Going Viral: Promoting KnowHow2GO Online

The Internet is a powerful platform for reaching young people and caring adults to spread the word about KnowHow2GO. Just as you can build awareness of the campaign through traditional media outreach, there are a variety of ways you can generate buzz through online channels. To assist your outreach, KnowHow2GO has created exciting new tools to engage and inform our target audiences and bring the campaign to life online.

"Tough" Character Tools

The Ad Council's second round of KnowHow2GO public service advertisements (PSAs) focuses on the campaign's second step to college, which encourages students to push themselves and take the tough classes colleges require for admission. The "Tough" PSAs feature three characters - Algebra II, Biology and the Foreign Languages - in a cage-match setting. The characters challenge students to take them on - and middle and high schoolers are seen rising to the challenge. In addition to the PSAs, the following online tools are available to better acquaint students with the "Tough" characters and message:

KnowHow2GO-U Virtual Campus Tour

The KnowHow2GO-U virtual campus tour is an online, interactive experience that allows students to explore a college campus at their own pace in a safe and fun environment. The tour invites students to familiarize themselves with a campus and learn about the proactive steps they need to take to get there. While KnowHow2GO-U is based online, it is intended to motivate real-life behaviors such as visiting college campuses, brainstorming potential majors or careers and enrolling in challenging classes.

We anticipate these new assets will be extremely popular among students and caring adults alike, and will provide you and your local partners with additional tools to encourage students to act now to turn their college dreams into reality. We've compiled this guide to assist you in making the most out of these new online resources. The guide explains:

  • Why and how to reach out to bloggers to generate buzz around the new creative
  • Strategies for encouraging your partner organizations to promote the new KnowHow2GO PSAs and online tools
  • How to get students involved in promoting KnowHow2GO online

Reaching Out to Bloggers

Outreach to blogs is increasingly important, as popular blogs have large followings of people who regularly seek new content and can greatly influence the popularity of videos and Web sites. Bloggers who focus on education and youth issues may be interested to post the "tough" character viral videos on their site as well as links to the new PSAs, KnowHow2GO-U and both national and state-specific KnowHow2GO Web sites.

The first step to blog outreach is learning which blogs are popular among students and caring adults in your community. KnowHow2GO will conduct outreach to nationally relevant bloggers. We suggest state partners target local bloggers. KnowHow2GO will share the list of blogs we are working with to ensure there is no overlap in our outreach.

Once you've created a targeted blog outreach list, take the following steps:

  1. Read the tips for pitching blogs included in this guide.
  2. Send an e-mail pitch to bloggers, using the sample e-mail included in this guide as a model.
  3. If bloggers request additional information, share the list of KnowHow2GO links included in this guide. You should also ask them to post the PSA and viral videos on their blog.

Engaging Your Local Partners

Encourage your network of partners - college access programs, community groups, government agencies, schools, libraries, teachers, etc. - to actively promote the new online campaign elements. Partners can post the viral videos and links to KnowHow2GO-U and KnowHow2GO.org on their Web sites. They can also alert their own networks about the new PSAs and online tools.

All you have to do is ask. To help, we've drafted a sample letter or e-mail for you to send to your partners encouraging them to support online campaign promotion. You can also ask them to mention the new online elements in their communications to students. We've included a customizable newsletter article to make it simple for partners to announce the new campaign elements to the appropriate audiences.

Encouraging Students to Lead Social Networking Outreach

Students can play an important role in your state's online outreach by leading your work with social networking sites. Many of the students you serve will already have accounts on MySpace and Facebook, among other sites. Students will be able to easily incorporate KnowHow2GO videos and links on their personal profiles and join KnowHow2GO groups where they can talk with and learn from their peers about the steps to take to prepare for college.

