Categories applicable:
- Entrepreneurship
- Leadership/Team Building
Financial planning is critical to any organization, including student newspapers. During my time on the Hawkeye, I have gained firsthand experience in ad sales, event planning and financial management in order to assure the Hawkeye’s financial security.
Advertisements & Hawkeye Financial Strategy
When we made the commitment to modernize the organization in 2013, we knew that our business strategy would need to modernized as well. Several key staff members and I held multiple meetings in order to define our audience and develop an business plan. We updated our media kit to show new options and packages available.
Click on the link to see the Hawkeye Media Kit 2015.
I assisted our general manager and our advertising manager in meeting with potential advertisers, helping edit and design advertisements and helping establish positive relationships with our clients.
With our emphasis on expanding our web presence, we sought out online advertisers in particular. I helped sell a home page banner advertisement that funded our website for an entire year (see ad below).
Special Events & Fundraisers
Although we cover nearly all newspaper expenses through ad sales, we hold several fundraisers throughout the year in order to reduce costs for things like national conventions and technology.
I have had a direct role in planning, coordinating and staffing several of these events. Most recently, we held a Father-Daughter Ball in order to raise funds for the JEA/NSPA Spring 2015 Convention in Denver, Colorado.
Part of our strategy in promoting these events is the use of social media. Here are a few examples of social media’s role in promoting our events:
Nick Fiorillo 