share content that they find valuable.
They are less likely to re-share, re-tweet,
like or comment on a post that simply
asks them to purchase a product. But
by sharing a useful excerpt from that
product, your communication is more
likely to resonate with your audience and
spread throughout their network.
The ability for your audience to
interact with you and each other is
what makes social media social. That
engagement is built on the cornerstone
of good content, but posting links to
content is not enough. You also must
respond to questions and comments,
and thank users for re-sharing the content with their networks. Don’t be afraid
to have a little fun. Social media is the
perfect venue for demonstrating your
association’s personality and values. In
the social media space — more so than
a formal communication vehicle like a
broadcast email campaign — compelling content can be something as simple
as a 90-second video snippet from a
conference session, or a photo of a
speaker with a link to his or her slides.
Set Your Content Free
Because they are used to creating prod-
ucts for the exclusive benefit of their
members, it can be challenging for asso-
ciations to allow some of their content ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;!; ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
Multimedia, including videos, photos
and podcasts, is ideal for social networks
and tend to generate more activity than
simple text.
By creating an online space where
members can interact with you and
each other, you provide an opportunity
for them to become their own content
creators. For example, if you post a
question on your organization’s Facebook page asking members how they are
dealing with a challenging issue in their
industry, their responses are content.
Other users can read those comments,
learn from them, respond and create a
conversation. As an association leader,
you know how valuable that kind of networking and information sharing is for
your members. Social media is another
venue where you can facilitate that
knowledge exchange.
outside their gates. If they give away
their content, they think, what value will
their members see in maintaining their
membership?
The truth is: Well-run content marketing campaigns position your association
as an important industry resource and
build your brand recognition and reputation.
“Content marketing pays dividends
for associations across membership categories and product lines,” Lesh concludes. “Associations are slowly learning
that unlocking the cages and setting
their content free benefits the organization and its membership more than
exclusivity and firewalls.”
Karen Altes is senior manager, Online Communities,
for the Institute of Real Estate Management. She
may be reached at kaltes@irem.org. You also may
follow her on Twitter at @karenaltes.
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