{"id":2847,"date":"2014-07-06T10:44:31","date_gmt":"2014-07-06T14:44:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/?p=2847"},"modified":"2014-07-06T10:44:31","modified_gmt":"2014-07-06T14:44:31","slug":"15-year-olds-can-teach-associations-content-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/15-year-olds-can-teach-associations-content-strategy\/","title":{"rendered":"What 15-Year-Olds Can Teach Associations About Content Strategy"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_2848\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2848\" style=\"width: 100px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2014\/06\/JillAndreuSmall.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2848\" src=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2014\/06\/JillAndreuSmall.jpg\" alt=\"Jill Andreu\" width=\"100\" height=\"91\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2848\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Jill Andreu, Naylor Association Solutions<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\">A colleague recently told me a story about how his 15-year-old daughter carries out her content strategy on Instagram.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\">She doesn\u2019t call it &#8220;content strategy.&#8221; She simply calls it &#8220;posting photos on Insta.&#8221; (Other parents out there probably recognize this slang.) But my colleague noticed that one afternoon, after his daughter snapped a &#8220;selfie&#8221; of them together, she didn\u2019t immediately post the photo to her Instagram account as usual. At first he thought she didn\u2019t like the photo enough to post it online, or that she was embarrassed to post a photo of herself with her dad. When he asked his daughter why she was holding onto the photo, she replied that most of her friends were not on Instagram until after dinner. If she posted her photo too soon, fewer people would see it. She was waiting until the right time to post it for maximum exposure.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/www.naylornetwork.com\/NAY-ADVISER\/assets\/tweetables.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Just as in traditional journalism, you need to know your five Ws: Who, What, When, Where, Why (and How).\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/ctt.ec\/D460e\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"align:none wp-image-3157 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2014\/08\/LilTweetablesSmall.png\" alt=\"LilTweetablesSmall\" width=\"17\" height=\"15\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Social media is a two-way communication channel that makes it fast and easy to address the five Ws. If you\u2019re stuck in a one-way zone, check your directions.\u00a0<a href=\" http:\/\/ctt.ec\/G50cQ\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"align:none wp-image-3157 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2014\/08\/LilTweetablesSmall.png\" alt=\"LilTweetablesSmall\" width=\"17\" height=\"15\" \/><\/a><a href=\" http:\/\/ctt.ec\/G50cQ\" target=\"_blank\"><br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Communicate in the spaces where your members feel comfortable, where they feel valued, and where you know you\u2019ll get the results you want. That includes face-to-face situations.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t forget to measure results accurately and consistently. Associations should continuously take stock of reactions to their content and adjust accordingly. Members want to see that you care.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Later that evening when she uploaded the photo, she also tweeted it and checked Instagram several times to see how many people had liked or commented on the photo.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\">My colleague\u2019s teenager didn\u2019t call her plan &#8220;content strategy.&#8221; But let\u2019s review what she did:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"color: #000000;\">\n<li>She waited to post her photo (content) at a time when she knew her friends (audience) would be online.<\/li>\n<li>She used the platform most popular with her audience.<\/li>\n<li>She cross-promoted it through another social network (channel) where her audience spends considerable time.<\/li>\n<li>She measured the results swiftly and regularly, and likely started planning her next post based on feedback she received.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\">As simple and natural as her activity seems, she had a definite content strategy.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\">What can you, the communication professional, learn from my colleague\u2019s daughter?<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">The Five W\u2019s<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2550\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2550\" style=\"width: 150px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2014\/03\/Smartphone-small-2-e1394484765223.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2550 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2014\/03\/Smartphone-small-2-e1394484765223.jpg\" alt=\"Smartphone small 2\" width=\"150\" height=\"100\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2550\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Are you trying to reach your members where they already gather online?<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\">Know your five Ws: Who, What, When, Where, Why (and How).<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Who<\/span>\u00a0is your audience? Social media\u2019s two-way communication easily answers the question of who sees your content.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">What<\/span>\u00a0do they say about it? Do they respond more to certain types of content? Stick with content that earns more &#8220;likes&#8221; and comments. Make sure you\u2019re broadcasting what they need as well as what they like to see and hear.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">When<\/span>\u00a0do they consume your content? Are you sending emails or posting information online during a window when your audience is online? Most analytics tools allow you to view the times of day in which people interact most with your channels.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Where<\/span>\u00a0does your audience congregate? Are you making an effort to reach them in their preferred places, or are you settling for lesser-used platforms that you\u2019ve always used? Make it easy for your audience to see you and engage with you. This could be on a certain social network, within their email inbox, somewhere offline, or a combination of all three. Don\u2019t neglect the power of face-to-face interaction, even in today\u2019s digitally networked world.