Whether it is for a product, an event, or gaining new members, one of the most efficient ways of attracting traffic and new leads is through digital advertising. And if your goal is to attract young millennials, then social media advertising is probably on your radar. Beyond the obvious - you need an eye-catching ad, with a powerful call-to-action, a hard-working landing page, and a form for lead capture - what actually happens behind-the-scenes for your ad to show? What do impressions mean and what determines the cost-per-click? There are many factors that go on beyond the tangible assets of a digital ad.

As you slide into your holiday weekend, perhaps we'll have you thinking about forms and funnels whilst gliding down a watery ride at your local water park. For that reason, I thought it would be fun to go through the thinking behind marketing automation, lead generation, and business development. Make your digital marketing efforts work harder for you, so you can play harder for the fourth of July. 

There is no doubt that in 2017 we have some pretty powerful technology at our fingertips to send out email marketing messaging. From marketing automation like HighRoad Marketing Cloud and HubSpot, to user-friendly email marketing platforms like Adestra Message Focus, we get asked often why video and email are incompatible. While the platforms may support inputting a video file, it’s not always the best practice; and here’s why.

For many associations, the summer months can mean a slower time of year - which means greater time for reevaluating marketing efforts and budgets. The number of events held go down, kids are out of school, membership renewal drives have passed. Now is the time to look more deeply into marketing efforts that lead to greater results whether they are greater numbers in members, attendance for events, or engagement with marketing materials for education credits, industry knowledge, and more. It can be a huge asset to have an understanding of what other associations are doing in the market. While I recommend reading the State of Digital Marketing Report in full, here are a few key takeaways to get you started.