purposes of this article, the strategies have been placed into two categories:
initial marketing strategies and follow-up marketing strategies.
Initial Marketing Strategies (one example per subcategory)

Personal Contact Contact a student teacher within your educational institution and
share your DKG story.

Community Presence Set up a table at the district’s “New Teacher Orientation” to
market the local DKG chapters.

Tokens of Encouragement Provide care packages to a local school throughout the year to
encourage educators and market DKG.
Invitations to DKG Events/Gatherings Sponsor “Meet and Greet’’ informal gatherings to allow the
“who” to see and hear the “what” and “why” of DKG.
Use of the DKG Membership Plan Read, personalize, and implement the plan in an orientation
(*provided on the DKG website) session with the “who.”
Follow-Up Marketing Strategies

“Meet and Greet” Pair current members with “meet and greet” attendees in order to
maintain contact with them in whatever way is appropriate.
Award/Grant/Scholarship Recipients Invite recipients to a meeting/gathering/event to share about
their educational pursuits or endeavors. Extend an invitation for
membership as appropriate.
Guest Speakers Invite a local expert to speak at a DKG event; extend
membership invitation to the speaker as appropriate.
High School Graduates (recipients of Follow recipients through their collegiate experiences with
financial assistance) tokens of encouragement. Encourage them to write articles for
your newsletters. Extend membership invitation as appropriate.

Marketing DKG should be a simple task. Examine the reasons members
elect to pay dues year after year—the “what” and “why” that are essential to an
authentic, personal plan that uses quick, stress-free strategies. Share your DKG
story. DKG provides the opportunities that educators, communities, and the
education profession need. Now is the time to market that message internationally
to the world.

Collegial Exchange · 53