Information Overload: Maybe Your Members Aren’t Overloaded

It’s understandable that you might be worried about giving your members too much of a hard sell. But what if you’re the one sick of the marketing messages—and they’re still on the hook?

A fascinating what-if in today’s Social Media Roundup:

Rethinking Overload

It’s noon Tues. + your members already have info overload. This is what you can do about it http://t.co/vqsqZSgwE0  (opens in a new tab) by @SteveDrake  (opens in a new tab) #assnchat  (opens in a new tab)

— MediaEdge (@MediaEdgeTOR) February 25, 2014  (opens in a new tab)

Is it possible that you’re feeling the information overload caused by your association’s marketing … but your members aren’t? Picking up on the topic of a recent post by our own Joe Rominiecki, SCD Group’s Steve Drake suggests that the discussion might be one of a missed opportunity rather than an overbearing glut of content. “Over the last 30+ years, I’ve found that staff and boards tire of association messages before most members have caught on,” he explains. “As a result, we often stop communicating way too soon.”

Drake offers a series of marketing mindset tweaks  (opens in a new tab) that keep your members in mind—including what’s in it for them. Think he’s got a point? (ht @AssocContent  (opens in a new tab))

Scaring Folks Off?

3 Things that Drive Attendees Away From Your Conference http://t.co/R5Bj4ptAce  (opens in a new tab) via @DedeMulligan  (opens in a new tab) #eventprofs  (opens in a new tab) #PCMA  (opens in a new tab) #assnchat  (opens in a new tab) #MPI  (opens in a new tab)

— Mulligan Management Group | Digital Marketing Firm (@DedeMulligan) February 24, 2014  (opens in a new tab)

Getting people to sign up for your conference can be a big challenge—so why do things that make it easier for attendees to tune you out? That’s the take of Mulligan Management Group’s De-de Mulligan, CMP, who warns of the danger of counterproductivity. One simple piece of advice: Don’t be afraid to stop selling after a while. “Are you too pushy with your meeting and conference? Are all your social posts about registration and logistics?” Mulligan asks. “If so, you might want to try the 70/30 rule where 70 [percent] of your posts are about things relative to your meeting (such as the destination, venue, attractions and speakers) and 30 [percent] is about the conference itself.”

Read more of Mulligan’s tips on the SmartSource blog  (opens in a new tab). (ht @DedeMulligan  (opens in a new tab))

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