The Code Club�Digital Marketing Plan
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CONTENTS
Intro …………………………………………………………….. 3
Launching Code Club � Email …………………………………………………. 5
Social Media ……………………………………… 8
Online Calendar ………………………...……... 14
Website …………………………………………….. 15
Ongoing Marketing
Email …………………………………………………. 17
12 Month Social Media Plan ……………… 18
Assets ……………………………………………………………. 31
Conclusion ………………………………………………….… 33
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INTRO
Getting the word out about code club is important… and not the easiest thing in the world. But fret not, we’re on your side.
This guide spells out, in great detail, a digital marketing plan that you are 100% welcome copy, steal, rip off, or otherwise borrow. Please! Take it and put it to good use in your social media and email communication efforts. This guide will lean towards the “digital” side of marketing, but don’t forget the importance of “physical” and “word of mouth/in-person” marketing. Posters, talking it up in the library, sharing about code club at your local schools, etc… All of that is important too. But for the sake of this guide, we’ll focus on digital.
Let’s get as many kids from your community exposed to high quality and fun computer programming education! It’s going to change their lives. Let’s build something awesome!
Your friends at Prenda.
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Launching Code Club
Getting the word out about code club initially is among the most important things you can do to start your code club successfully. Take a “all-out-on-every-front” approach.
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Email remains one of the most effective ways to communicate to a large audience. Most libraries have an established email list of people who have expressed interested in your library’s programs. Begin including announcements about your code club in your regular library email newsletters. Talk to whoever is in charge of that email and see if you can’t get an entire email or two dedicated solely to code club. Use the following template and graphics as a starting point for your email marketing efforts.
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EMAIL TEMPLATE
TIMELINE: 3-4 weeks before first code club meeting�
CONTENT: Big news! We’re launching our very own code club here at the library. If you want your kids to learn important tech skills and have fun along the way, we’d love to see you there! They’ll work on learning how to make websites, video games, apps, animations, and more! Code club will run (meeting days and times) beginning (start date) in the (meeting location). Register your child at (registration link).
GRAPHIC:
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EMAIL (continued)
If at all possible, try to send out multiple emails leading up to code club. One is a good start, but if it were me, I’d send out one a week for three of four weeks leading up to the first code club.
Keep the same ideas from the previous page for content. Share your enthusiasm for starting something new and cool. Emphasize the fun part. Keep the messages short and to the point. Make sure you put meeting days and times and logistics. You don’t have to come up with something unique to say every time. Simply say the same message, but with different wording. Often times it’ll take people a couple messages to get through to them.
You got this!
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SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media is an incredibly effective way to get the word out to your community about code club. Because the formats vary from platform to platform, this guide will address social media in general, without getting into the specifics of each format. Take the following ideas and graphics and apply them to every social media platform your library is on (i.e. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc…).
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SOCIAL MEDIA TEMPLATE 1
TIMELINE: 4 weeks before first code club meeting�
CONTENT: Big news! We’re launching our very own code club here at the library. If you want your kids to learn important tech skills and have fun along the way, we’d love to see you there! They’ll work on learning how to make websites, video games, apps, animations, and more! Code club will run (meeting days and times) beginning (start date) in the (meeting location). Register your child at (registration link). #librarycodeclub
PROMO VIDEO (this is really cool - use it!):
YouTube link: https://youtu.be/OjOBEZvw3UY
Download Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1t-4g7enblHifg_pNcvjehPDjQ0V8KeGQ/view?usp=sharing
Again, feel free to upload this video as if it was yours and you created it for your library… that’s what we made it for!
