| Before leaving the high school environment
I was trying to think of a way to promote my Internet Marketing class.
I never had time to implement the idea in the classroom, but feel that
it might make a good promotional tool, be a good class project, could involve
other classes, other schools, the business community, and could even raise
the DECA chapter a few dineros. At this point the idea is totally
undeveloped. If you like the idea you are welcome to use it with
your own chapter. I do, however, ask that you keep me posted on how
it works out for you!
Here's the idea. Have your Internet
Marketing class create a Web site that announces, advertises, and promotes
local job openings in your community (employers in my neck of the woods
are currently begging for help!). Your Internet Marketing class can
solicit help from co-op students in your school, including non-marketing
co-ops. Send the co-ops to their employer touting the "about to be
formed" Web site and how it will be used. Prepare brochures/handouts
in advance. Now you have plenty of "salesmen" out there working for
you. Charge the businesses a nominal fee--maybe $3.00 to 5.00 per
month--to place their add on your site. Consider adding additional
fees for logos ($1.00 mo), links to their existing Web site ($.50 month
OR a reciprocal link back to your site), etc. Then contact neighboring
schools, and do the same with them. Your students can travel to surrounding
schools, explaining and promoting your new functional Web site. And
if you happen to mention your program along the way, so be it. Now
you have tons of salespeople throughout your city/county/region.
Want to pay their chapter a commission for the first month's service ad
fees? I think that would be a great idea! Be sure the businesses
understand that the proceeds will benefit the school's chapter. So
far everyone wins.
Now you have students across your region
working for you, selling job ads with an employer that they already know.
The employer benefits not only by contributing to the school, but they
should significantly increase their visibility within the schools, particularly
the coop programs. Coop students and Marketing teachers have a central
location to look for job placements, and your Internet Marketing kids have
developed a work in progress that is true Internet Marketing.
There are many more details that you can work through a project
like this, but for the sake of time, I won't go into them all. However,
I can envision a
lot of lessons that can stem through this single
and ongoing project. I think the local press would jump on this one,
and that should create a flood of new participants. You might even
have a winning manual here......
I do hope that if you should implement
this idea that you will keep me posted on your progress. Thanks! |