Cohousing-L Mailing List: RE: Importance of logos in marketing: Marketing materials

[Rob Sandelin (Exchange) (Robsan]

Having collected a fair set of Cohousing promotional material I have
found that materials which are inviting and friendly to read really
stand out. I personally find Handout materials that have a good balance
of white (empty) space, pictures, Easy to scan headings with direct,
simple paragraphs under the headings, to be much more readable than a
solid block of ininterupted text.

I think you might consider a tiered strategy in your promitional
materials. The first tier should be a single page handout which you make
hundreds of and hand out everywhere. This handout covers the basic
notions of cohousing, why its great, your project, and why its great,
and lots of followup references. . This first level does not have to be
every single complete detail of the project, just the basics, including
location and cost, since these are the two most significant filters.
Ideally you want people to read this, screen themselves, so those that
call you are already in a pre-screen category: Yes! Cohousing, Yes!
Location is good, Yes I can afford those prices.

The second tier of information is where you hit all the details, vision
statements, goals, buy in downpayments, process, etc.  This second tier
is often several pages of stuff, and you want to reserve it for those
folks who are most likely to become members.  You might even break all
this into chunks, with first time meeting goers getting the process
document and vision statement. Then at the third meeting the rest of the
paperwork on buyin costs, whatever.  

If somebody comes to three meetings, they are about a likely a member
candidate as you are going to find. My experience has been that people
who are going to bail, never come to a second meeting, however folks
that have been to at least three meetings are worth investing in.

The first handout will go to hundreds, the second to dozens, the final
few are those who will likely be your neighbors.  After five years of
doing recruiting work, I have found I seldom get very involved with
potential members until they have been to at least three meetings, and
those that keep hanging out, coming over on the weekends, volunteering
for projects, etc. are ones that stay.

Rob Sandelin
Sharingwood
Sold out with a waiting list that keeps growing