ALPHA YOUTH SERIES: COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING TIMELINE This is the recommended communications and marketing plan for the English version of the Alpha Youth Series (AYS), which will be available from October 2017. If you’ve only just translated the current Alpha Youth Film Series and/or the Alpha Film Series in the past year, please feel free to use this plan for ideas on how to promote these other Alpha products and engaging with churches in general. Our aim is to equip NAOs to build momentum, create a buzz and ensure your existing churches already running Alpha are well-resourced with the AYS. We will also aim to suggest ways in which you can engage with churches which are not currently running Alpha in the youth context to ensure they are aware of this youth-specific resource and how it will enable them to run Alpha easily. This document also includes a recommended plan for social media. Feel free to contact us at comms@alpha.org with any questions. Timeline overview:
Asset delivery:
- Tease and Engage: Feb – Sep 2017
- Coming soon video
- May – August: Teaser and trailer videos
- Launch: October 2017
- Introductory blog post (feel free to duplicate this for your own Alpha websites)
- June: Editable versions of banners, posters and postcards
- February: Landing pages on Alpha.org (likewise, feel free to duplicate this for your own Alpha websites)
- September: Training guides and videos that are more specific to the Alpha Youth context
- Roll Out: Ongoing from early October 2017
- February – August: Behind the scenes images and videos
- August: Press release
- Early 2018: International masters and scripts for translation
FEBRUARY Church engagement Work with your Alpha Youth Coordinator(s) to identify key youth pastors and leaders who are already engaged with the current Alpha Youth Film Series and, where possible, are active on social media. These will be your potential early adopters/key AYS advocates. Create a list of these advocates and reach out to them, letting them know about the new AYS and invite them to sign up to your Inside Track or existing churchfacing newsletter. The Inside Track: This will be similar to the Alpha Film Series’ Inside Track newsletters which give churches an exclusive preview of behind-thescenes videos and production information before they are shared publicly. Through this channel, you can then capture early adopters for the AYS. We will be sending you a monthly Inside Track newsletter that you can forward to these advocates
if you so wish. You can also pop the content into your existing church-facing newsletters.
The existing Alpha Youth FIlm Series social media channels will also be phased out, with them all directing to the global Alpha channels.
By reaching out and cultivating a relationship with advocates you can generate an authentic buzz around the new AYS. This can be just as influential (or more influential) as a single influencer tweeting once.
Share: - The Coming Soon video - The landing page on Alpha.org or duplicated on your own Alpha website
Website
Encourage your followers to follow Ben and Jason to journey with them as they film on location.
Decide if you’d prefer using the global AYS landing page on Alpha.org or duplicate it on your own Alpha website. All assets to do so are on the Alpha Hub, Alpha Global site.
Example posts - Get ready for the new #AlphaYouthSeries launching late 2017! - The #AlphaYouthSeries will be reimagined and redesigned this year. Watch out for new episodes coming late 2017 - Introducing the brand new, totally reimagined #AlphaYouthSeries. Coming soon in 2017. - We are launching an updated, totally reimagined #AlphaYouthSeries! Stay tuned for more information
Social media With the new AYS, we really want to promote the idea of one Alpha, many contexts. Therefore we would appreciate if you kindly refrain from setting up separate Alpha Youth social media accounts in your country. Instead, we highly encourage everyone to integrate the AYS content into your Alpha channel.
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and a look behind the scenes as presenters Ben and Jason lead us on a journey to explore life, faith and meaning. Events Research and get in touch with any events e.g. key Christian festivals, conferences, etc. that might be suitable to present Alpha at. This will be a good opportunity to introduce the new AYS to churches. Alternatively, decide if you’d prefer to organise and host an Alpha conference or training event that you could invite your advocates and other churches to. Print/Online/Broadcast Research Christian broadcasters, online blogs, youth magazines and partner online pages. This will be a good channel to promote the AYS to churches and potential Alpha leaders not already known to Alpha. A press release will be available in July.
ALPHA YOUTH SERIES: COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING TIMELINE
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
Church engagement
Church engagement
Church engagement
Church engagement
Church engagement
Continue identifying and reaching out to your Alpha Youth advocates.
Invite your advocates to join with you in promoting the AYS, asking them to share the behindthe-scenes videos and images.
Inform your advocates of which conferences, festivals, events, etc. you will be at and invite them to come along to your Alpha booth and/or your sessions.
Invite your advocates to share the behind the scenes videos on social media.
Ensure your advocates are aware of the print/digital promotional materials available on your website. Encourage them to use them to profile the AYS in their churches and at events.
Send them information about the AYS by either forwarding them the Inside Track newsletter from Alpha Global or duplicating the content in your existing churchfacing newsletter. Social media Continue directing people to the AYS landing pages on Alpha.org or your own Alpha website. Share any new behindthe-scenes videos and images. Retweet and engage with AYS-related posts from Ben and Jason.
Encourage your advocates to consider becoming AYS early adopters. This would mean that they would be the first to use the new AYS from October to run their Alphas as each episode comes out each week. Create a list of these early adopters. Social media Example posts - Go behind the scenes with Ben and Jason.
Example posts
Influencers
- Ben and Jason are going on an adventure this year as they travel to film the new #AlphaYouthSeries
Continue building your list of key social media influencers.
