Kendra Wright

THE POWER OF ASSOCIATION:

TEN WAYS TO CONNECT

It’s going to be a wild ride,

but we’ll send you slides!

GET READY!

PORTFOLIO

OVER 120 EVENTS, DESTINATIONS & ASSOCIATIONS

SAFFIRE ASSOCIATION PARTNERS

To get people EXCITED

to come to fairs

& To keep fairs SANE

in the process!

OUR GOAL

ASSOCIATION

ASSOCIATE

CONNECT

TEN WAYS TO CONNECT

1

Make Social

EASY

GOOD: CONNECT WITH MEMBERS

1. Follow members on Facebook.

Overachievers: Follow members on Twitter.

2. In your communication, ask them to follow you.

Overachievers: Ask them to Get Notifications.

BETTER: POST ABOUT MEMBERS

1. Inspire connection BETWEEN MEMBERS:

@bigfair starts today! LIKE to wish them good luck!

2. Inspire connection WITH YOUR ASSOCIATION:

Post behind the scenes, when you meet with members, etc.

3. Don’t forget sponsors, exhibitors, etc.

Your members probably follow them!

TAGGING If you want to use

Use FACEBOOK to schedule posts!

WHERE TO POST

1. Facebook

2. Twitter

3. Google+

4. LinkedIn

5. Pinterest

6. Instagram – this one is strategic!

BEST: CONNECT PLATFORMS

Time-saving tip: Connect social media platforms.

Strategic choice: Are you going to use Instagram?

For fairs, Instagram is a MUST.

For associations, maybe not.

BEST: CONNECT PLATFORMS

If NO Instagram, use BUFFERAPP.COM.

Posts to Facebook, Twitter, Google+ & LinkedIn

PRO: Can schedule posts

CON: Doesn’t include Instagram

BUFFER-FOR NON-IMAGE POSTS

TWERIOD

BEST: CONNECT PLATFORMS If Instagram, use IFTTT.COM.

When you post to Instagram, posts to Facebook, Twitter, Google+

& LinkedIn.

PRO: Includes Instagram

CON: Can’t schedule posts

2

Adapt to the new FACEBOOK REALITY

NEW FACEBOOK STRATEGIES

There has been a decline in “organic reach”

for Facebook posts from >20% to <3%.

1. Re-evaluate your Facebook investment.

2. Optimize posts for sharing.

3. Engage your fans elsewhere.

4. Pay up. (cheap… for now)

FACEBOOK AD TARGETING

• Your Facebook followers & (potentially) their friends

• Your email list & (potentially) “look-alikes”

• People who went to your website

• People who are interested in related organizations

3

Start using

LINKEDIN

GOOD: CONNECT WITH MEMBERS

Connect with all your members, potential members, sponsors,

exhibitors.

GOOD: CONNECT WITH MEMBERS

If you hear of a potential member, check LinkedIn to see who you

know in common.

BEST: CREATE A LINKEDIN GROUP

1. Go to LinkedIn.com, then Interests, then Groups.

2. At bottom right, “Don’t see what you’re looking for? Create

a Group.”

3. Invite your LinkedIn connections.

4. Be prepared to “seed” the group at first.

4

Increase your

EMAIL EFFORTS

GOOD: BEEF UP YOUR LIST

1. Export your email contacts:

Outlook Options/Advanced/Export to a file

Gmail Contacts/More/Export…/Outlook CSV

2. Filter out all but business contacts.

3. Import your business contacts into your email sending tool.

BETTER: USE EMAIL TOOL

1. Friends don’t let friends use Outlook for enewsletters.

CON: Can only send 50 at a time

CON: No scheduling

CON: No statistics

2. Lots of tools available:

Constant Contact, MailChimp, SaffireMail (free with ad)

BETTER: USE TEMPLATE

1. Have a template with your logo and the look of your site.

2. Allow website email signups.

3. Have email signups go directly into your email list.

4. When you’re ready, Just Add Content!

FFF: BEFORE & AFTER

BEST: SCHEDULE EMAILS

1. Especially during your busy season, schedule those emails!

2. From year to year, copy old emails to new campaigns and

edit them.

