From giant corporations to small associations, organizations are trying to boost their savvy about digital outreach. That’s led to an increase in so-called digital advisory boards. But what do these groups actually do?

“Typically made up of six outside experts under 50 years old, digital advisory groups meet regularly to coach management on ways to reach different audiences and emerging marketing tools such as virtual reality,” Wall Street Journal reporter Joann S. Lublin writes in her story on the trend.

And sometimes these groups kickstart some significant results. Lublin cites the case of Medtronic PLC, a medical device company that former Vice President Nancy Katz admitted “had no Facebook. We had no Twitter. We had no YouTube.”

Katz led the creation of a digital advisory board in 2011, and since then, Medtronic has established a sizable presence on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

While Lublin’s story focuses on businesses, the concept has strong potential for associations looking to improve their digital efforts.

Question of the Day

If you’re involved with your association’s newsletter, ask yourself that question, and then head over to Network for Good and read Senior Content and Marketing Associate Liz Ragland’s Lesson in Segmentation.

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