Trust for the National Mall
Online Marketing, Social Media Optimization, Web Design and Development
Carousel30 has earned three prestigious awards for its work with the Trust For the National Mall. It also launched three successful campaigns, which increased donations on average by over 40,000 percent.
Objective
The first objective of the Trust for the National Mall campaign is to educate the public about the dire need to perform repair and upkeep on the grounds and memorials that make up the National Mall and Memorial Parks in Washington, DC, which, according to CNN, are in "appalling shape." The second objective is, as the official partner of the National Park Service, to raise public money through donations to help restore this historic symbol, "America's Front Yard," to its former glory.
Steps Taken
Carousel30 has worked with the Trust for the National Mall from its beginning stages as an organization by first setting up a Web presence that allows the organization to communicate its message and objectives, and then by gradually extending both the presence and the communication of the message. The following are some of the things we have done for the Trust for the National Mall:
- Website presence with a content management system, integrated donations system, and e-mail signup.
- YouTube Channel that includes several videos produced by Carousel30.
- Coordination of a microsite used during the 2009 Inauguration.
- Several social media presences on Twitter, Google+, Flickr and others.
- Facebook pages for each of the Memorial and Monument sites on the National Mall, each with a distinct user base and level/type of activity.
- Regular monitoring of activity on social media outlets and website traffic.
- Pay-per-click advertising campaign on Google AdWords.
- Coordination with the National Park Service on reciprocal links from NPS.gov to and from the nationalmall.org website.
- Regular search engine optimization.
- Design of an HTML e-newsletter for the organization.
Measuring Success
Success of the campaign is measured in two ways: regular increases in traffic and donations through the website and the level of activity on the social media presences.
Since the Trust for the National Mall Web site has launched, we have been able to measure a steady increase in traffic of at least 50% every 6-month period since we began our involvement in the summer of 2007. This, coupled with a regular increase in the amount of donations and e-mail newsletter signups, is a sure sign of success. We achieved this by several methods, including search engine optimization tactics, close coordination with the National Park Service, and actively spreading news stories from such places as CNN, CBS, The Washington Post, and many others through the Web site and other associated Web properties.
The second way we measure our success is a crucial component, because it takes the conversation we need the public to have about the National Mall and how to preserve it and allows them to talk about it in their own comfort zone, on their social network of choice. With our outreach on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Flickr, we have been able to steadily grow an active community that is eager to discuss the issues surrounding the upkeep and maintenance of the National Mall in Washington, DC. By allowing these members to interact with each other and not simply broadcast one-way from the main Trust website, the message is able to grow and spread through the help of a growing community.
Campaigns
Rally to Restore Sanity Campaign - October 2010
- $230,000 from online donations.
- 130,433% increase from the month prior.
- 1,717% increase in website visitors from the month prior.
- 92% increase in Facebook following from the month prior.
End of Year Giving Campaign – December 2010
- A 483% increase in donations compared to previous year.
- A 333% increase in transactions compared to the previous year.
Mother’s Day Flower Donations Campaign – May 2011
- A 236% increase in flower donations compared to previous year.
- A 260% increase in donation transactions compared to previous year.
Fourth of July Campaign - July 2011
- A 1,928% increase in donations compared to previous year.
- A 1,200% increase in donation transactions compared to previous year.
- A 100% increase in donation form traffic compared to previous year.
Awards
- 2008 W3 Awards
- 2009 Davey Awards
- 2010 Davey Awards
Media Coverage
- Washington Post
- ABC 7, NBC 4, FOX 5, WTOP
- Roll Call
- Washington Business Journal
- Associated Press
- MSNBC
- USA Today
- CNN
- New York Times
- CBS News
Related News:
October 20, 2008
Trust for the National Mall Web site wins at the 2008 W3 Awards for Interactive DesignAugust 31, 2008
Carousel30 creates a video for the Trust for the National MallSeptember 8, 2007
Trust for the National Mall Web site launches
-
Tags