Attention Please! Being Seen & Being Heard
Huh? What? I beg your pardon. Please, would you repeat that? We've all been there. You're in a crowded place with a lot of background noise and you can't quite catch all of the conversation. Or maybe you were distracted by something else. Our world is a noisy place full of distractions. And if you want to deliver a message to your members, you are going to have to find ways to capture and keep their attention.Capturing is the easy part. A compelling subject line or a striking image can do the job of grabbing their interest, but if what you have to say afterwards is not equally compelling, you've missed your opportunity, and it may not come around again.Here are a few tips to help your chamber's messages cut through the noise.
Frequency, Frequency, Frequency
When you think that you have told them enough, tell them some more. News flash - your members aren't paying attention to everything that you put out there. They're busy. How many times have you heard a complaint from a member (after the fact) that they weren't aware of an event or program that you felt like you had promoted ad nauseam?If it is important enough to tell them, then tell them enough. A common marketing principle is the Rule of 7, which states that it takes at least seven times for a prospect to hear a marketing message before taking action. Even though you may not consider your member communications to be "selling," you have a lot of competition for your members' attention. So you have to consider playing by their rules. That doesn't mean you should send seven email blasts in seven days. There's a fine line between communicating enough and becoming a pest. But if you feel like your messages are not being received, then maybe it is time to boost your effort.
Row, Row, Row Your Boat (down multiple marketing streams)
Social media has made it easier and more affordable than ever to get your message out into multiple marketing streams. Your audience is more likely to remember what you have to say if they hear it in multiple places. Tell them in your newsletter, on your social media platforms, on your website, in direct mail, etc.. A multi-stream strategy can work very effectively with your frequency efforts to reinforce your message and imprint it on your members' minds. And when it makes sense, don't forget some good old fashioned face-to-face communication as one of your marketing streams. Reinforce your message in opening or closing remarks of an event or ask staff members and volunteers to help spread the word in their personal interactions with members.
Pay to Play on Social
Social media platforms have become content superhighways. If you don't catch it as it flies by in your feed, it's gone and forgotten. And as the algorithms of social media platforms are constantly changing, what worked for you last week, may be completely ineffective this week. One way to help boost the visibility of your social media content is through social media ads and sponsored content. For just a few dollars you can hypertarget your audience and buy more opportunities to get your content in front of the people you are trying to reach.