In our experience, when clients come to us without considering their marketing or publication needs ahead of time, they’re surprised by the cost or time involved to successfully promote their program or create their materials. And this is understandable, because you, the client, are concentrating on the program or product itself, not on all the preliminary steps that need to be taken, all the items that need to be produced, all the ways of getting the word out, or even when the word needs to get out. We can guide you through the process, while you focus on running the program or writing the publication.

For advice or to set up a consultation, contact Marketing and Media Services director Loc Hoang at lochoang@umd.edu or 301-405-2915. He or another staff member will usually respond within 2 business days.

Why come to you for publications and marketing advice?

You don't have to come to us. But getting published or promoting your work or program can involve a significant investment of time and energy. We have the expertise to manage every aspect of a publication or marketing project. We can also handle outsourced portions of work for your maximum benefit. You don't have to make decisions in a vacuum when we’re here to give good, experienced guidance and help—at little or no cost.

How can I get the best solution for the money I have budgeted?

Consult with us. You’ll be amazed at what we can do with small budgets. But it’s better to consider the cost of marketing before you apply for a grant. If you need some ideas, come to us. It’s our business to help you find solutions to your problems.

About Marketing

What is marketing?

Marketing is NOT just advertising…

What do I do if I want to market my program?

Contact Pam Townsend at pbt@umd.edu or 301-405-4595. She or another staff member will usually respond within 2 business days.

How do I write an effective news release?

Consult Ten Simple Steps to a Successful News Release. For more information contact Pam Townsend at pbt@umd.edu or 301-405-4595. She or another staff member will usually respond within 2 business days.

How do I get more attention for my work?

Contact Pam Townsend at 301-405-4595 or pbt@umd.edu. She will help and/or advise you in developing appropriate strategies.

How can you help me get funding?

People who give out grant and tax money need to be convinced that funding you will reap a good return on their investment. Preparing a persuasive, yet concise, proposal takes high-quality grant-writing skills. Let us help you craft your messages to legislators and other funders.

We can also help you establish a strategic marketing campaign designed to highlight and distinguish your reputation or program, putting you in a better position to command the funding you need.

Success breeds success, and builds the reputation of the whole college. As the college’s prestige increases, donations and reasons for legislators to keep funding college programs increase. It’s in our best interest to make you look good in every aspect of communication: your success means our success.

How do I get my business cards, letterhead, and badges printed?

For formal business cards and letterhead, contact Jerry Boyd, University Printing, at jboyd@mercury.umd.edu or 301-405-8895, and make your request.

The marketing tool kit has templates for all badges and for letterhead to use either as an e-mail attachment or for internal or informal printed communication.

About Publications and Publishing

What types of publications and other materials does the college produce?

Brochures
Bulletins
Fact sheets
Flyers
Leaflets
Newsletters
Banners
Bookmarks
CDs
Event announcements and programs
Exhibits
Invitations
Posters
Web pages

How long will my job take?

Turnaround Time lists estimated times for producing AGNR jobs.

If you still have questions, contact Loc Hoang, Marketing and Media Services director, at lochoang@umd.edu or 301-405-2915. He or another staff member will usually respond within 2 business days.

How much will my project cost?

Contact Marketing and Media Services director Loc Hoang at lochoang@umd.edu or 301-405-2915. Depending on the stage of your project, he’ll have you fill out a production checklist or he’ll produce a cost estimate based on the known specifications.

How do I get something published?

Contact Marketing and Media Services Director Loc Hoang at lochoang@umd.edu or 301-405-2915. He or another staff member will usually respond within 2 business days.

How do I work with you to get my print or web publication produced?

AGNR Print and Web Publishing offers a step by step guide to producing your publication and working with Marketing and Media Services. If you still have questions, contact Loc Hoang, Marketing and Media Services director, at lochoang@umd.edu or 301-405-2915. Usually, he or another staff member will answer your questions within 2 business days.

How do I write a good fact sheet?

Elements of an Effective Fact Sheet is a short guide to fact sheet writing. Write your manuscript offers other links about writing for a consumer audience. Planning your communications project and Communications tips from North Dakota State University’s Ag Communications can help you plan your publication. If you still have questions, contact Loc Hoang, Marketing and Media Services director, at lochoang@umd.edu or 301-405-2915. He or another staff member will usually respond within 2 business days.

What is graphic design?

Generally, graphic design is involved in everything that people experience, from television and the web, to their everyday products and reading material. All these are thought-out constructions, arrangements, and visual stimuli that influence our perceptions and reactions in fairly predictable ways.

