Mark Rauterkus, scope of work and jobs described
Global
Conventional wisdom says ISCA promotes the art and science of swimming coaching. We develop and enhance the professional skills of swimming coaches worldwide and foster camaraderie and collaboration among coaches.
SwimISCA.org says, in part, ISCA provides swimming coaches and teachers with an exceptional, science-based education, while fostering an international network of professionals who will define the future of swimming.
Teamwork makes the dream work.
Doug does meets and leadership. Brad clinics. Matt has head-hunter tasks. Clarissa marketing. Kaitlin does office and bill payments. Mark's idea is to support all of those efforts and offer day-to-day duties, with tech, web insights and online leadership. On another level, I’ve been ISCA's digital citizen within aquatics, coaching and the idea marketplace.
Mark’s numerous roles connect to the over-arching mission:
- providing,
- fostering camaraderie,
- collaboration,
- coaches and TEACHERS,
- exceptional education,
- network, and
- future.
Getting ISCA’s operation moving into the future, for the benefit of the organization and swimming's landscape, these concepts need to be put into regular practice.
- Lead generation
- Acquisition / penetration
- Liquidation offers
- Upsells
- Backend
- Backlist (publishing term)
- SAAS
- eCommerce
- Consultative sales
- Certification
- Recurring Income
- Globalization
- Automations
- SMS messages
Specifics
SwimISCA.org says Mark's duties are Web, LAP & Membership.
- Web = Webmaster
- LAP = Lifestyle Aquatic Programs
- Community, Membership = Read and the LMS (Learning Management System)
Others are welcome to join with the social media tasks.
Ninety-nine percent of ISCA's social media posts in the past years have been from Mark Rauterkus.
- Facebook (a favorite platform)
- ISCA’s Facebook page
- ISCA’s Twitter / X
- ISCA’s LinkedIn
- Instagram (occasionally),
- Constant Contact email blasts (occasional),
- No TicToc
- No WhatsApp
- Network building, list growing, contact / relationship awareness, and
- Some customer service / tech support happens with social media.
- Gathers content at clinics for social media and beyond.
Managing and maintaining the organization's websites is Mark's domain, most of the time.
Website Development and Implementation of designers
The webmaster should be responsible for developing, and maintaining the organization's website. I should be the one to create web pages, layouts, graphic placement, and ensuring a consistent user experience across the site.
- Doug’s wishes and desires should be accommodated, hence the months-long-delay in launching the new home page via U Del interns.
- Illustration and design is for others.
Content Management
Update content, add new content, edit and ensure that information (provided to the webmaster) is accurate and up-to-date.
- Meet info PDFs are the domain of meet director and that content is only posted on the web by the webmaster.
Content Creation
Promote and deliver in-person and digital materials from ebooks, courses, lessons, micro-experiences, webinars, memberships, web pages, blog postings, podcasts, concept maps, presentations, handouts.
Incomes get directed to ISCA.
Sometimes, content plans have financial implications, these remain as sticking points.
- Royalties and partner payments since 3Q 2023, for Dr. M and his publisher.
- The offer for Dr. Hoog's three books remains in idle.
- Desired discussions: Responses / Budget / Incentives / Investment Plan
Deploy best practices / prudent practices
- SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
- Backups
- Updates for plugins, tools, maintenance
- Ensure security.
- Password log easily delivered in the case of a catastrophic accident.
- Hosting
- Watching analytic, site speed, visibility, authority and traffic.
- Providing technical support for website users and troubleshooting issues that arise.
- Domain
- Membership transactions and digital delivery
- CDN (Content Delivery Network) with Sirv.com
Integration with systems and trends
Example: DMARK changes from Google and Yahoo.
Presently investigating a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software, various email marketing platforms, and e-commerce systems. Webmaster should be responsible for managing these integrations and work to ensure seamless functionality.
Learning about POS / Clover and Whovia.
Facilitate training and documentation for staff members.
This unfolds with an archive at Help.CLOH.org. Ensures that everyone involved understands how to use the site and other tools effectively.
Stay current with trends and technologies.