Influencers
Continue doing research into which Christian broadcasters, online blogs, youth magazines and partner online pages you would like to advertise the AYS in.
Start making a list of key social media influencers. Ideal influencer: someone who is influential in the field of youth ministry with a large (ideally 5/10k+) following. This could include well-known youth pastors, authors, worship leaders and Christian celebrities.
Print/Online/Broadcast
Social media Continue sharing any new behind-the-scenes videos and images. Share the production team’s blog, which will be available on the AYS landing pages on Alpha.org.
Continue encouraging your advocates to become early adopters. Social media Continue sharing any new behind-the-scenes videos and images. Example posts - Go behind the scenes with Ben and Jason.
Example posts
Influencers
- Find out more about the team behind the #AlphaYouthSeries - #HiHaveYouMet the Alpha Youth Series director? ...
Continue adding to your social media influencers list.
Events Book your booths and sessions at key Christian festivals, conferences, etc. Print/Online/Broadcast For radio stations, we recommend booking in interviews with influential church leaders, youth pastors and/or key Alpha staff, and then introducing the AYS during the interview.
Events Book your booths and sessions at key Christian festivals, conferences, etc.
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Share your influencers list with the Alpha Global Comms team so we can ensure there is no crossover between offices. We want to cultivate good relationships with key influencers and do not want them to feel pestered if they are contacted by multiple offices. Events Get ready for your festivals/conferences by printing out the necessary AYS promotional material.
Start building excitement around the release of the first AYS episode in October. Website Upload any print/digital promotion materials to your Alpha Builder. This will be available on the Alpha Hub. Social media Continue retweeting and engaging with AYS-related posts from Ben and Jason. Print/Online/Broadcast Create a list of Christian broadcasters, online blogs, youth magazines and partner online pages you would like to advertise the AYS in and commit to an article/advertisement with them, bearing in mind the release date of the first episode (in October). For your reference, a press release will be available in August on the Alpha Hub.
ALPHA YOUTH SERIES: COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING TIMELINE
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
Church engagement
Church engagement
Church engagement
Church engagement
Church engagement
Invite your advocates to share the teaser and full trailer video on social media with their thoughts/ opinions/excitement.
Mobilise your advocates, asking them to join your regional or national social media campaign. Invite them to ask their networks to also join the campaign to reach as many people as possible.
Your advocates will receive a sneak peek of the first episode 24 hours before release—make sure they know not to share it on social media but instead they should save their excitement for the next day when we want to takeover social media feeds with the first episode of the new AYS.
Send out a thank you message from Ben and Jason, e.g. telling the advocates how many people saw the first episode.
Continue rolling out the AYS and let your wider church network know that all episodes of the AYS are now available.
Continue encouraging your advocates to become early adopters. Website Share the teaser and trailer videos to the AYS blog pages on your website. These will all be available on the Alpha Hub. Social media
Ensure your advocates are aware of the print/digital promotional materials available on your website. Encourage them to use them to profile the AYS in their churches and at events. Social media
Example posts
If you want to make some noise on social media and reach a large number of people, then we have found Thunderclap to be a helpful tool. There will be a global thunderclap with Ben and Jason which we would love you to join and promote.
- Here’s a first look at the new #AlphaYouthSeries
Continue sharing the teaser and full trailer video.
- The #AlphaYouthSeries, launching in October
Example posts
Share the teaser and trailer videos. Continue building excitement around the release of the first AYS episode in October.
Print/Online/Broadcast Get in touch with the Christian broadcasters, online blogs, youth magazines and partner online pages you would like to advertise the AYS in or to get press from. Send them the press release
- The #AlphaYouthSeries, launching next month - We want to make some noise about the new #AlphaYouthSeries! Join our Thunderclap to add your voice
Continue encouraging your advocates to become early adopters and use the AYS as soon as the first episode is released. Social media LAUNCH! On launch day follow the conversation around the AYS and keep retweeting positive reactions to the first episode and interacting with users who are sharing their thoughts. Encourage your followers to watch and share the first episode. Print/Online/Broadcast If you haven’t already, send the press release to Christian press, blogs, youth magazines and partner online pages.
Influencers Reach out to your influencers, sharing the teaser or trailer video with them and asking them to join the conversation on social media and share the first episode of the AYS with as many people as possible.
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Keep your early adopters informed of the episode delivery schedule and where they are available. Encourage them to share images, endorsements and write blogs about their experience of using the AYS for the first time. This will be very useful for engaging with other churches. Social media Influencers Thank your influencers for their involvement by sharing an update with them about the launch (e.g. ‘Thank you so much X for helping us launch the new Alpha Youth Series. With your help we reached X people worldwide. We are so excited to see what God will do with this new series.’) Review your influencers list to note who was involved so you have a record for the future.
All episodes of the English version will be released for download on Alpha Builder (Alpha.org/run) and Courses System (courses.alpha.org). Remind your churches that they can also preview the episodes without having to register their Alphas in the Learn How/ Preview section on Alpha Builder. Please get in touch with us at comms@alpha. org if you’re interested in translating the series, so that we can work out how best to get the international masters and scripts to you. These will be available in early 2018. Website & social media Share the endorsements, testimonies and blogs from your early adopters. Events Consider inviting your early adopters to a panel interview/training event, to discuss using the AYS to run Alpha and encourage other churches and youth groups to do the same.