Welcome to the first Blog Watchdog of 2009. Remember that you can get this column and more in McKinley’s monthly newsletter.
Unlike Cindy, I took a lengthy vacation during the holiday season. I did, however, find time to recap the most excellent association blogs and bloggers of 2008 in my annual “best-of” post. With 2009 in front of us, it looks like we have much to discuss. Let’s dive right into the posts…
The first posting of 2009 to make me sit up and take notice was this one from Bruce Hammond. When Bruce’s wife was in a car accident, he learned a lesson about timely and relevant communication from so-called “ambulance-chasing” attorneys. Read this post for a reminder on the importance of timing in marketing.
In 2009, we expect that the use of social networking sites will continue to surge. Heck, my CEO even signed up for Facebook. And there is no denying that this behavior is indicative of a trend. According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, more than one-third of all U.S. adults answered “yes” when asked if they are using social networking sites. Read the full report on social networking by adults.
Getting people to talk about your association is free marketing. And these days, free marketing sounds particularly attractive to marketing professionals asked to do more with less. Thankfully, Associations Now magazine has a timely article with former Word of Mouth Marketing Association CEO Andy Sernovitz. Acronym, the blog published by ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership, also posted this list of five 5-minute things you can do today to get members talking about your association. Ready, set, go!
Lee Aase, Chancellor of Social Media University Global (aka SMUG, a blog devoted to helping you learn all about social media) recapped his top 10 most-trafficked posts of 2008. If you’re looking for tips on business uses for blogs, Facebook, Twitter and other social media, this top 10 list on SMUG is a great place to start.
As always, if you have feedback or a tip, e-mail B at BenMartinCAE dot com.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Thanks a lot for the link love, Ben. Appreciate the mention. Nice seeing you in DC earlier this week.
Bruce