In our second part of the Digital Marketing for Associations series we talk about messaging. The world and thus messaging has changed in the last decade, with most of us now using smartphones and other types of digital devices that access the Internet. This is how many of us are getting our information, including the news. It is vital that your messaging of the Organisations’ Marketing efforts be geared towards connecting and communicating with your target audience through digital content.
Related: How to Focus Effective Digital Marketing for Associations – Part I: Membership
Savvy digital marketers are currently making very effective use of Social Media, Storytelling and other to spread their Brand’s Message to their online audience.
Social Media Messaging
Associations and other nonprofits would be smart to exploit all the opportunities that social media offers when planning their messaging strategies. Social media can be used extensively for very little, if any cost. Two hundred of the largest and most well known nonprofits are outperforming Fortune 500 companies in this regard, and getting incredible results. We recommend you do the following:
- Set-up Private Online Sites
Establish private online communities, special sites accessible to your members only. This gives them a safe place to communicate and have their voices heard.
- Display Sensitivity
When discussing the news on social media it is important to be sensitive to your audience. In talking about news events, if your messaging seems self-serving it can fall flat, and even backfire.
- Know Your Audience
Building a rapport with your members takes time and effort. Listen to their comments and respond back, be open to suggestions. Connecting on a personal level builds a relationship and this is vital to your success.
Storytelling
Effective storytelling paints a picture for your audience. In telling them why they should join and participate in your organisation, your message should resonate and connect on an emotional level. This kind of messaging is what gets shared on social media and this is vital to the effectiveness of a digital marketing campaign.
Related: The Importance of Conference Exhibition and Sponsorship
Since the trend now is for emotionally evocative storytelling, your content must be written in such a way that your message is conveyed in this manner. What you have on your website, your blogs and on your social media accounts, must be relevant and resonate emotionally in the digital space online.
Users are demanding both transparency and accountability when it comes to organizations they join or participate in. In being transparent your brand is revealing its personality, giving your audience something it can relate to and identify with, a reason to belong.
We invite you to download our White Paper to learn how to convey your messaging effectively in the digital space so that your brand message is shared on social media. You can also find tips on how to grow your membership and strategically plan an effective marketing budget.
White Paper 6: Strategic Planning is Key to Effective Digital Marketing for Associations
