MINUTES
COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING
NORTH CAROLINA NATIONAL GUARD ASSOCIATION
3 NOVEMBER 2011
The above named committee met on the date indicated above on call of Committee Chairman Jeremy Davis. The meeting was held at the NCNGA Headquarters, Raleigh, NC, and the following members were present:
Chairman Jeremy Davis, Craig Finch and Scott Schnack. NCNGA Staff Members Adene Tyler and Kathy Ford were also present. (A conference call was set up for those that indicated they would call in, but was disconnected at 10:30 a.m. because no one called in.)
Tom Innes, Robert Jordan, Dai Hilton, James Andrews, Melvin Barnes, Tasheenia Bennett, Ricky Blue, Joel Bolton, Rose Dunlap, Miriam Gray, Michael Hamilton, Tim Hitch, Elliott Marks, Jack Potvin, Joey Rey, and Richard Wall were absent.
(The following members were removed from the committee due to no response or being deployed: Melvin Barnes, Ricky Blue and Jack Potvin.)
Chairman Davis declared a quorum present and convened the meeting at 10:00 a.m. Upon motion committee minutes dated 21 Sep 11 were approved for the record.
Chairman Davis referred everyone to the Google Groups listing, which is basically a mailing list service. Members of the committee were invited to sign up, but several have not done so. Ford will send a reminder to those not signed up.
Chairman Davis informed the committee that he had met with marketing professionals Chris Shigas and Semper Fi Web Design. Committeeman Schnack related that he had also met with a Soldier from his unit who indicated he could assist in our website marketing efforts. It was the general consensus of the marketing professionals contacted that content is the most important aspect of a successful site, and the Association needs a different platform to attract younger members. The members then discussed content of a new platform and ways to promote the site. Chairman Davis related that the marketing companies had several suggestions with one being to post banners in strategic locations announcing the new site. Committeeman Finch stated that the RSP units would be an ideal location. There are twelve different sites in the state and this would be a good starting place. Committeeman Schnack also suggested setting up an exhibit table during the convention to promote a new site, and possibly get new members to sign up then. Finch stated that the R&R Banquet might also be a good location.
The members then discussed ways to attract members to our site and increase activity. It was suggested that we host a Facebook contest. Committeeman Schnack suggested having a contest where members submit a patriotic photo, and the one with the most friends wins or the photo that gets the most “likes.” It was recommended that we start out with an inexpensive gift such as a $50 gift card. Schnack volunteered to work on this and a deadline for the submissions was set for Friday, 18 Nov 11. The members discussed hosting a monthly contest, but decided to wait and see if the first contest is successful. It was determined that fifty new hits in a month would be considered successful. Chairman Davis commented that this will also help us get photos for the site.
Chairman Davis referred to the Junior Council and noted that a different platform/site would be more appealing to that age group. However, another site would create more work for the committee and staff. Changing the current site to appeal to a younger group was also discussed, but it was noted that the entire set-up would need to be different in order to be viewed easily by I-Phones, etc. Schnack stated that his friend was working on a site and he could bring a sample for the committee to review before making a decision.
The committee then reviewed proposals from the two internet marketing companies Chairman Davis contacted. Proposals are listed below:
(1) Chris Shigas - Consulting proposal - $1000 for 4 months to attend our monthly 2 hour meetings as we develop marketing strategy.
(2) Semper Fi Web Design
● Design Services - Price $940.00. Website and graphic design. Custom theme design.
● Website Development Services - Priced from $1,795.00. Development of custom WordPress websites not including custom features and functionality.
● SEO Configuration Service - Price $899.00 - Initial configuration of All in One SEO Pack and other plugins we recommend for managing SEO. Implementation of keywords and phrases.
● Basic Support Service - Price $249.00 per month or $2,388.00 per annum. Managed full weekly backups of your site, installation of WordPress and plugin updates, 1 hour of email support per month.
● Advanced Support Service - Price $349.00 per month or $3,588.00 per annum. Managed full weekly backups of your site, installation of WordPress, plugin and theme updates, 2 hours of phone and email support per month.
● Custom Development and WordPress Consulting - Price $179.00 per hour
All other custom development and consulting work not included in our packaged services above. We offer additional Managed SEO services which are priced on a per site basis depending on the requirements of the client. With regards to your specific site NCNGA.org we can provide a redesign and development of the site if you so wish. The design service would include 3 different designs which would be presented to you, you can then select elements from any design for inclusion in the final design. We would then implement the final design as a custom theme, install our SEO plugins, and provide training and documentation. The cost for the design service is the standard price listed above and the cost for the development would be the standard price above plus any custom features which are requested. If you so wish we can then perform the initial SEO configuration, this includes training on how to use the plugins we install to manage your SEO. The price for this is the standard price listed above. We can also provide support, either through one of the services listed above or through a custom agreement with you.
The committee reviewed the proposals. A motion was made and unanimously approved to contract with Chris Shigas for four months at a cost of $1,000. (Note: $24,000 has been budgeted for FY 11-12 for pay per click ads and $2,000 for website assistance.)
The committee briefly discussed selling promotional items during the 2012 annual convention. Members were encouraged to bring new ideas to the next meeting.
The next meeting was scheduled for Thursday, 1 Dec 11 at 10:00 a.m.
There was no further business to come before the committee, and the meeting was adjourned at 11:30 a.m.
_____________________________
Adene T. Tyler
Executive Director
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