a practical approach to content marketing for your association

®Agenda

• Structure and Strategy (Brian)• Best Practices (Becky)• Tactics and Tools (Lauren)

April 11, 2023DRAKE & COMPANY | Making Dreams Flywww.drakeco.com | blog.drakeco.com

®Organizational Revolution


®Gatekeepers of Information


News

Audience

Information

Traditional Media

®Gatekeepers of Information


®Gatekeepers of Knowledge


ExpertKnowledge

Members

Information

Association

®Content-Driven Organization




President, CEO

VP, Client Management

Executive Directors

Assistant Executive

Director(s)

Education Coordinator(s)

VP, Client Services

Director of Membership

Services

Membership Services

Specialist(s)

Director of Content

Management

Content Management Specialist(s)

Freelancers

Director of Marketing &

Communication

Marketing & Communications

Specialist(s)

Marketing & Development Specialist(s)

Director of Meetings &

Events

Meeting & Event Specialist(s)

Director of Fund

Development

Fund Development Specialist(s)

VP, Financial Services

Accounting Specialist(s)


• Internal champion• Executive leadership• Board support• BONUS: Dedicated volunteers / committee

members


®


You don’t define your audience.

Mistake #1

®Be specific with each piece of content


All NCTA members

Choose & Cut growers

C&C growers who operate a gift shop

10 Gift Trends for 2011

®Targeting leads to variety


Member Profiles

Industry Trends

Research &

Technical Info

Legislation & Policy

Business & Finance

How-Tos

Technology & Tools

Idea Sharing

Career Advice

Education & Training

Marketing &

Promotion

Legal Issues

Personal Growth &

Development

®It’s not just about members …

• Mainstream media• Industry media• Consumers/General Public• Researchers• Universities• Students• Policymakers• Potential Members


Is your association the expert in their

eyes?

®


It’s all me, me, me (or us, us, us).

Mistake #2

®Be user-focused


Your association can be the hero of the story, but it shouldn’t be the entire cast of

characters.

®We’re all a little selfish


“If a story is not about the hearer, he will not listen.” – John Steinbeck

“You’re so vain … you probably think your content is about you.” – Carly Simon

(Ok, that’s not exactly what she said, but we know it’s what she meant.)

®


Not addressing your members’ pain points

Mistake #3

®Find out what keeps them up at night


Not sure? Then ask!• Member/reader surveys• Editorial committee• Social media• Informal conversations• Where else do they go for information?• LISTEN

®


What is your association currently producing that is so relevant and valuable that it

earns a spot on your members’ fridge?

Practice Refrigerator Journalism

Your Story Here

®


Confusing “content” with “tools”

Vs.

Mistake #4

®


It all starts with content

“Engaging content starts and ends with telling a good story.” – David Drickhamer

®


Tools are the delivery vehicle

Content Tools

®


Tools help you share the story

Reducing Antibiotic Residues

®


Mistake #5

Not making the most of your contentReuse

RepurposeReimagine

®


How many of these are you using?

Webinars

Magazines

Email newsletters

White papers

Blogs

Facebook

Twitter

Online Forum

Videos

Podcasts

Slideshare

Conferences

Websites

Directories

Journals

YouTube

LinkedIn

Print Newsletters

Newsrooms

Digital pubs

User-generated content

®


Overlooking the importance of an editor

Mistake #6

®


An editor’s many roles

• Strategist• Brand management• Managing editor• Traffic manager• Copyeditor• Diplomat

®


Your content is your voice

Is your content• Accurate?• Professional?• Presented in the

best format?• Useable?• Consistent?• Readable?

Does it• Offer a clear

voice?• Provide a call to

action /“so-what”?• Tell a story?• Address a need or

pain point?

®


Producing content and forgetting about it

Mistake #7

®


If content is produced and never read or used, did it really exist at all?• Archive • Share• Re-imagine• Measure• Evaluate• Adjust

Keep your content alive

®


• Communications audits – internal or external• Reader surveys• Member surveys/interviews• Analytics• Action/response

If there’s a problem, it’s not the reader’s fault!

Measurement Tools

®Checklist


• Does your content answer “What’s in it for me?”

• Does your content have at least one trigger to action?

• Are you patient?• Have you developed an editorial

calendar?• Can your users easily find, access and

share your content?• Are you prepared for doing something –

or at least one thing – really, really well?

®Know your members

“Start with people, not tools.”

-Maddie Grant, CAE


®Social media strategy

Develop a strategy first, then make your move.


®Quality over quantity


“If everyone jumped off the

bridge, would you do it too? ”

Remember what Mom always said:

®Social Media listening

Communication is a two-way street


®


Listen and respond

Listening Tools

®Case Study #1: AACH

American Academy on Communication in Healthcare• Professional networking• Industry Leader


+ =

®LinkedIn Group


®Case Study #2: Trees for Troops

A program of the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation• Share stories and photos• Military families, soldiers and

Christmas tree farms


®Facebook


®Measurement

Strategy should guide measurement

• Are you measuring what you need to be?


®Measurement Tools

• Google Analytics• HootSuite / TweetDeck• Radian6• EdgeRank Checker• Bit.Ly• Others


®Questions?


®Take Aways

• Tech is revolutionizing associations – content will help you keep your association on top.

• Avoid seven common mistakes.• Start with people, not the tools.


®Thank You!

Brian Reuwee@BrianReuwee or [email protected]

Becky [email protected]

Lauren Mangnall@LaurenMangnall or [email protected]