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SOCIAL MEDIA TEMPLATE 2
TIMELINE: 3 weeks before first code club meeting�
CONTENT: So excited for our first code club coming up! It’s going to be amazing. It’s going to change lives. (Start date, regular meeting days and times) in the (meeting location). See you there! #librarycodeclub
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SOCIAL MEDIA TEMPLATE 3
TIMELINE: 2 weeks before first code club meeting�
CONTENT: How excited are we to start our code club in just TWO WEEKS? Pretty excited! (start date, regular meeting days and times). See you there! #librarycodeclub
GRAPHIC:
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SOCIAL MEDIA TEMPLATE 4
TIMELINE: 1 week before first code club meeting�
CONTENT: Code club is where kids learn how to make websites, video games, and apps. Come to our big kickoff next week (meeting day and time). Bring a friend! #librarycodeclub
PROMO VIDEO:
YouTube link: https://youtu.be/FQv0bcxR3X0
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SOCIAL MEDIA TEMPLATE 5
TIMELINE: 1 day before first code club meeting�
CONTENT: Tomorrow’s the big day! Looking forward to our big code club kickoff. (time and location). See you soon! #librarycodeclub
PROMO VIDEO (this is really cool - use it!):
YouTube link: https://youtu.be/OjOBEZvw3UY
Download Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1t-4g7enblHifg_pNcvjehPDjQ0V8KeGQ/view?usp=sharing
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ONLINE CALENDAR
Libraries often utilize an online calendar where patrons can find all the programming the library offers. These calendars typically only have space for a few sentences.
CONTENT: Code club is a weekly time when kids can come and learn how to make websites, video games, and apps. It’s informal, fun, and very interactive. Come have fun, make friends, and build cool stuff with us!
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WEBSITE
If you have the ability to add blurbs or content on your website, there’s no more worthy cause than code club!
CONTENT: Code club is a weekly time when kids can come and learn how to make websites, video games, and apps. It’s informal, fun, and very interactive. Come have fun, make friends, and build cool stuff with us! We meet every (meeting day) at (meeting time). No coding experience required!
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Ongoing Marketing
With a successful launch under your belt, you’re on track for an amazing and successful code club. But your job isn’t quite over yet. Use the following email and social media templates to market ongoing to continue to draw in new people.
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ONGOING EMAIL TEMPLATE
FREQUENCY: 1-2 times a month. If you send out a monthly newsletter already, add this code club blurb.
CONTENT: Code Club! Let your kids learn important tech skills by building websites, video games, and apps at our weekly code club. We meet every (day) at (time) in the (location) room. No coding experience required. Looking forward to having you there!
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ONGOING SOCIAL MEDIA
The following are 12 sample social media posts. Please take them and post to ALL your various social media platforms. Download the graphics, link to the videos, and get the word out there.
Feel free to post more than once a month. Here are a couple ideas of what to post:
Always include your meeting day and time… probably the most important thing to remember for all social media posting.
Enjoy!
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SOCIAL MEDIA TEMPLATE 1
TIMELINE: Month 1�
CONTENT: “The value of computer science is pretty evident... “ - Steph Curry. Come to code club! (meeting day and time). #librarycodeclub
LINK: Video of Steph Curry talking about how important learning to code is.
YouTube link: https://youtu.be/NYzN0a1U8mI
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SOCIAL MEDIA TEMPLATE 2
TIMELINE: Month 2�
CONTENT: Girls can code! Did you know we run a weekly code club every (day) at (time). Come check it out! #librarycodeclub #librarycodeclub
LINK: Video designed to inspire girls to learn how to code.
YouTube link: https://youtu.be/mFPg96gdPkc
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SOCIAL MEDIA TEMPLATE 3
TIMELINE: Month 3�
CONTENT: President Obama on computer programming: “Learning these skills aren’t just important for your future, it’s important for our country’s future.” Come hang out our weekly code club (day and time). See you there! #librarycodeclub
LINK: Video of President Obama talking about how important computer programming is.
YouTube link: https://youtu.be/6XvmhE1J9PY
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SOCIAL MEDIA TEMPLATE 4
TIMELINE: Month 4�
CONTENT: Computer programming touches WAY MORE stuff than you realize. Check it out. Learn how to do it at our weekly code club. (day and time). Come change the world with us! #librarycodeclub
LINK: Video from Code.org about how the world is changing and computer programming is important.
