1. Informing and assuring, but not inspiring.

Organizations are doing a good job of informing their members about the conference, and their websites and direct mail pieces are great for reassuring the intent. However, the images and wording in the marketing messages lack inspiration. Content and imagery used in marketing materials, including direct mail and websites, must inspire the member to want to register for the conference.

Opportunity for 2011:
• Answer the question “Why should I attend?” with every message and image.
• Build excitement through imagery and words.

2. Over reliance on email communications.

If we only had a penny for every time we heard an association executive say, “I’ll just email that info to our members.” Email marketing has become a central part of communications for many organizations. However, with an open rate of under 20% and a click thru of 3% – email marketing is not the most effective tool for reaching the membership.

Opportunity for 2011:
• Compare email marketing strategies to current best practices (segmentation, personalization, engaging subject lines, interactive content).

3. Lack of segmentation for marketing.

Most associations have their membership broken down into segments, however unique marketing messages are not created for each segment. Instead, one-size-fits all messaging is created for everyone – but in reality, it doesn’t fit all. It’s more likely not going to fit anyone.

Opportunity for 2011:
• Collaborate with the membership team to identify segments.
• Play up the differences in each segment to create personalized marketing messages.

4. Poor analysis of conference survey results.

Many associations are missing out on great information, testimonials, marketing messages and ideas for the event because of poor strategies for reviewing attendee surveys.

Opportunity for 2011:
• Surveys need to be analyzed by someone in marketing.
• There is greater potential for an honest look by having someone outside the organization analyze the results.

Additional trends

Marketing team dropping the ball.
Attendee survey results show that annual meetings provide members with tools and information that assists them with their daily activities and larger challenges. It is the responsibility of the marketing team to create messaging about the conference that informs members of how the content at the event will affect potential attendees.

Missing word of mouth.
Marketing has changed dramatically. Word of mouth and conversations are very important for consumers when making a purchasing decision. Associations are missing out on this opportunity by not using testimonials and social media to the fullest extent.

Late registration.
Attendees do not need to register early for various reasons. Marketing teams need to combat this by having a marketing push towards the end of registration time. Two areas of control for you to leverage: money and availability.

Attempting social media.
Associations of various sizes are tip toeing into social media and attempting to use it to supplement conference marketing. However, few are seeing conference attendance numbers to be affected by social media because the content being shared over social media platforms tends to be very informational. Also, there is a disconnect between the social media strategy, overall marketing messages and the members actual needs and wants.

The Big Picture

Low attendance is a symptom – not the problem. The problem is that organizations have a weak foundation because their three most important elements do not connect:

1 – Brand Guidelines
2 – Strategic Plan
3 – Conference

It’s a constant battle for organizations to ensure they align strategy, identity, and capacity with vision, mission and values. And, members can sense when they fail to do so. Low attendance is simply a symptom of a larger problem – the disconnect between the strategic plan, brand and conference.

The 2011 Solution

Dust off the organization’s strategic plan, create branding guidelines that define what the association stands for, and remember to incorporate the conference into the strategic plan and brand.

A recent study found that about 80% of consumers rely on multiple marketing channels when making a purchasing decision. Yet, many associations have come to rely solely on  a single-channel approach.

Just like a monotone speaker loses the attention of his audience, mono-channel marketing prevents your members from connecting with your message.The more you diversify your communication channel with your consumer, the better the impact.

Cross media marketing hits people from all sensory perspectives, and is more successful because it connects with members of varying learning styles. Some may be more likely to remember the information in a video, others from a letter, and still others from an online conversation.

We’re going to take a quick lesson in using social networking as a marketing tool and then discuss how to integrate it with other marketing channels.

Read the rest of this month’s newsletter about integrating social media and traditional marketing.

This is a QR Code (Quick Response Code):

“A QR Code is a matrix barcode (or two-dimensional code), readable by QR scanners, mobile phones with a camera, and smartphones. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on white background. The information encoded can be text, URL or other data.” – Wikipedia

Basically, it is a funky looking barcode that mobile phones with cameras and smartphones can read. The QR Code then leads the user to a mobile website or stores data onto their phone (most likely contact information).