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Why<\/span>\u00a0are you communicating? Does your message contain valuable, useful information, or are you posting something just to make noise? Most audiences will forgive, and even enjoy, the occasional &#8220;fluff&#8221; post that doesn\u2019t say much but still entertains. But abuse that attention from your audience, and you\u2019ll see followers leaving for someone who better communicates to their needs.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\">Finally,\u00a0<span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">how<\/span>\u00a0are you reaching your audience? Similar to where, HOW you reach your audience matters if you want to encourage a two-way dialogue that provides genuine feedback and the foundation for a mutually beneficial relationship. Are you publishing your most important content in your members\u2019 favorite places? Even content that is not &#8220;A-list&#8221; deserves some exposure. Another colleague\u2019s teenage son calls secondary platforms like Snapchat &#8220;the JV squad.&#8221; His photos that aren\u2019t Instagram-worthy, or that are too private to broadcast,\u00a0go on other social media outlets. The photos still receive an audience, but their placement subtly conveys the message that their content isn\u2019t a priority or an important idea.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\">Communicate in the spaces where members feel comfortable, valued and where you know you\u2019ll get the results you want\u2014whether that\u2019s likes, replies or more in-depth actions such as event attendance or program participation.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Content: the struggle is real<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2849\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2849\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2014\/06\/AMP-Annual-Meeting-2014.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-2849\" src=\"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2014\/06\/AMP-Annual-Meeting-2014-300x212.jpg\" alt=\"AM&amp;P Annual Meeting 2014\" width=\"300\" height=\"212\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2849\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>The author, left, with Tom Smith of ACI-NA and Sarah Patterson of Association Media &amp; Publishing.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\">I recently spoke about\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.slideshare.net\/dplotke1\/amp-presentation-naylorllc2014?qid=f436d83e-62b0-46dd-a7ae-d67864d62304&amp;v=qf1&amp;b=&amp;from_search=1\">bridging the communication gap<\/a>\u00a0at Association Media &amp; Publishing\u2019s 2014 Annual Meeting, and it\u2019s clear that association communications professionals struggle somewhat with their content strategy. They understand the Ws and have the talent to deliver, but buy-in from members seems to be a challenge. I shared with them a term we use at Naylor when training new sales representatives\u2014the WIIFM. Our sales reps can\u2019t just make a pitch and hope what they said resonated with the customer. They have to provide a WIIFM\u2014what\u2019s in it for me? The same holds true with communications. Put yourself in the shoes of the reader\/member. What are the takeaways from each communication piece?<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\">Lack of support from within their own association walls also was mentioned as a communications strategy struggle. If content is king and member communication is necessary for engagement and retention, how can the needs of the communication department fall to the bottom of the priority pile? One individual mentioned that she would never be &#8220;allowed&#8221; to talk to board members. Really? She is a key representative of that association, and she needs true feedback to properly steer her content strategy. Surveys are crucial. I often say, &#8220;Give members what they want, not what you think they want.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Measure your content results<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\">The last step in this loop is measuring results. My colleague\u2019s daughter checked the online reaction to her photo several times during the evening, and likely in the days after she posted it. The feedback she received no doubt shaped her plans for her next Instagram-worthy photo.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\">Associations should continuously take stock of reactions to their content and adjust accordingly, as well. Content analysis can be as simple as comparing open and click rates, reading and discussing online comments, or talking with members in person about your communications. Finding out what your membership wants from your association also can take the form of a more in-depth communication gap analysis that delves into member demographics, information needs and communication preferences.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #000000;\">Whether you call it a &#8220;content strategy&#8221; or simply &#8220;posting stuff online,&#8221; to communicate successfully,\u00a0everyone needs a plan. Take time to think about your communication activity today. You might even ask the nearest teenager for advice.<\/p>\n<p style=\"line-height: 16.8pt;\"><em><span style=\"font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; color: #666666;\">Jill Andreu, Naylor\u2019s vice president of content strategy and development, is responsible for the overall strategy, direction, leadership and management of Naylor\u2019s editorial department. Jill is also responsible for execution of Content 360, a program that provides content strategy and leadership to the association marketplace.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A colleague recently told me a story about how his 15-year-old daughter carries out her content strategy on Instagram. She doesn\u2019t call it &#8220;content strategy.&#8221; She simply calls it &#8220;posting photos on Insta.&#8221; (Other parents out there probably recognize this slang.) But my colleague noticed that one afternoon, after his daughter snapped a &#8220;selfie&#8221; of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":2848,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31,46,12,457],"tags":[413,35,455,456,235,300,23,25],"class_list":["post-2847","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","category-from-the-front-lines","category-marketing-communications","category-take-aim","tag-association-media-publishing","tag-content-marketing","tag-content-plan","tag-content-strategy","tag-instagram","tag-snapchat","tag-social-media","tag-twitter"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>What 15-Year-Olds Can Teach You About Content Strategy - Association Adviser<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Our teenagers don&#039;t call posting selfies online a &quot;content strategy,&quot; but associations can learn a lot from their photo activity. 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