{"id":706,"date":"2013-01-04T17:17:54","date_gmt":"2013-01-04T17:17:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/staging.naylornet.com\/associationadvisor\/?p=706"},"modified":"2013-01-04T17:17:54","modified_gmt":"2013-01-04T17:17:54","slug":"706","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/706\/","title":{"rendered":"What&#8217;s Your Marketing Communications Mantra?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em><a href=\"http:\/\/staging.naylornet.com\/associationadvisor\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2013\/01\/Dana-Headshot-8-11l1.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-714\" style=\"margin: 1px 10px;\" title=\"Dana Headshot 8-11l\" src=\"http:\/\/staging.naylornet.com\/associationadvisor\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2013\/01\/Dana-Headshot-8-11l1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"100\" height=\"91\" \/><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>2012 was a big year in association marketing and communications. Whether you were focused on retention, new member acquisition or industry communications, the strategies and tactics you employed were most likely different from those used in previous years. Content, social, SEM, segmentation, automation &#8230; and that\u2019s just to name a few. There were plenty of options to consider, but the question you should now be asking yourself as 2012 winds down is this: Were my strategies effective? If not, why?<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/staging.naylornet.com\/associationadvisor\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2013\/01\/takeaways2.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-682\" title=\"takeaways\" src=\"http:\/\/staging.naylornet.com\/associationadvisor\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2013\/01\/takeaways2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"47\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<table style=\"background-color: #dcdcdc; margin: 5px; width: 95%; border-collapse: collapse; border: black 1px solid;\" cellspacing=\"3\" cellpadding=\"3\" align=\"center\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: black 1px solid;\">\n<ul>\n<li>The best way to make change happen is to focus on a few key concepts and execute them very well.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Make sure all stakeholders are bought in, early and often.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>New tactics should pass the mantra litmus test before deciding whether to pursue.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>As I began going through this very same exercise, I was faced with a few realizations:<\/p>\n<ol type=\"1\">\n<li>Distraction comes in many forms. Not the least of which is our desire to improve, but whatever the reason, a distraction is a distraction nonetheless.<\/li>\n<li>Being asked to do more with less, as most of us are these days, is a distraction in and of itself.<\/li>\n<li>The best way to effect change positively\u2014whether it\u2019s organizational change, or consumer behavior\u2014is to focus on a couple of key concepts and execute them very well.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><em>Reader Note: Peter Bregmen, writer for\u00a0Harvard Business Review\u00a0and Fox News contributor, gives advice on how to be more productive in his most recent\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.hbr.org\/bregman\/2012\/12\/consider-not-setting-goals-in.html\" target=\"_blank\">blog<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/peterbregman.com\/videos\/a-plan-to-execute-your-new-years-resolutions\/\" target=\"_blank\">video<\/a>\u00a0post.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>What does this have to do with establishing a marcom mantra, you ask? Plenty. As you set off into 2013, know that you are going to encounter distractions of your own, so work with your team and key stakeholders to decide what your mantra is going to be. It\u2019s important to get buy-in on the overall focus, as well as on the strategies and tactics that will be used throughout the year. Be sure to remind everyone as the weeks and months pass how the plan is progressing, and as new ideas come up (as they always do) be sure that they pass the mantra litmus test before deciding whether to pursue.<\/p>\n<p>Here are a few examples of marcom mantras to help get you moving in the right direction:<\/p>\n<ol type=\"1\">\n<li><span style=\"font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;\"><span style=\"font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;\">I will ask, and then I can deliver.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/span>Good marketing strategies have one thing in common: The people who create them have done their homework and feel confident that the plan in place is addressing the needs all of their key stakeholders. For associations, this means members, suppliers\/advertisers\/exhibitors and board members, executive team and operational staff.How do you do this? You ask. This could be in the form of a survey, face-to-face meetings, roundtable discussions and focus groups or, better yet, a combination of all of the above. Once you know what\u2019s important, then you can deliver a strategy that is on target. See <a title=\"Taking \u201cThe 90 Day Challenge\u201d\" href=\"http:\/\/staging.naylornet.com\/associationadvisor\/index.php\/taking-the-90-day-challenge\/\" target=\"_blank\">&#8220;Taking the 90 Day Challenge&#8221;<\/a> for more about this.