A great deal of time is invested into study and exploration, keeping up-to-date with the latest web development trends, technologies, and best practices.
Attend online conferences, take courses, have tech coaches and participate in online and in-person communities to stay informed.
- A SAAS (Software As A Service) event worth my attendance is in Dallas in October. Price is more than $1,000 to attend.
Invested in office hardware: Computers, camera, microphones, printers, hard disk drives, etc.
Web ads and paid-for blog postings.
People have paid for web display ads. Other pay for blog postings. As these occur, offers are handled by the webmaster and payments is made to ISCA.
Working to interface with Barry Healey in B.C., Canada to modernize, rebrand, expand, support and build a swim curriculum, U CAN Swim, that can scale throughout the USA and beyond. The upside for a partner in the learn-to-swim space for ISCA and its customers / members is great.
- ISCA’s common-ground in this venture at this time includes an alliance and tech support resources but not ownership.
- Mark is drafting a cooperative plan with AOAP / NDPA for Feb 2025's event in St. Petersburg, FL
- Digital membership cards are coming for U CAN Swim.
Subdomains, Read and Blog, are webmaster projects.
The LMS (Learning Management System), Membership activities and transactions occur at Read.SwimISCA.org. Incomes go to ISCA.
- Tremendous value of memberships and its content is, sadly, an unknown to Doug.
- When memberships are promoted, income is generated.
- Best funnel success was with an upsell checkbox at the time of meet reservations. The accounting for meets with extra income proved difficult.
- A comprehensive strategy with email sales from the webmaster for Sunday or Monday mailings should be discussed and approved.
Mark hopes to continue to bring extra value and interactions to ISCA events.
- A first-time SKWIM experience was provided as a side-line, pop-up at the 2023 Open Water Festival.
- A robust membership plan would cover costs of Mark’s attendance at meets.
- Seeking a support / video / hospitality / admin role(s) that can be blended into the operations at Hampton, Global, Open Water and St. Petersburg events.
Gather content at clinics for social media and beyond.
Provide public speaking and presentations for clinics and professional gatherings.
While not headliner among Olympians and Hall of Fame Coaches, speaking and helping with all the clinics can offer valued insights.- Spoke at the last ISCA Summit.
- Supported Dr. Maglischo with his day-long clinics.
- Presented at Ohio Roundtable and PA Coaches.
- Due to present at a mini clinic in Maine in May 2024.
ISCA provided insurance paperwork for water polo practices. Some incomes were generated through SendOwl.
Afterschool projects and proposals to the school district for swim programs have been funded and attempted.
Expansion of scholastic swimming, code name, I-League, is expected to be a long-range project needing institutional, regional and state-wide support modification.
Offer ideas and opportunities to Doug, such as an appeal for meets from Canada.
Sadly, those efforts are elsewhere.
Prior attempts to improve these operations with webmaster and association support were thwarted. The twisted history and a redress is for leadership to guide some day.
Future
A robust, impactful, future for ISCA can be with SAAS and high-ticket opportunities that combine meets, courses, memberships with stop watches, test sets, learning opportunities, game play, and U CAN Swim. ISCA can thrive with SAAS.
- Desire experiential learning at clinics and events.
- Desire a 2024 migration away from Constant Contact.
Affiliate marketing and affiliate sales are unrealized income opportunities for ISCA. Email outreach is necessary.
Some LAP & ISCA joint sponsorships are possible with consumer products.
A system-wide effort to gather testimonials, especially for meets, is desired.
More user / customer experience optimization by keeping visitors engaged and satisfied with surveys and emails should be part of the webmaster's tasks. ISCA can always be seeking input. Conduct usability tests, gather feedback from users, and implement changes to enhance the overall UX. The hesitation is for sending out too many emails, is a trivial worry at this time.
Agendas
Needed: Sunday &/or Monday Email Blasts
To build membership income and to generate additional value for subscribers to the email newsletters, email blasts from the webmaster are desired.
Dr. Hoog content plan / payment
Dr. Maglischo content payment
CPO content plan
Insure clinic trade-show presences
Consider clinic presentation opportunities
Affiliate sales.
Silver memberships for retired individuals.