You probably know by now that member stories are great for marketing. But did you know that some story formats… READ MORE>

Your messaging needs a day stopper, something so powerful it makes your audience stop what they’re doing, pay attention, and… READ MORE>

Associations that have been around for a while—years, decades even—are doing a lot of things right. A word of caution,… READ MORE>

How are you going to get people to your association’s event this year? If you’re not asking yourself this question… READ MORE>

Trust is the foundation of just about any relationship. This is true in life and business. It’s true for your… READ MORE>

Are you actively recruiting small organizations to be members of your association? It’s okay. You can be honest. We know… READ MORE>

So your in-person event is back on. Great! Now you need attendees. READ MORE>

If one of the main benefits of your association or your annual conference is “networking” you have a problem. LinkedIn… READ MORE>

In the post-COVID-19 world, your website takes on new significance. It could be years before people feel comfortable interacting in… READ MORE>

In the past, associations thrived on in-person events, networking, education, and certifications—the more the merrier. But for years there has… READ MORE>

As if you didn’t have enough to worry about with COVID-19, you suddenly find yourself working from home. That means… READ MORE>

This is the fifth post in our series 6 Ways to Help Your Association Thrive. To get started, establish your… READ MORE>

So you need more members. And more non-dues revenues. And you’d like to boost engagement while you’re at it. To… READ MORE>

Angelo is a bus driver for a small tour company in Ecuador. Quite often the tourists’ breakfast comes with a… READ MORE>

When I interviewed for my first job out of college, I had a strong resume and a few good references.… READ MORE>

My neighborhood is crawling with door-to-door salespeople. They come selling everything from television and internet services to home security systems.… READ MORE>

When I was a kid, Valentine’s Day was one of my favorite days of the year. I would spend hours… READ MORE>

One-off campaigns or clever sales pitches just don’t work anymore to convert prospects into attendees, members, and loyal brand ambassadors.… READ MORE>

In fashion, everything old becomes new again. Thin ties were out, and then back in. Glasses were oversized, then small,… READ MORE>

Once you’ve outlined your holistic digital marketing strategy, it’s time to choose the platforms and tools that will propel your… READ MORE>

KPIs, or key performance indicators, can help you track the success of your event, marketing, and organization so you can… READ MORE>

Strategic event marketing is about inspiring and connecting potential attendees. It goes beyond facts and “stuff”—all that networking, education, and… READ MORE>

Facebook Canvas is an immersive storytelling platform you can use to communicate with your base, drive event attendance, and build… READ MORE>

Nowadays you can’t have a conversation about event marketing without mentioning digital. As part of the Engagement Assessment Survey, we… READ MORE>

Attendees don’t buy products (a.k.a your event). They buy outcomes. They don’t really care what you have to offer. They… READ MORE>

Meet Luke Brandwalker, one of the profiles you might see when you take the Rottman Creative Engagement Assessment. If you’re… READ MORE>

When we talk about your audience’s level of inspiration, we’re really talking about how engaged they are. Do members just… READ MORE>

Imagine your event is THE place for connecting—for meeting like-minded individuals who are open to new ideas, ready to work… READ MORE>

Knowing how to use triggers and targets in your event marketing will result in inspired members ready to create high-quality… READ MORE>

Get off the acquisition and retention roller coaster and learn how to inspire your members with effective strategy. How many… READ MORE>

We’re often told “A picture is worth 1000 words,” but we seldom stop to think about why that’s true. Psychologists… READ MORE>

If you decided to give brand storytelling a try but you’re not really seeing results, don’t give up. Finding great… READ MORE>

Drive Attendance at your Next Event with a Visually Compelling Fact Sheet 1. Data is intimidating. Data alone won’t fill… READ MORE>

And Why It’s Easier Than You Think Forbes says 2015 is the “Year of Video Content Marketing.” So just how… READ MORE>

Physically engage your audience to get more from your marketing. As a limited-time holiday promotion, coffee shop chain Caribou Coffee… READ MORE>

We know that visual matters. If your brand doesn’t engage with the eyes, any words you use to tell your… READ MORE>

