Last week on Wednesday Roundup, we discussed the member cycle, i.e., the journey from prospect to a member. The member cycle helps administrators know what to offer and when to offer it. Think about how your content differs for a prospect versus a 10-year member? Use this information to set up workflows that increase your bottom line. To read more, check out the post here.
This week’s tip for revenue growth is making your association stand out. In this day and age, there’s literally an association for everything. How can you differentiate yourself? What makes your story unique? A prospect has hundreds of group to choose from so it’s important to create content that resonates with the specific member type you’re looking for.
Before you start creating content, determine your ideal member type. Think about the type of professional who fits the mold. Be specific. The Whole Brain Group uses this method to identify their ideal customer.
Describe Your Ideal Member
“Understand who your ideal customer is and what similarities they have. Define your customers with the following criteria:
- Demographics – their age, gender, income, etc.
- Psychographics – their personality type, preferences, etc.
- Behavior – their similar likes and dislikes, sports, hobbies, etc.”
Remember, the more specific the better. Find your target market and get involved in their community. Not sure where that community is? Keep reading.
Where Do They Hang?
Figure out where your members hang out. Is it LinkedIn or Facebook? Do they attend community events or participate in online forums? Find them and engage. Don’t try to make a sale at this point – it’s better to first show interest and participate in the conversation. Once you’ve developed a relationship and shown credibility, invite them to a webinar or your next luncheon.
What Do They Need?
Thinking you know what a member needs is not enough. You must ask questions, research and then some. Figure out what’s missing in the industry – would a weekly webinar covering tips in the industry be helpful? Or maybe a monthly newsletter that summarizes important news?
Make A Plan
Now that you’ve got an idea of your ideal member types, where they’re located and what resources they need, it’s time to create content. Before opening up your google doc and digging in, quickly outline how you’ll share your content (aka the medium), how frequently you want to post and the length of your posts.
Here at AMO, we share our content on The Association Insider and all the relevant social media channels. We do our best to post every day of the week and keep our posts to about a 3-5 minute read time. If you’re just beginning your content output, think about this stat – “according to Sprout Worth, over half of the most effective content marketers put out new content types for their readers at least several times a week, if not every single day,” says Neil Patel, a New York Times best seller and market influencer. Now that may seem like a lot content – and it is – but it’s now a common benchmark.
To keep up with the trends, assign topics or days of the week to your team members. That way, you’ll get a range of perspectives and not feel overwhelmed with all the work.
Topics That Serve Your Members
You’ve got your plan, schedule and are ready to put fingers to keyboard. As your write, pay attention to what’s happening in the industry. Keep up with trends and exciting news so you can be the first to report. Delight your members by sharing it on your blog or social media account.
Feel like you don’t have the bandwidth for content creation? We understand! Or sister company, ArcStone, has a slew of writers to help you. To learn more, email me at aketcham@arcstone.com.
