What I'm Reading ...

With our CEO Steve out of the office today, I've finally had time to catch up on all the articles and links he's sent me this week. (Shhh ... don't tell.) (Oh, who am I kidding - he's probably reading this as I speak.) (Hi Steve - hope you're having fun on vacation!)

Consider yourself more of a numbers person? This piece from eMarketer shows some of the research about how and why marketers are using content. The #1 reason is to establish their business/organization as thought leaders. And don't you want your association to be a thought leader for your industry?

Still don't see the point of Twitter? This story from JoePRguy is less about developing content and more about the value of paying attention to what's being said. (Of course, being ready and able to quickly respond with content is important, too.)

Confused by hashtags? This post from Naomi Reiter brings up a good point - your content is only valuable if people can find it.

By the way, if you want to stay on top of the latest updates about The Drake Forum for Association Leaders, we've created a Twitter hashtag - #Drake11. Follow along and join in on the conversation!

Thinking about taking your association's publication digital? If your idea of "going digital" is slapping a PDF version of your printed magazine on your website, then you're really missing the point. If you want to see what's possible - here's a nice example from ASAE Associations Now - a digital publication about digital publications.

If your eyes are tired from reading ... Check out this video interview from Hubspot with our favorite content marketer (and upcoming speaker at The Drake) Joe Pulizzi. As he points out, content marketing isn't new. The biggest challenges organizations have is 1) developing good content - content that engages and informs audiences; 2) making the most of the content that's already been created through repurposing and re-imagining; 3) making the commitment to a long-term strategy. Content marketing is not just another campaign.

Don't miss your opportunity to see Joe live and in-person at The Drake -- register today!

5 Simple Ways to Engage Your Members

Want to engage your association members, but don’t have the time? Try these 5 ideas:

1. Make a phone call – simple, right? Call a member who has not been involved in the past six to nine months. Ask them how they are enjoying membership, see if they have any questions and/or ask if they would like to be part of a committee. Before you call, look up the local weather or news, so you have something to engage the member with. The point is to make them feel like they are important and to get them more involved in your association. Because I know you can’t take up a whole day making phone calls, set a goal of contacting five members a week. Making your members feel valuable and important is worth the time. 
2. Make voicemail do the work for you. Use your voicemail to communicate with members when you are not available. After your standard message, add something like “If you would like to renew your membership, visit www.drakeco.com.” or “The application deadline for the Drake Awards has been extended to May 1 - visit www.drakeaward.com.” Let members know you are always thinking of them and anticipating any questions they may have. You never want a member to be left in the dark about a question they have. 
3. ALWAYS communicate to members what’s in it for them. Make it a point to always let members know what they can get out of the benefits your association offers. Show this to members in a membership renewal letter, on your website, through social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter and in your publications and e-newsletters. Constantly letting your member know what they are getting out of membership keeps them interested and engaged, plus these are great opportunities for you to push for members to volunteer and become more involved. 
4. Change your electronic signature. You should be using your electronic signature to the fullest. Every person you send an email to or respond to via email will see your signature. So, be sure to have your association’s logo, Facebook link, Twitter link, LinkedIn link etc. You can also include a link to your association newsletter and anything else you want to promote to your members. Be sure to change the information often enough so members don’t ignore it. 
5. Acknowledge the small efforts of members. Not only is this great when you are looking for content to write about in your association publications, but thanking your members for even the smallest efforts lets them know you care and are paying attention. Encourage them to write articles for your newsletter. This saves you time too! 

Thanks to Lauren Hefner from the Laboratory Products Association for her wonderful ideas which inspired this blog.

What I'm Reading ...

In preparation for The Drake, I've been reading anything I can get my hands on that deals with content marketing and management. So I figured I'd share some of these articles and resources here - look for more on a weekly basis. If you're thinking of joining us in June, these can serve as a great starting point for our discussions.

What is Content Marketing?

We've tried to define content marketing before on this blog - such as here and here. But the examples that Jeff Korhan gives here comparing content to cash really nails it.

The Three-Legged Stool Strategy of Content Marketing

I think there's a misconception out there that content marketing/management deals strictly with digital or social media. Maybe it's because we've been hearing for years that digital is going to replace print any day now. Once again, Joe Pulizzi reminds us that all channels - print, digital and in-person - serve a purpose in a content strategy.

5 Content Marketing Lessons to Learn from the Agony of an Auto Dealer Showroom Experience

Why does content marketing work? Here's a reminder from Content Marketing Today that hits home. As I consider getting a new car, the part of the process I dread the most is dealing with the salespeople. In-your-face sales tactics may work on a car lot, but you can't strong-arm your customers or prospects into visiting your website. (And as an association, we can't bully our members into joining.)

Creating Valuable Content: An Essential Checklist

Another great tool from the Content Marketing Institute - print it, laminate it and post it where you can see it every day as you're creating content.

So, what's on your content marketing "must-read" list?