As we were going through the process of reinventing our online image, I came across a cool design story about… READ MORE>

People go with their gut. We make decisions, even big ones, in a matter of seconds mostly based on emotion… READ MORE>

We know storytelling technology shapes and enhances the stories we tell. One of those technologies is Twitter. While it might… READ MORE>

Storytelling Isn’t Enough Telling your brand story is only part of your job as marketer. Another important endeavor is to… READ MORE>

SEVEN STORIES EVER Author Christopher Booker had always heard the popular notion that there are really just a handful of… READ MORE>

Just how effective is storytelling compared to a straightforward presentation of information? The bloggers at BufferSocial recently completed an experiment… READ MORE>

A few times a year, Mary and I head up to Baltimore Print Studios to use a traditional printing press… READ MORE>

Our lives used to be ruled by something we called NEC. Networking, Education, Certification. We preached it to clients, defended… READ MORE>

This all-visual platform is a great chance to connect to your members’ and supporters’ aspirations and interests. Pinterest is less… READ MORE>

The age of social media represents a fundamental change in where power is clustered. A better way to say it… READ MORE>

A quick search in Merriam-Webster’s will tell us that the word “move,” can refer to both an emotional sensation and… READ MORE>

Anything But Vulnerability, Please! But here is the central problem. Among people, it’s vulnerability that truly forges connection. It would… READ MORE>

Design: The LIMBS Design represents the LIMBS of inspiration, because it’s what carries your message into the world. It’s what… READ MORE>

Since we’ve been communicating our “Inspire Your Base” message, we’ve noticed an evolution in how people are responding. The responses… READ MORE>

Fifth Think about ways you can “unveil” your conference. What can you borrow from successful product launches? Find ways to… READ MORE>

Our roots are in design, so we’re biased on this. But we’re also right. Good design is good business. It’s… READ MORE>

6. Inspire confidence in your members that they can anticipate something better than the ordinary. People will open your emails… READ MORE>

2. Don’t be afraid to send more emails (if they are good emails). Associations are sometimes leery of sending too… READ MORE>

4. Build unique offers into the campaign. Offers include things like Early Bird specials, webinars, hotel discounts, giveaways (from iPads… READ MORE>

We should recognize that doing the same thing over and over again while expecting different results is foolish. We will… READ MORE>

We accept that late registration is a fact, not a trend. We will not ignore cultural shifts. Instead we will… READ MORE>

People don’t know that you’re talking to them if you don’t actually talk to them. And the way your people… READ MORE>

What your association is doing is too important. The lives you are changing matter too much. What’s really stopping you… READ MORE>

Your registration brochure isn’t just a marketing piece. It’s the face of your conference. A face can launch a thousand… READ MORE>

In the article, “Meeting Apps: Advice from the Trenches,” Sue Hatch details the account of Logan Fleck’s first attempt at… READ MORE>

E-mail and social media naturally complement each other. Data shows individuals who use Facebook or Twitter at least once a… READ MORE>

From the time I started school, I knew something wasn’t right with the blackboard. Or books. Or spelling words. What… READ MORE>

Have you read The Hunger Games yet? If you want to know how to market your event, you should. Yes,… READ MORE>

A recent study found that about 80% of consumers rely on multiple marketing channels when making a purchasing decision. Yet,… READ MORE>

We’ve been doing a little construction on our LinkedIn profiles. Most of the grunt work has been to install apps… READ MORE>

What’s your story? Have you ever had a chance to watch kids during story time? A good storyteller can captivate… READ MORE>

Unless you are in design, you probably don’t pay much attention to the huge array of typefaces that you come… READ MORE>

You’ve created a brand identity for your association that seems to be working. Members recognize your logo when they see… READ MORE>

Focus on 4 crucial areas to increase attendance. And, no, we’re not talking about losing weight, writing that novel, or… READ MORE>

Harness the power of a crowd to reach your attendance goals. We know it has happened to you. You can… READ MORE>

Our most recent edition of White Space covered positioning annual conferences for greater attendance. One of the topics we touched… READ MORE>

Tips for correctly integrating direct mail and online marketing to increase conference attendance. As social networking has become more popular,… READ MORE>