Reaching a Larger Audience through Blogs

Blogs are becoming more and more relevant in today’s culture. Companies and associations are using blogs as a form of marketing. By providing useful information on blogs, the target audience is interested in the material and will be more likely to find use out of the organization. If your company or association already has a blog, here are a few ways to increase your blog’s following. 

1. Use key words. In your blog title, try to include key words that will attract the people you are targeting. It is important to keep it short and possibly even indicate that the blog is short by stating something like, “3 Tips on Networking.” People will be more likely to read the blog if they feel it is something they can quickly glance over and retain. 

2. Repurpose your blogs. If your blogs have important or useful content, do not be afraid to reuse them on other platforms. Some options would be to include the information in a newsletter, social media posts, handouts, and back-linking. Reiterating the content will drive the point home, however, it is important to make sure this is not overdone. New content is necessary to keep people coming back for more. 

3. Submit your blog to industry related websites. Larger websites related to industry news produce new content regularly. By submitting your blog, you are lessening the work on their end and handing them a piece that is useful and interesting to their target audience as well as yours. 

Growing your following is an important step in growing your audience’s awareness of your organization. With that being said, hop on the blog train and reach as many people as you can! 

Social Media Expectations from Association Members

In a world where social media is relevant in both my personal life and business, it is easy to lump the two into the same category. If you already know how to handle social media for yourself, you may assume the same concepts apply to your business or association. This, however, could not be further from the truth. Because it can be hard to separate the two, I decided to watch a webinar on social media and learn more about how the two are separate and what your audience is looking for in your social media platforms. I watched Sprout Social’s webinar on the Evolution of Social Media.

The webinar was very informative and provided many insights on how to better manage social media with a business mindset. I came away from the webinar with two takeaways that relate closely to working with associations. I learned how important it is to be transparent and authentic when posting as well as the effectiveness of employee advocacy.

Followers have transitioned over time as to what they are looking for from an association’s social media. This transition has moved the way companies and associations are speaking with their audience. The platforms started as a way for the association to talk to members and simply have them listen, to a more dynamic relationship between the two. The number one thing that followers are looking for in brands is a sense of authenticity. If you are an association, your primary goals are to make money for the cause and recruit new members. Trying to hide the fact that you are doing this, can come across as misleading. This can be handled by being upfront about the fact that you need money and new members while ensuring the audience that it is for a good cause. Going over why the association is in place and the difference it can make will make members feel as though you are being transparent and honest, therefore, making them more apt to donate.

The webinar also talked about the importance of employee advocacy including a company’s CEO. This concept can also be applied to an association. Involving board members on social media is an effective way to show people who is behind the association and proving that these members believe in it. It not only makes the association more open but also allows another form of marketing on social media for the association. When board members post or share content about the association, they are reaching more people and spreading the message further.

Understanding how social media evolves and what your members expect from you allows you to utilize the platforms in a cheap and effective way.

Upping Your Association's Facebook Game

With social media always evolving, it is important to keep up with where your audience is and how to effectively reach them. Although new social platforms have come out over the past few years, Facebook has remained stable. Attracting and engaging your audience can be difficult at times, so here are a few tips on how to do just that!

1. Make your page valuable. As an association, use the Facebook page to inform the audience. This can be about your specific association, industry related articles, and more. Sharing blog posts, webinars, and upcoming event information are all ways in which you can inform the readers and keep them coming back for more.

2. Do not underestimate the value of visuals. Both photos and videos draw in the most impressions on posts. They are interesting to the member and provide both entertainment as well as information. If you are hosting an upcoming event, try having a board member explain the perks of attending that event. This can be done through Facebook live or uploading your own edited version. This allows members to see the page as a resource for information.

3. Create calls to action. It is important for members of an association to feel valued. By giving members an action to complete, you are making them an active member with a purpose. This can be done by posting polls and surveys related to the association or the industry, sharing links, as well as sending members to your own website.

If you are still looking for more tips on engaging your audience on Facebook, head to Wild Apricots blog, Facebook: The 5 Best Ways to Promote Your Organization. Keeping up with these trends is important in drawing in new members and retaining the ones you have.

Facebook VS Google: Which To Advertise On?

For those of us that have considered taking a risk and venturing out on our own to start our dream business, one key step we’ve needed to seriously consider is how are we going to advertise to our target audience?  Of course there are big money marketing solutions, but for most of us on a penny-pinching budget, we need something effective, yet cost efficient.  My intent for this blog will be to focus on two forms of battling advertising methods, and which of these may be the best for your new start-up business:  Facebook vs. Google.

What I am going to try to determine is whether it’s better to put your company’s future in the hands of one of the largest search engines out there, Google; or if it’s better to strategize with the future of one of the largest growing social media websites, Facebook.

Reaching the Audience

Yes, it is true that Facebook has one billion active monthly members, but surprisingly enough, the winner here is Google.  Google search engine provides results for more than one billion queries from around the world, every day, and its ads are displayed next to relevant results.  Plus, “Google ads can be displayed on thousands of partner sites, which reach upward of 92% of all internet users in the U.S.”, states author Allison Howen in Website Magazine May 2013.

Target Options

Google can target audiences in multiple ways: using keywords, location, time of day, and general audience interest categories. It has the ability to display to people who have particular interests in subject matter. Facebook has a larger ability to target audiences due to user data collected over time. Facebook can target by location, age, gender, marital status, and interests.

For example, a home design store can target options to reach families that have recently moved, or live in a particular location, or have an interest in décor or personalizing their homes. So, the winner for this category goes to Facebook, although Google is in a close second with the launch of its Enhanced Campaigns capabilities.

Potential to Convert

With Google, ads are displayed primarily based on the intent of the consumer. This means that the consumer is usually searching for a particular product and has an immediate interest. As a result, they make the purchase when they find the results they are seeking.  Facebook ads are based on the user’s defined interests and previous behavioral interactions. As this is somewhat more limiting, the winner in this category belongs to Google.

Campaign Impact

According to May’s issue of Websitemagazine.com, Facebook ads tend to produce customers with longer average lifetime values. Why is this? Well, Facebook ads often lead brands to receive an increase in “likes,” which allows brands to continue marketing to these customers.  Fans then interact with the brand’s content and become more comfortable and likely to continue purchasing.  Likewise, they continue to network the brand by spreading the word to friends and family members.

Is there really a great conclusion to this debate? Probably not! The best form of advertising seems to solely depend on the goals of the start-up. If you are looking for an immediate outreach, then Google is the place to target a larger audience.  If you are looking for a smaller target audience that will grow over time, as the market is continuous, then Facebook could be the best solution. If you want to be absolutely sure, and if the pocket book allows, try both forms and see where you notice the most activity. Track, track, and track again!

Find out how our association management professionals can enhance your social media efforts.