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-style: italic; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold;\"><span style=\"font-style: italic; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold;\"><span style=\"font-style: italic; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold;\"><span style=\"font-style: italic; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold;\"><span style=\"font-style: italic; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold;\">I will build my content, and my brand will prosper.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">Oh, the things that you can do when you have enough of the right content. Notice the qualifier \u2013 <span style=\"font-style: italic;\">any<\/span> content will not help you prosper, but the <span style=\"font-style: italic;\">right\u00a0<\/span>content certainly will. From thought-leadership positioning to marketing automation to strategically focused social media channels, having a content surplus will prove invaluable for years to come.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-style: italic; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold;\"><span style=\"font-style: italic; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold;\">I think about what my members value; therefore, I am valued by my members.<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">How many times have you thought to yourself, &#8220;If only our database allowed us to capture critical information about how our members behave?&#8221; Or, how many times have you wondered how much more effective your recruitment campaign could be if you just knew what your prospects &#8220;hot buttons&#8221; were? Customer relationship management (CRM) and segmentation is no small task, but the payoff that comes from knowing who you are talking to, and what they care about, is big.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-style: italic; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold;\"><span style=\"font-style: italic; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold;\">We stand for what we believe in, and we\u2019re not afraid to show it.<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">Undergoing a brand makeover is not something to be taken lightly, but it doesn\u2019t have to be that difficult. If this is an area that you plan to focus on in 2013, ask yourself, &#8220;Do people know who we are, what we stand for and what we can do for them?&#8221; Ensuring board members, staff, volunteers and your key influencers that you can answer these questions is the first step. The second step is ensuring that your audience-facing communications and marketing campaigns enforce the same values and are consistently designed for a cohesive brand presence.<\/span>For a look at how association\u2019s like American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), Association of Diving Contractors International (ADCI), Louisiana Oil and Gas (LOGA) and more keep their brands relevant to members and the industries they serve, see <span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.naylornetwork.com\/nay-adviser\/articles\/index.asp?aid=169631&amp;issueID=30292\" target=\"_blank\">this article<\/a> from March 2012 issue of <span style=\"font-style: italic;\">Association Adviser<\/span>.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-style: italic; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold;\"><span style=\"font-style: italic; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold;\">I engage; therefore, I am.<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">Social media strategy leaving something to be desired? Maybe it\u2019s time you start engaging with your members on their Facebook pages or in their Twitter chats and LinkedIn Groups. Want more participation in committees and volunteer groups? Perhaps you need to &#8220;volunteer&#8221; with some of your member companies and lend your expertise on their terms. Need to inject some more life and fun into a tired event? Assign welcoming committees, personally meet with all first time attendees and all exhibitors (new and returning). In other words, if you want engagement, you too, must engage.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>As you and your team plug away on the plans that have been built around your marcom mantra, things are likely to change and adjustments will need to be made. As long as you stay focused on the one or two guiding principles that you set early on, any new tactics that come along the way should be on target for helping you achieve the marcom enlightenment you desire.<\/p>\n<p><em>Need help establishing your own marcom mantra? Contact\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:DPlotke@naylor.com?subject=I%20need%20help%20establishing%20my%20own%20marcom%20mantra\">Dana Plotke<\/a>\u00a0for more info. Dana has worked in B2B marketing and communications for more than 15 years, with a focus on association media and events since 2002. She leads the marketing efforts of Naylor, LLC.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ideas to achieve the enlightenment you desire.<br \/>\n<em>By Dana Plotke<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":714,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[134,29,135,108],"class_list":["post-706","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-marketing-communications","tag-134","tag-association","tag-communications","tag-marketing"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What&#039;s Your Marketing Communications Mantra? - Association Adviser<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/706\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What&#039;s Your Marketing Communications Mantra? - Association Adviser\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Ideas to achieve the enlightenment you desire. 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