Want another definition? Check out QR Codes’ TV appearance on CSI.

QR Codes are rising in popularity in marketing and networking. Google has created Favorite Places – a way for businesses and consumers to connect by using QR Codes. Businesses can link the QR Code to their Google Business Page and consumers benefit from following the link by receiving information, reviews and possibly special promotions.

How can you use QR Codes?

1.  Organizers at South by Southwest (a set of film, interactive and music festivals and conferences that attracts over 10,000 attendees), took advantage of QR Codes to help attendees network with each other.

“When you meet someone at an event, let them scan your badge with their smart phone, and they will automatically be following you on [the conference's social network] my.SXSW, where they can message you or access your contact information. Hopefully, this will cut down on the paper footprint of SXSW by reducing the need for business cards.” - Fast Company

2.  QR Codes can also be printed on signage and t-shirts for your annual event to give attendees information about the various features of your event or area points of interest.

3.  QR Codes can motivate an otherwise passive reader to take immediate action- make a purchase, register for an event, or take a survey. Placing a QR Code on a direct mail piece or program guide gives the consumer immediate online access to what you’re promoting – getting them one step closer to action. Also, you can track and analyze the results of this by checking your website’s analytics.

4.  Have fun by creating a QR Code scavenger hunt contest throughout the venue, conference location or exhibit hall.

How to create a QR Code?

A quick Google Search for “QR code generator” will give you plenty of options for services that create QR Codes. QR Stuff takes it a step further and offers printing of your QR Code onto shirts, labels and stickers.

Earlier this week Twitter officially launched Promoted Accounts, which is a new way to help brands gain more followers. The way it works is that if a user is following accounts all related to the same industry, let’s say coffee, but they are not following Starbucks, then the Starbucks account will be promoted in the “Suggestions for You” section.

For now Promoted Accounts is in the testing phase, so only a few companies will have their Twitter accounts promoted, but it will likely expand over time if the tests go well.

It may be several months before the conversation of Promoted Accounts reaches your organization’s marketing team, but it could be a great tool for connecting brands and consumers.

However, we know many associations freak out at the thought of receiving negative feedback. But, addressing negative feedback can be a positive way to express your brand (who you are and what you stand for).

If there are issues within the organization, take a page out of Domino’s book. When faced with negative feedback, the President of the company addressed the comments head on. In YouTube videos and TV commercials the President tells consumers how Domino’s is listening to what they have to say and how they are going to make a change.

Its quite uncommon in the association world, where everyone tries to hide the dirt under the rug, to see this kind of transparency. They think that by keeping negative comments close and internal members won’t talk about it. But, members are already talking about those issues and communication like this can make members feel like….well, members, instead of random consumers.

To gather feedback from members about the conference and association, but to never address it is very disrespectful to them. And, it’s only a matter of time before they realize they are not being heard, which will cause them to loose trust in you and decrease your credibility.

Stop worrying about what members might be saying and instead practice honesty and courage in addressing whatever feedback you receive from them. That is what will drive retention and conference attendance.

Curious how Domino’s handled the disgruntled customer in their recent commercial?

A little strategy and testing can go a long way in improving your current subject lines to capture your reader’s attention and leave them feeling compelled to read your email.

1 – Personlization

Yes, you can easily slip in the name of the receiver in the subject line. “Bob, we have a special registration offer for you.” But, every one is doing that, so what else can you personalize to stand out in the flooded inbox? How about member engagement? “Bob, we have a special offer for you since you attended last year.”

2 – Urgency

Urgency has long been known as one of the best ways to motivate people into action. This is true for email marketing because readers are typically scanning a full inbox and looking for reasons to delete messages. A time-sensitve offer could be what it takes to keep your email in the inbox. Even better, the reader will be more likely to read it now instead of putting it off.