Here are a few suggestions for how students can promote the new campaign elements on MySpace, Facebook and YouTube:

MySpace

  • Add the "Tough" characters as friends, then add them to their top friends list;
  • Write a bulletin post encouraging their friends to take the KnowHow2GO-U tour. Included in this guide is a sample bulletin post;
  • Ask friends to post the PSA and online videos on their personal pages; and
  • Ask friends to post the "Tough" poster images on their personal pages.
Facebook
  • Invite friends to become fans of "KnowHow2GO to College" (This group was created by KnowHow2GO). When a student joins, his/her friends will be automatically notified, driving additional students to become fans;
  • Ask friends to post the PSA and online videos on their profile pages; and
  • Send a message to all of their friends encouraging them to visit KnowHow2GO.org and take the virtual campus tour. See the sample bulletin post for help crafting this message.
YouTube
  • Encourage friends to view and rate the PSA and viral videos;
  • Ask friends to add the KnowHow2GO Channel to their favorites; and
  • Share the Channel and individual videos links with their friends.

If the students you work with tend to use different social networking sites than those listed here, encourage them to think creatively about the best ways they can promote KnowHow2GO on their own.

Tips & Strategies for Blogger Outreach

  1. Before you pitch a blogger, read their blog.
    Don't pretend to be an avid reader (they'll see right through this), but make sure to read a few posts and tailor your e-mail to the topic(s) they write about.

  2. Be honest and upfront about who you are.
    Be honest about who you work for and your connection to the KnowHow2GO campaign. Bloggers will be more willing to post about the campaign if you are transparent from the beginning.

  3. Contact people through their preferred medium.
    Most bloggers will say on their Web site how they prefer to be contacted, whether through an e-mail address or a contact form. If neither is listed, they presumably don't want to be contacted.

  4. Tailor your tone to theirs.
    Some bloggers consider themselves journalists, although many do not. By reading their blog, you will become familiar with the tone they use. Generally, their tone is quite casual, so your e-mail should follow suit.

  5. Be responsive and maintain the relationship.
    Be responsive to their needs - if they respond to your e-mail with questions, be prompt in answering. Where possible, share with them how they contributed to the campaign's success.

  6. Don't follow up more than once with a blogger who is unresponsive.
    If they haven't responded to you by the second time, then they're just not interested.

  7. Be brief and include links/resources.
    Your pitch needs to be well-written, short and prioritized with links and resources. Bloggers also appreciate good visuals, including photos and videos. Reference our "Sample Blog Pitch."

  8. Don't set unrealistic expectations.
    The majority of bloggers do not blog as their day job. Don't expect them to post information within a few hours - or even a few days. And if they communicate that they're not interested in your message, leave it be.

Sample Blog Pitch

Hi [insert blogger's first name],

Thank you for shedding light on important [education, teaching, local, etc.] issues. I thought you might be interested in learning about an innovative college access campaign called KnowHow2GO, which is sponsored by the American Council on Education, Lumina Foundation for Education and the Ad Council.

KnowHow2GO prepares students in grades 8 through 10 to actively prepare for college. In addition to an interactive Web site (www.KnowHow2GO.org), the campaign recently released a new round of public service advertisements (PSAs) encouraging students to take the tough classes colleges require. The PSAs feature three characters - Algebra II, Biology and Foreign Languages - in a cage-match setting. The characters challenge students to take them on and middle and high schoolers are seen rising to the challenge. You can check out the PSA and humorous, viral videos at www.KnowHow2GO.org or www.YouTube.com/KnowHow2GO.

KnowHow2GO also just launched a virtual campus tour, KnowHow2GO-U, which helps students picture themselves on a college campus. Students can navigate the campus and enter buildings to find related games and information. KH2G-U is available at www.KnowHow2GO.org/campustour.

My organization, [insert organization name], is a KnowHow2GO partner. I'd be happy to provide you with more information about our effort to help local students make their college dreams a reality.

Thanks!

[Insert your first and last name]

Sample Letter/E-Mail to Partners

Dear KnowHow2Go[insert state] Partner:

I'm writing to let you know that the national KnowHow2GO campaign recently released new public service advertisements (PSAs), viral videos and online tools designed to engage students in proactive steps to prepare for college.