EDITORIAL CALENDAR

www.SaffireEvents.com/calendar

5

Use

IMAGERY

GOOD: CREATE IMAGE LIBRARY

Try to include an image with every social post and email.

How to create your library?

1. Ask your events for images.

2. Put them all in one place to create an image library –

Dropbox is awesome & free!

BEST: IMPROVE IMAGES

99% of the time, you should:

• Crop

• Brighten

• Filter

New, awesome tool: WWW.CANVA.COM

BEST: IMPROVE IMAGES

BEST: IMPROVE IMAGES

6

Do business

DIGITALLY

GOOD: PUT FORMS ONLINE

Have online:

• Convention forms

• Membership forms

• Etc.

Make your registration form available as a web form,

so you don’t have to re-enter them!

BEST: TAKE PAYMENT ONLINE

Allow online:

• Convention payments

• Dues payments

• Sponsor payments

7

Do some

MATCH-MAKING

GOOD: MEET THE MEMBER

BETTER: HELP FIND RESOURCES

Example: X fair is looking for a

50-foot Christmas tree, barge rental, etc.

• Send out via email.

• Post in LinkedIn group.

BEST: SPEED DATING

• Set up 10-minute meetings between fairs and vendors.

• Vendors “pay to play.”

• You can also do this at newcomers reception

• Split into two groups

• Inner circle and outer circle

• 5-minutes, then one circle moves

8

Get a

JOB

GOOD: HELP MEMBERS FIND JOBS

Encourage members to send job announcements:

• Via email

• On your website (keeps people coming back!)

• LinkedIn group post

BEST: PUT JOBS ON WEBSITE

BEST: SEND JOBS VIA EMAIL

9

Be a consistent EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE

GOOD: ONGOING ONLINE EDUCATION

• Link from your website to other online resources

• Guidelines

• Laws

• Government entities

• IAFE web pages

BETTER: KEEP EDUCATION GOING

• Other website resources

• Publish (or guest-publish) blog articles

• Promote industry podcast (shameless plug:

The Amplifier Event Marketing Podcast)

BEST: KEEP EDUCATION GOING

• Host (or co-host) webinars

• Additional in-person seminars

10

Be among

THE BEST

BEST: BE RESPONSIVE

If a member asks a question that you can’t immediately answer,

email and say “I’m on it!”

BEST: BE FUN TO HELP

“People don’t value what they don’t pay for.”

• That’s tricky, because most of us rely on in-kind donations!

• If you get help that you don’t pay for, try to treat it like

you did.

• Go as quickly as you would if you were paying.

BEST: ASSUME GOOD INTENTION

Many service members actually like being of service!

• Remind them that when it’s education, stick to education.

• But then let them help out!

BEST: BE ENTICING ONLINE

Have a “resourceful” website!

• Some make you excited to be a part of them.

• Some make you feel like it would be a lot of work.

Once is a fluke; twice is a trend. When you get a question twice,

put the answer on your website.

BEST: BE MOBILE

We go to lots of conventions, wear a lot of lanyards, try to keep

up with a lot of convention schedules.

• Be mobile, so it’s easy to look things up!

• Include room names/numbers!

If you give me your card,

I’ll send you these slides.

UTILIZE SAFFIRE AS A RESOURCE

• Ask us:

• For newsletter or blog articles

• To co-host webinars

• To speak at your convention

• Use SaffireMail for email newsletter

• Promote The Amplifier Event Marketing Podcast

FOLLOW SAFFIRE Website www.saffireevents.com

Facebook Saffire Events

Twitter @SaffireEvents

Instagram saffireevents

Pinterest saffireevents

YouTube saffirestudio

Amplifier www.saffireevents.com/podcast

Questions?