YouTube link: https://youtu.be/xJqSu1IbcHg
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SOCIAL MEDIA TEMPLATE 5
TIMELINE: Month 5�
CONTENT: There’s more to life than money… but the money doesn’t hurt. Learn how to code at our weekly code club. (day and time). Stat from @code.org #librarycodeclub
Graphic:
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SOCIAL MEDIA TEMPLATE 6
TIMELINE: Month 6�
CONTENT: Learn how to code. Get a job. Seriously. This is the future. Code club meets every (day and time). #librarycodeclub
Graphic:
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SOCIAL MEDIA TEMPLATE 7
TIMELINE: Month 7�
CONTENT: “If you can program a computer, you can achieve your dreams.” -Dick Costolo. What are your dreams? Come learn how to code at our weekly code club. (Day and time). #librarycodeclub.
Graphic:
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SOCIAL MEDIA TEMPLATE 8
TIMELINE: Month 8�
CONTENT: “Every girl deserves to take part in creating the technology that will change our world, and change who runs it.” -Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai. Girls, we’d love to have you at our code club. (Meeting day and time). #librarycodeclub
Link: Video of Malala Yousafzai inviting girls to participate in Hour of Code.
YouTube link: https://youtu.be/cFdncBMDtP8
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SOCIAL MEDIA TEMPLATE 9
TIMELINE: Month 9�
CONTENT: Did you know we have a weekly code club? Want to learn how to make a website, video game, or app for your phone? Come hang out with us! (day & time). #librarycodeclub
PROMO VIDEO (this is really cool - use it!):
YouTube link: https://youtu.be/OjOBEZvw3UY
Download Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1t-4g7enblHifg_pNcvjehPDjQ0V8KeGQ/view?usp=sharing
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SOCIAL MEDIA TEMPLATE 10
TIMELINE: Month 10�
CONTENT: Code club is a lot of fun. Not only do you get to learn how to make cool video games and apps, but you make friends. We’d love to see you there! (day & time). #librarycodeclub
PROMO VIDEO:
YouTube link: https://youtu.be/FQv0bcxR3X0
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SOCIAL MEDIA TEMPLATE 11
TIMELINE: Month 11�
CONTENT: YouTube star Mark Rober thinks coding is pretty cool. Come learn how to make websites, video games, apps, and animations in our weekly code club. #librarycodeclub
Link: Video of Mark Rober, famous YouTube star, doing a cool coding experiment.
YouTube link: https://youtu.be/9GyXDoSvR4Y
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SOCIAL MEDIA TEMPLATE 12
TIMELINE: Month 12�
CONTENT: Coding is creativity. Come practice making cool stuff at our weekly code club. (Day & Time) #librarycodeclub
Link: Code.org video talking about creativity.
YouTube link: https://youtu.be/9GyXDoSvR4Y
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Assets
Links to all code club marketing images and videos.
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ASSETS
YouTube link: https://youtu.be/OjOBEZvw3UY
Download Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1t-4g7enblHifg_pNcvjehPDjQ0V8KeGQ/view?usp=sharing
Graphic: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yY_5_4U9pTbTGSJSP9DmYF0tG0_VLs_T/view?usp=sharing
Blank Super-coder Image: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oEhXSLtBp8sGd86d5BsSbvSQJF_jXplE/view?usp=sharing
Various stock images: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1oEhXSLtBp8sGd86d5BsSbvSQJF_jXplE
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CONCLUSION
Coding changes lives. It provides amazing job opportunities and life skills. But running a code club when you don’t know how to code is… tricky. Downright impossible, some would say.
But you’re not some. You’re you. And you’re running a code club. You’re taking the risk, putting yourself out there, and making it happen. That’s the hard part.
Getting people there is the easy part. Use this guide to get the word out far and wide. And watch the life-change start rolling in your community.
Let’s build something awesome. Together.
Prenda
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Build Something Awesome!