Everybody’s got something to say about Millennials. To get into their heads is to break the code of effectively managing talent over the next decade, as they flood the workforce and disrupt the worlds of the Gen Xers and the Baby Boomers who haven’t yet walked out the door. People in those generations need to learn to co-exist with them, which is always hard when there are age gaps. The Millennials also have to be managed, though, and it is said that their… umm… “peculiarities” make this a particularly difficult challenge.

With the growth of technology, you have the abilty to accumulate massive amounts of data about your members.  Your members know this and so they expect more personalized interactions with you.  This vast amount of data can seem overwhelming, but if you analyze it strategically, you can discover who your super members are.  Super members are members within your association who are already engaged and interacting in ways that drive retention and attract new members.  These super members are key, and by better understanding who they are, you can work with them to increase member engagement.  Our partner, Abila, has a good article, written by Kim Sorin, on the four steps to measure member engagement and discover who your super members are.

As consumers have become more digitally savvy, they have higher expectations of marketing campaigns.  In exchange for their personal information, they demand a more personalized approach.  In order to be successful with today's consumers, marketers need to incorporate personalization into their digital marketing strategies.  The infographic below sheds light on the current state of personalization and how marketing automation can help.

This is how you should feel when someone willingly provides you their email address because they want to consume your content. Whether they're signing up for your newsletter, registering for a webinar or downloading your latest research, receiving the input of someone's email is as big as a slam dunk. And like LeBron, you should yell & beat your chest and yell "THAT'S WHAT WE DO!"

Marketers have the competitive spirit. They want to outplay you, they want to unnerve you and most importantly, they want to win. Many associations are telling me that they want to grow and compete in today's world and I ask them this key question: 

Does your organization know how to compete? Do they think in terms of competition? Do they work for the love of the game? 

When it comes to email, we are constantly trying to figure out the best ways to reach our targeted audience.  In order to do this we need to know how consumers interact with our email.  What devices are they using to view them?  Are there behavioral differences based upon age, gender, or income?  Adestra recently released their 2016 Consumer Adoption & Usage Study.  It is a comprehensive survey of 1,200 consumers, from teens to Boomers, across the United States.  The survey provides insight into their digital usage across all channels.  Additionally, within each finding of the survey is a helpful summary and key takeaways for marketers. This study is a great resource for anyone who would like to have a better grasp on the current state of email today.

Businesses today need a social media presence in order to grow.  Through social media, businesses can attract and engage consumers, promote brand awareness, and steer those consumers to their website.  It can be confusing though, trying to figure out the best ways to accomplish this.  The Infographic below provides some essential tips on how to achieve success using social media.