Tuesday Buzz: Social Strategies for Local Chapters

In a lot of ways, chapter organizations have it the hardest when it comes to social media.

Lacking the oomph of the national organization and without much of a budget to speak of, chapters may feel like sharing a message on social media might be just as good as shouting in an empty room.

But, according to Incline Marketing, that thinking is incorrect. In fact, the firm advises that the best strategy may be to focus on chapter members and highlight the local angle and impact of broad national topics.

“Your chapter’s members will definitely be interested in national issues that affect your industry, but that doesn’t mean that they wouldn’t appreciate that same news with a local flavor,” the marketing firm writes in a blog post  (opens in a new tab). “Put national topics, issues, and discussions into context for members by explaining their significance and impact on a local level.”

Have any other ideas to put some fresh blood into the social focus on local chapters?

Marketing Flip of the Day

The thing about mainstream commercials is that they often highlight clever marketing tricks that get people talking. And perhaps the most interesting trick in recent weeks is the decision by Paul Marcarelli, who gained fame as Verizon’s “Can you hear me now?” pitchman, to start working for Sprint.

“The wireless wars have been getting notoriously dirty, and now Sprint has come up with the most deviously clever attack yet,” AdWeek‘s Tim Nudd noted  (opens in a new tab).

It’s a smart move for Sprint, as it does much to mess with the viewer’s expectations at a time when marketing attacks between mobile firms have gotten downright brutal. The switch in company loyalties also resurfaced an interesting tidbit about Marcarelli’s professional life  (opens in a new tab): The contract he was tied to by Verizon was incredibly restrictive, to the point where he didn’t actually do interviews until after his contract with the telecom giant ended in 2011.

Other Links of Note

Looking for a way to get attendees to vote without a bunch of technical bells and whistles? Author and conference designer Adrian Segar explains  (opens in a new tab) the concept of the “feedback frame,” which doesn’t require WiFi, by the way.

National Fluid Power Association CEO Eric Lanke has a question for you: Is your organization the kind that puts up signs? If you’re not sure what that means, check out the explanation in his latest blog post  (opens in a new tab).

Working your way through crisis isn’t easy, but it can offer a lot of lessons for leaders. Fast Company‘s Cale Guthrie Weissman breaks down the ways  (opens in a new tab) various CEOs have dealt with turbulent times.

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