3 – Testing & Measuring Results

You don’t have to hire an outside agency to test and measure your email marketing. A very simple A/B test can help you determine what types of subject lines get better results for your audience. For this type of testing, send the same email to two groups of recipients with a different subject line. For example:

• Email Subject Line A: Top-selling eBooks on Sale Now
• Email Subject Line B: Info-packed eBooks at Lowest Prices

You can also test making one subject line specific and the other general:

• Email Subject Line A: Top-selling eBooks 25% off regular prices
• Email Subject Line B: Info-packed eBooks at Lowest Prices

A complaint we often hear about Web 2.0 tools and social media is that few people have the time to post here, there and everywhere. That’s why we like apps like the WordPress app on LinkedIn and how it automatically updates by pulling our blog posts into our profile. No added posting or clicking needed from us.

Thanks to the Behance app, we are able to display our creative work on our profile – giving users a taste of our work without asking them to leave LinkedIn. It’s free to use, easy to manage and has great options for sharing images, photos or video.

Recently Gary gave a presentation about conference marketing and Web 2.0. The SlideShare app allows us to post the presentation slides on our profile. Nothing like putting slides up on LinkedIn to encourage attendees to seek you out and connect.

If we’re not already connected, check out Gary’s profile on LinkedIn and see how we’re using these apps and others.

Also, if you are wanting to learn more about getting the most out of LinkedIn, check out the Non-Profit guide in the LinkedIn Learning Center.

6 Principles of Conference Marketing: Follow the golden rules for golden results

These essential truths will keep your organization on target for fulfilling your mission and goals – while navigating trends, social media, economic changes and cultural shifts. Here are two bonus principles to prep you for the others to follow:

We should adapt our marketing plan based on past history, current needs and future goals.

We value impact and success over tradition. We will develop new means to work within industry trends and cultural shifts to remain relevant and vision-focused.

Trends come and go, cultural shifts occur, communication methods evolve and the economy is in a delicate place. With so much change happening in our day-to-day life, how can the same marketing plan from last year (or five years ago!) be relevant and effective?

Yet, we know many associations that execute marketing plans that were developed in previous years. Some try to “keep up with the times” by slapping on a Facebook page or  a text messaging campaign to the plan.

That strategy will guarantee the only thing in the world that won’t change is the continual decline in conference attendance.

So, what do you do?

Will you expand beyond your current membership base by purchasing an email list, sending out an email and hoping for a 2% open rate? Or, launching a Facebook page that is updated once or twice a week?

No, that’s not going to cut it. You’re wrong to think that you are the only, or the first association to think of that. You have competition. You are challenged with wooing potential attendees, and that is only going to happen if you learn to adapt your marketing plan each year.

Tips:

• Talk to potential attendees as people first (professionals/members second). People who change from year to year and have different needs over time.
• Listen to your target audience before acting.

We will have a vision of growth for conference attendance and commit the energy to implement necessary changes.

We will not accept excuses or utter the word “can’t” when faced with a challenge. Instead we will be flexible towards change and open to learning for the sake of growth and success of every single conference.

Keep up motivation and energy throughout the entire marketing campaign. As soon as you get in a rut, the look and feel of your marketing pieces change and the members can sense that vibe.

So, what do you do?

Be positive about your event. It is the largest, in-person gathering of your members. It has the potential to be the living representation of your mission. You should express that at every chance you get.

Tips:

• Review our previous newsletter about positioning your conference for greater attendance.

Sometimes we run into some great blog posts with good tips about the frequency, design or purpose of email marketing – but just like many things online, we also run into some horrible, misguided information.

Recently we came across a blog post criticizing the efforts to make email, print and online communications consistent. The author claimed that consistent branding leads to readers ignoring the message because everything looks the same.

This is obviously someone who doesn’t understand how to develop a strong and effective brand.

“For example, a certain association holds a lot of webinars and classes, and they send out a lot of marketing messages about them — each of which follows the exact same template, with the exact same look, written in the exact same style. I get them and before I even read them, I know exactly what each email is about. And I delete every single one.”

He doesn’t realize it, but his example is a great sample of how consistent branding works. Yes, he may delete the emails now, but at some point he read them. Every single one of them, and we know this because he confesses to knowing the association’s brand. He knows the look, feel and tone of their emails. And, more importantly he knows they offer educational courses.

What he calls a failure in email marketing, is in fact, a great success.