Driving Member Engagement through Digital Channels

What are you doing in the digital space to drive member engagement?

I recently attended an educational seminar that spoke to this specific issue led by Melissa Harrison of Allee Creative.

Questions during the session addressed, effectiveness, lack of budget, inability to produce relative and timely content, and not willing to give content away for free.

The main message, don't think "free" but thought leadership, relationships and trust and deliver on those attributes.

A message that I did not expect is that print is back. Don't be afraid to send your members some printed pieces on your program of work.  I'm a fan of an all of the above strategize.

Digital channels are not a member benefit.  You are building awareness and building a brand through these channels.

Digital marketing is content focused.  It needs to be relevant content that provides value and you are engaging them, you ultimately want them to take an action.

Digital marketing reaches your audience on their time where they are.  The Internet is always open 24 hours a day.  So choose channels that you have the resources that you can respond to any questions or queries received from members or prospects.

You’re building relationships and trust through the digital channels.

46% of people check their phones for social media sites and their email as they get out of bed.  That might be a good time of the day to send your content marketing?

Four generations in the workplace and your membership.  Guess what, they are all on social media, albeit they use it differently.

While there are multiple digital channels, you need to focus on what you can handle and handle well.  Find out where the bulk of your members are spending their time in the digital space and plant your content in that space.

80% of the vetting process is done online so make sure your digital house is in order and easy to navigate.

Her final comment, "engage your members by creating a digital marketing plan with content that is about THEM.  Make it STICKY.  Make them see you as a RESOURCE throughout the year."

Put a content calendar together to manage your digital presence.  SPROUT SOCIAL is a great source to schedule your social media and has a robust analytics component

Communicating with Confidence

Carol Vernon, founder and principal, Communications Matter, conducted a great seminar on the title of this blog, communicating with confidence.

Her opening statement - "communications matter!"

If you read any articles on the subject of communications you've probably come across these statistics and they are worth mentioning again.

Communication perception:

  • Words - what we say - 7%
  • Vocal - tone, rate, volume, pause - 38%
  • Nonverbal - body language - 55%

While she talked about a number of communication principles - I want to focus on five she stressed:

  1. Speak up at the right time - be strategic, don't be the first.
  2. Stay on message - organize your thoughts first (what do they know, what do they want to know and then what do they need to know, and what do I want them to know).  Don’t do a data dump when communicating (think in three’s).
  3. Adapt your communication style to fit the audience - a one size fits all approach will not serve you well.
  4. Fine-tune your nonverbal language - what are you doing with your hands?  Are you using your eyes to make eye contact with your audience (whether it be one or many)?
  5. Practice active listening skills - this is a key skill that all of us could work on.  Are you listening, understanding what is being said, and then responding in an appropriate way?

She went on to talk about the four different communication styles:

  1. What - action oriented, direct and to the point, results oriented, purposeful - it’s all about the bottom line;
  2. How - process-focused, detailed step by step, factual and data driven;
  3. Who - people focused, relationship driven, communicative and more personal; and
  4. Why - ideas-oriented, brainstorm, inquisitive, question conventional wisdom.

You need to be adaptive with all four of these styles. There is no right or wrong way.  But having a strong presence is key.  Do you move purposefully?  You need to be fully present and use your face, eyes, and body to command the room.

At the end of the day, communication skills are developed over time and we all can continue to learn and adapt as we go!

For more information about Carol go HERE.