Katrina Podlewska

Communications Manager

Westonbirt, The National

Arboretum

Creating powerful communications

strategies

About

Westonbirt

• The National Arboretum –

over 16,000 rare &

important trees from

around the world

• Heritage landscape

• Tree conservation

• Managed by the Forestry

Commission

• Supported by the Friends

of Westonbirt Arboretum

• 350,000 visits per year

• 26,000 Friends

My role – lead on...

Comms strategy

• Covers both

commercial and

arboricultural

aspects

• Foundation for

media relations,

marketing & online

strategic objectives

• End goal of

supporting visitor

number objectives

Developing the comms strategy

• 3 months to research and

formulate

• Timed strategy to fit in with

business plan

• Written to reflect mission

statement:

“To connect people with trees

to improve the quality of

life.”

Research & background

• Previous comms strategy

• Visitor/ member profiles & research

• Current activities

• Spoke with colleagues in comms/ PR/ media

• Similar organisations’ work

Focus area

• Website (s)

• Facebook

• Twitter

• Blog/forum

• Video

Objectives for focus area

• Strategic objective to communicate

Westonbirt as an all-year-round attraction to

25-45 year olds via online/ social media.

• Increase online sign-up to the Friends

• Rise in use of the forum and visits to the blog

• Increase sign up to the enewsletter and click

throughs to the website(s)

• Increase in Facebook & Twitter followers &

interaction

Getting people on-board

• Training

• Presentations

• How-to document

• Social media ‘champions’

Use of the forum

• Generate and host discussions

• Become a place to discuss experiences

with other members - FAQs

• Competitions to add content

Email newsletter

• Motivation to click to websites

• Incentives to contribute to social

media

• If effective, will help increase

valuable email data

Facebook & Twitter

• Quick, simple messages

• Drive website traffic

• Photography sharing

• Conversation/ reaction

Results...

• Online sign-up up

60%

• Email database up

25%

• Facebook ‘likes’ up

from 1000 to 2,800

• 700+ Twitter

followers after 5

months

• Families up from 33%

to 40 %

Lessons learnt?

• Involve people in ideas – particularly those

who could help deliver content or

champion plans

• Speak to colleagues and search online

networks for advice

• Keep achievable objectives in mind when

finalising strategy

Thank you for your time

Katrina.podlewska@forestry.gsi.gov.uk

@Westonbirtarb