Since the advent of computer technology, and the proliferation of graphic software, the term graphic design is often applied to every act of visual arrangement. However, as Ann Marie Barry, a noted professor of visual communications at Boston College, says, "designers must develop an understanding of how people receive information below the surface of awareness, and learn to integrate the whole design into a coherent and psychologically appropriate pattern, rather than to merely 'decorate' with particulars."

How do I submit a document to Marketing and Media Services for publishing?

Preparing your manuscript and submitting artwork and photos according to Submission Guidelines speeds up the editing and design process. If you still have questions, contact Loc Hoang, Marketing and Media Services director, at lochoang@umd.edu or 301-405-2915. He or another staff member will usually respond within 2 business days.

What is the format for submitting the pictures or graphics for my publication?

Artwork, photos/slides, and figures explains how to submit high-quality electronic files of photos and other artwork. If you still have questions, contact Loc Hoang, Marketing and Media Services director, at lochoang@umd.edu or 301-405-2915. He or another staff member will usually respond within 2 business days.

Why won't the image I downloaded from the web work in my print publication?

USDA’s Visual Communications Center explains it this way:

An image that looks great on your screen has been optimized for screen viewing. This same image won’t look as good when printed in your next 4-color publication. Why? Monitors are low-resolution devices requiring small, low-resolution images. To optimize an image for the web, the resolution (the image’s sharpness or clarity, defined by the number of dots of color per inch or “dpi”) is reduced to the smallest dpi ratio possible (usually 72 dpi), the color palette is reduced from a potential 16.7 million colors to 256 or less, and the image is finally compressed into a GIF or JPG format, usually resulting in loss of some image detail. If researching the web is your favorite way to find images for your print publications, limit your search to quality stock photography company websites. These sites have powerful keyword-driven search engines and usually offer thousands of high-quality, high-resolution images for a fee. Traditional image media is always acceptable, of course. Request copies of slides, transparencies, or photo prints from your image source. Also, talk to your designers. They can help you find options that will best suit your publication.

Adapted from USDA Visual Communications Center

Where can I get clip art or video art?

Many sites offer free clip art. But be careful to read all the site copyright information, because usage may be restricted. For instance, some free clip art can only be used on websites or educational materials, while others are restricted to no more than 100 printed copies. For good photo clip art visit our photographer's photo site or our list of links to clip art [Kerry to create a site with links and video links] for a start. Also try NAL clip art, the National Agricultural Library’s site.

About Copyright and Permissions

Who owns the copyright to my publication?

The copyright usually belongs to the creator of the publication, unless it is a work for hire. Additional information about copyright ownership:
From University of Maryland (includes lots of other links to copyright information)
From University of Texas

Can I copy information from other websites and paste it into my print or web document?

The same copyright laws that apply to print publishing also apply to web publishing. In general it’s always a good idea to ask permission to use someone else’s intellectual property. However, material used for educational purposes, without permission, does fall under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law.

To paraphrase the Library of Congress and other sources, the law allows educators, and others, “fair use” of copyrighted material without permission of the owner. Copyrighted works may be used for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. In determining whether a use is “fair use” or not, courts consider, in part:

the purpose and character of the use (including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes);
the nature of the copyrighted work (giving creative works more protection than factual works);
the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole (including size and quality, i.e., does the
portion represent the ‘heart’ of the work); and
the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.”

Source: http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.html

More information about copyright laws, notices, and “fair use” guidelines:

University of Maryland
Stanford University’s Copyright and Fair Use Center, which offers comprehensive and straightforward explanations of the issues.
Library of Congress
U.S. Copyright Office
Copyright Clearance Center

How do I get permission to use someone else’s intellectual property in my publication?

Download our sample permissions letter and sample copyright permissions form (Word doc), which includes instructions for use.

About Web Terms

What are key words in web documents?

A key word is a word or a multiple-word combination describing the subject of your web article or page. Carefully select your key words: think about what words your readers will use to search for your information. Use the National Agriculture Library (NAL) Thesaurus as a tool for finding the various common-term synonyms for your key words. Emphasize 10 or 15 key words or key-word combinations and make sure you use those key words in your text. One of the methods search engines such as Google use to find and rank sites is looking for key words.

General thesauruses:
http://www.m-w.com/thesaurus.htm
http://thesaurus.reference.com/

Metadata and metatags—what are they?

Metadata from your web page or article is like the information about a book in a card catalogue. The major use of metadata now is as a reference and archival tool, although some search engines use it to find websites. Metadata is composed of heading/title, summary/description, author name, date of publication, geographic classification, subject classification, and key words. Metadata reside in the source code of your page and doesn’t affect its appearance.

Metatags are the individual HTML tags that make up the metadata. Sometimes “metatag” is used to mean metadata.

For more information, contact Loc Hoang

Last updated: 04/15/2007