The new PSAs illustrate KnowHow2GO's second step to college - Push Yourself - by encouraging students to take on the tough classes colleges require. In the television PSA, characters representing Algebra II, Biology and Foreign Languages are shown in a cage-match setting. The characters challenge students to take them on - and middle and high schoolers are seen rising to the challenge. To get students excited about the PSAs, KnowHow2GO shot videos and created social networking profiles for each tough character. The television PSA and viral videos will pop up automatically from www.KnowHow2GO.org.

KnowHow2GO also recently launched a virtual campus tour, KnowHow2GO-U. The tour, which resembles a computer game, was designed to help students picture themselves on a real college campus. Students who take the guided or self-guided tour will be invited to enter campus buildings to find games, activities and college preparation information. Special features available at KnowHow2GO-U include an interactive "Decorate Your Dorm Room" activity and a soccer-themed "College Quiz" game. Students and caring adults can access the tour from KnowHow2GO.org or by going directly to KnowHow2GO.org/campustour.

KnowHow2Go[insert state] needs your organization's help to promote the new campaign elements. You can start by posting the PSAs, viral videos and a link to KnowHow2GO-U on your Web site. Additionally, you can alert your members and the students you work with by referencing KnowHow2GO in your print and online communications. Attached to this letter is a customizable newsletter article for your use.

For more information, please contact me at [insert phone number] or [insert e-mail address]. Thanks in advance for helping local students turn their college dreams into a reality.

[Insert name and organization name]

Important Links

Tough PSA & Viral Videos:

The PSA and viral videos will pop-up automatically at:
http://www.KnowHow2GO.org

Also available on YouTube (where students can copy and paste the video code to post on their MySpace or Facebook pages): http://www.youtube.com/KnowHow2GO

KnowHow2GO-U Virtual Tour:

http://www.KnowHow2GO.org/campustour

Tough Character Social Networking Profiles:

MySpace

Facebook

Sample Newsletter Article

The national KnowHow2GO college access campaign - sponsored by the American Council on Education, Lumina Foundation for Education and the Ad Council - recently released new public service advertisements (PSAs), viral videos and online tools designed to engage students in proactive steps to prepare for college.

The new PSAs illustrate KnowHow2GO's second step to college - Push Yourself - by encouraging students to take on the tough classes colleges require. In the television PSA, intimidating characters representing Algebra II, Biology and the Foreign Languages are shown in a cage-match setting. The characters challenge students to take them on and middle and high schoolers are seen rising to the challenge. To get students excited about the tough characters in the PSA, KnowHow2GO shot funny videos and created social networking profiles for each. The television PSA and viral videos will pop up automatically when visitors go to www.KnowHow2GO.org, and they're available at www.YouTube.com/KnowHow2GO.

KnowHow2GO also recently launched a virtual campus tour, KnowHow2GO-U, which lives on the campaign's Web site. The tour, which resembles a computer game, was designed to help students picture themselves on a real college campus. Students who take the guided or self-guided tour will be invited to enter campus buildings to find relevant games, activities and college preparation information. Special features available at KnowHow2GO-U include an interactive "Decorate Your Dorm Room" activity and a soccer-themed "College Quiz" game. Students and caring adults can access the tour by visiting www.KnowHow2GO.org or going directly to www.KnowHow2GO.org/campustour.

[Insert organization name] is proud to be a KnowHow2GO partner. For more information on the local effort to help students turn their college dreams into a reality, contact [insert name] of [insert organization] at [insert phone number] or [insert e-mail address]. You can also visit the local campaign Web site at [insert state-specific URL, if applicable].

Sample Bulletin Board Message for MySpace

Bulletins are messages sent to all of a MySpace user's friends at the same time.

Subject: Check out my future

Body: I'm definitely going to college, and this new online college tour has me even more excited about how soon that day will come. If you go to KnowHow2GO-U, you get to experience what it is like to be on a real college campus. You can visit a real dorm room and decorate one yourself! You can also tour the student center, the library, a quad where kids chill out and an athletic center with a cool quiz on how much you know about preparing for college. KnowHow2GO-U even has a financial aid office that gives you great tips on how to pay for college. If college is in your future, you should check it out.