By Kristen Schmidt – NRWA Marketing Chair
As the editor of two radically different publications in the same city, I’ve done a lot of thinking about the “how” of storytelling. At the alt-weekly-ish publication, aimed at people in their early 20s with lots of time and not a lot of money, we pushed the envelope on music, art, and culture. Profanity passed muster. Free fun and cheap eats ruled.
At the city magazine, we talked up $35 entrees and did photo shoots with thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise from local boutiques. We invested in deeply reported feature stories. The demographic was affluent, white-collar professional, and college educated. They had lots of money but not a lot of time.
Knowing the people in your audience is critical to understanding how to speak to them. I’m doing a lot of looking and listening here at the beginning of my tenure as the NRWA marketing chair. Who are we speaking to? What are they trying to accomplish? And how does the NRWA fit into helping them achieve those goals?
We have a few audiences:
Members: You’re resume writers, recruiters, career services pros in nonprofit organizations and higher education, career and life coaches, coaches of other resume writers. Some of you are solopreneurs. Some are entrepreneurs. Some work in small agencies. Others work for Fortune 500 corporations or enormous universities. You’re complex, diverse, and dynamic! I’m so interested in learning more about you.
YOUR Clients & Potential Clients: Through our website and social media, we’re also speaking to a few external groups. One key group is clients and potential clients. We need to project feelings of trustworthiness, credibility, authority, reliability, and intelligence so job seekers who discover us want to learn more and, eventually, reach out to one of you.
Career & Workforce Professionals: We’re also building a reputation among the broader career services, recruiting, workforce development, and education sectors. When professionals in those industries perform work that brushes up against the NRWA universe, we want to be top of mind, so they reach out to us as an organization or to our members as subject-matter experts.
What’s Next?
In the coming weeks and months, I’m eager to think and act more strategically about how the NRWA is speaking to you and our external audiences. You know the marketplace is loud and crowded! It can be challenging to be seen and heard and for your message to be understood clearly. I got involved in the NRWA because I see that it’s built on a foundation of ethics, community, purpose, and mutual support. Let’s work together to make sure everyone who wants to be part of the NRWA knows who we are and can harness the power of what we do.
How’s the NRWA doing at speaking to you, your potential clients, and your peers in the open market? Email me at kristen@wordschmidt.co to share your thoughts and constructive criticism.
Kristen Schmidt is the new Marketing Chair for the NRWA. She is also an independent editor, writer, and branding consultant at Wordschmidt Consulting, LLC. She works with clients in the higher education, arts, and construction industries. Her affinity for creatives and communicators is fueled by a strong career in community journalism. Local to Columbus, OH, you can find Kristen online at linkedin.com/in/kristenmargaretschmidt.
