Learning Gateways Brand Guidelines
You will also have received a copy of the Learning Gateways logo both electronically and in a plastic sign for your centre. As mentioned in the Quality Assurance Framework section it is important to ensure quality and consistency across all of the Learning Gateways centres and because of this we have drawn up some brand guidelines showing you how to use the Learning Gateways logo to the best effect. It is important that you read these brand guidelines and follow them whenever you use the logo on any communications from your centre including letters, e-mails, websites, posters or anything else you might want to use the logo on.
Marketing yourselves and your courses
The promotion and marketing of your centre is the way to get learners into your centres. Because we know how important this is, but also how difficult it can seem, we have put together some suggestions on ways to market your centre.
Marketing your centre: Some helpful hints.
These tips and tricks can help make light work of marketing your centre and help you to think creatively about ways in which this can be achieved.
- Everything you do both inside and outside your centre is marketing in an indirect way. If your centre looks unappealing and the staff are unfriendly people will not want to return. However if your centre is clean, bright and has friendly staff, people will be more likely to enter your centre, enjoy being there and look forward to returning.
- You need to tell your local community you exist and that you can provide a service for their needs. However before you start this you need to know who your audience is and what you want to tell them. Make sure you identify clearly who you are targeting and make sure the message is clear and appropriate.
- Don’t try and overstretch yourselves - be realistic about what you can achieve.
- Make sure you check to see how your marketing is going, just asking learners where they heard of you will give you an idea of how many people are inspired by your marketing and will help you to know what works and what doesn’t in your area.
- Use any local organisations and partnerships or any meetings you attend to spread the word. Does your community have a local paper or the local community partnership have a website where you could advertise for free? What about the larger local employers - could you put up a flyer in their canteen? Or where does your target group congregate? Could you advertise there? Think about what options are available to you within your local community and see what you could achieve.
Therefore the key do’s and don’ts for marketing your centre are:
Do
- Make sure your centre in clean and tidy at all times and gives a good impression
- Target specific audiences
- Make sure your message is clear
- Make sure that you have all the details on anything you send out (e.g. date, times and locations)
- Evaluate your marketing
- Be creative about where you can market your provision
- Make sure staff are polite and friendly
- Share good practice and ask for help and advice – when you meet up with other groups and organisations ask for their help and advice and then tailor it to your needs
Don’t
- Assume one size fits all – make sure you target your audience
- Overstretch yourself – try marketing to only one client group at a time
- Try to be too clever – keep things simple until you feel able to try different things
Useful Links
Note: These links will open in a new browser window.
Latrobe Community Development Manual (6.5MB PDF)
Useful information on all aspects of Marketing
Ourcommunity.com - Marketing and your Community Group
Why bother with marketing?
Eastend Partnership Ltd
Helpful hints on marketing |
