10 Content Marketing Tips For Your Association

By JOHN FOLEY – July 24, 2018

Dry blog posts and repetitive social media updates are a surefire way to get someone scrolling right past your content. That’s why your members and prospects aren’t going to come back for more if your association’s content marketing efforts are getting stale.

But let’s be honest, coming up with fresh ideas all the time can be difficult, especially when you have so many other things you have to take care of as well. Not to mention the frustration of time wasted trying to get something – anything – down ready for that next post or newsletter. Next time you find yourself staring blankly at your screen, all out of ideas, try these ten tips to kick start your creativity and inject new life into your association’s content:

1. Social Media

Hang out on social media. Find out what your audience is talking about, asking about, or even worrying about, and build some content from there. Just maybe someone’s tweet or conversation will spark your interest for a new blog or video. There is A LOT going on on social media, take advantage and relate to your members and prospects.

2. Ask Questions

Simple as that. Ask a question that will spark a response from your members and prospects. Put out a poll on Twitter and build further content based on the results. The right question, whether a funny hypothetical or more thought-provoking topic, can be a solid conversation starter and help improve your content marketing.

3. Make a Review

Pick something relevant to your members and review it. Point out what works, what doesn’t, give feedback or provide your own opinion on the matter.

4. Interview someone

Interviewing someone who has insight in your field of expertise will give you something different to post and some new ideas too. One interview can bring videos, sound bites, further conversations after the interview and so much more. Interviews are a great way to increase membership and prospect engagement.

5. Utilize Pop Culture

Like or not, pop culture continues to move the needle when it comes to online engagement and human interactions. Don’t be afraid to inject some pop culture into your content marketing. Whether it is a popular figure, current event or running joke on social media, build content around what people are talking about.

6. Brag, Gently

Tell them what you did right. A strong success story with an emphasis on learning new things, not boasting, will give your audience more insights into your association.

7. Accept Defeat

Tell them what you did wrong. Sharing a lesson learned and something you now do differently is a brave step, but done right it makes you very relatable. Just make sure you pick something that got resolved in a positive and productive way. For example, talk about past learning experiences, but focus on present success.

8. Work With What You Have

List ten of your favorite blog posts in your association’s niche, five must-see videos, or three books your members can’t afford to miss out on. Simple as that. When it comes to content marketing, sometimes using what you have is a great way to start the conversation. It can remind your members what you have to talk about and show new prospects what you have to offer.

9. Ask Around

Not sure what to write next? Ask your audience what they’d like to see more of on your blog, Facebook page, or anywhere else. By simply asking for their opinion, you are showing that you care. You’d be surprised how quickly some of your members or prospects respond with thought-provoking ideas.

10. Spotlight

Has someone made a step forward in your niche? Is something newsworthy happening in your association’s market area? Write about it and add your opinions and knowledge to establish yourself as an authority. Put the spotlight on a current member for achieving something. It will show your prospects and those interested in your association that you care about its’ members.

Producing strong content is a skill, one you can improve on with practice. While you’re using these tips to gather ideas, make sure you note down ones you want to return to later. You can use an online curation or notetaking tool, but a simple notebook or word document will do. Don’t let your ideas get away and use them to keep your content fresh.