The FORUM Effect

Develop a Social Media Strategy or Just Jump In?

Lots of professionals have felt the need to get into the whole social media thing. It is quick and easy to set-up a Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter page and get started. But, is this the best approach?

At today's Association Forum annual meeting, the session on social media given by Greg Fine and Sherry Budziak covered a lot of good ground but what struck me the most was how they emphasized the need to develop a social media strategy. It is so basic but true. The old saying "Ready, Fire, Aim" could be applied to the way many of us -- including me -- attacked social media. We just wanted to get a first-hand look at the media to judge for ourselves and find out what the buzz was about. Fortunately, there is time to step back and now formalize a social media strategy.

The steps Greg and Sherry suggested are straight forward and bear sharing here:

1. Define your objectives. What do you want to happen as a result of being involved with social media?
2. Think about segmenting your customer (or membership) base. This is just good marketing so that you can direct targeted messages to different segments which have different needs and perceptions.
3. Design an overall integration plan. How will your social media fit with the other things you are doing especially in marketing areas but don't forget meetings, membership, and publications?
4. Evaluate the various platforms (the Web sites such as Facebook) and learn a bit on how they work and how they are different from one another. There are new platforms and new apps coming online nearly daily.
5. Look at the potential to generate some revenue from social media activity. You could sell more books or increase the attendance at the next conference. What else?
6. Plan to devote the time and resources to manage the whole process. Involvement in social media is not a set-it-up-and-walk-away thing but something that needs nuturing to grow organically. As a rule of thumb, social media sites should be reviewed/updated several times a week if not daily.
7. Put the analytical metrics in place to study the Return-on-Investment (ROI).

So, if you haven't started with social media yet start by reading my article in the June edition of FORUM. Then, develop your own social media strategy and jump in. The good news is most of this is free except for staff time so the upfront investment in small. The benefits are there so what are you waiting for?

Blazing the Social Media Trail

Associations have been engaged in the meeting business (conferences and conventions) for as long as anyone can remember. For those association executives having a hard time getting their arms around the new social media, they can think of it in terms of the traditional meeting that they know and likely love.

Traditional meetings have attendees who come to meet with peers and experts to exchange ideas and discuss solutions to common problems. Attendees also spend time with vendors/exhibitors to learn about the latest technology or business solution. They usually hear experts deliver presentations filled with good advice on a range of topics.

At the end of the traditional meeting, attendees ideally go away with new contacts, greater knowledge, and a renewed sense of being connected with a group of people who share a common field of interest.

This can happen all online with by using the capabilities of social media. The new media offers ways to exchange information, mutually discuss solutions or the merits of products and services, obtain knowledge, and make meaningful new connections with those of similar interest or those with knowledge to be shared.

Association executives can look to the new social media for creative solutions to some age-old challenges of generating revenue, connecting professionals with similar interests, providing a forum for discussion, and sharing valuable information in new and, most of the time, more immediate ways.

The novelty of the this media gives associations new tools to have continuous engagement with their membership. So, try blazing your own trail with some of the social media in your organization. At the very least, this media gives associations some inexpensive networking tools to start conversations before their traditional meetings, continue them at the event, and continue it afterwards.

Read the June/July Digital Edition Today.

       

Read the June/July 2009 digital edition here.

they’re just not that into you

Associations are always concerned with first year members that do not renew.  In following up with members who drop after their first year, the reason they state most often is “Not Interested”.  No need to close your office door and weep quietly – it’s not you, it’s them.  Engaging a first year member is like dating.  If you do not offer what they’re looking for, they’ll move on and date your competition.  Your association can not be all things to all members.  Concentrate on your member benefits and what makes your association unique.  And, if after using your most engaging ways to make the first year member into a life-time member, you fail.  It’s okay; they’re just not that into you.

However, if you have a member who drops after the second year, there is cause for concern.  They have invested two years worth of dues and time into your organization.  They have given you two years to prove your value to them.  They were interested enough after the first year to give you a second chance.  Call them, survey them, in some way contact them to find out what happened.  This will be a gold mine of information for you on your products and services.  You don’t have to like what you hear, but you need to hear it.