Edelman President and CEO Richard Edelman has long been a leader in the public relations world, and his comments at a recent event at De Paul University may be of particular interest to association pros.

As reported by Contently’s Shane Snow, Edelman declared that “traditional marketing is broken.”

“In a media environment where control over who sees content is actually up to readers—not editors or advertisers—companies who wish to build relationships with potential customers must now do so on readers’ terms,” Snow writes.

That dynamic works in the same way for associations looking to establish themselves as valuable sources of information, either for members or the general public. And that value can be augmented by becoming one of Edelman’s so-called guardians of truth.

The term seems odd coming from the PR world, but as Snow writes, “knowing that the social media crowd is quick to point out and amplify improprieties, public relations firms seem to be grabbing onto the idea of storytelling and relationship-building through radically transparent publishing more fully than almost anyone.”

The more valuable that information stream, the more value you’re providing to your members. And the more value you’re providing, the more likely those members will retain their membership for years to come.

Tweet of the Day

"Do not overdose your email subscribers" @zaratimms of @aviva at #mpeis cc @DelaQuist pic.twitter.com/MIm8Gz3TFL

— Dave Hendricks (@davehendricks) July 1, 2014

Seriously, everyone, don’t do it! Email newsletters are still wildly popular, especially among executives, but a barrage can be a big problem for your readers. (ht @davehendricks)

Other Good Reads

And speaking of email newsletters, if you haven’t gone through New York Times media reporter David Carr’s story on their persistence, at the very least take a look at his list of the messages you should be discovering in your inbox.

Let’s hear it for the hotline volunteers: Author Marc Wong elaborates on why they, along with other “unsung listeners” and volunteers who typically go unnoticed, should be celebrated, in a guest blog post for VolunteerMatch.

Working on your next exhibition plan? Why not apply some of the many lessons you’ve learned about content marketing? Marketing coordinator Justine Savage explains how in an article for the Trade Show News Network.

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