If you work for a smaller organization, you may wear a number of hats — among those, marketing and communications.
But when you have a hand in everything, it’s hard to truly specialize in anything. It’s hard to get into the crevices of what really works and what really doesn’t.
All that to say…you may be making a few marketing mistakes you’re not even aware of! Do any of these stand out to you?
Mistake #1: Using too many hashtags
If your organization is active on social media, first of all, good for you! Social media is a tool nearly all companies and organizations should be leveraging. That said, one mistake many organization’s make is a high — often, extreme — usage of hashtags, particularly on Twitter and Instagram.
Now don’t get us wrong, hashtags aren’t bad. In fact, we recommend using them. They’re how you reach a wider audience — people who may not know about your organization, much less follow your page. That said, too many hashtags can come across as spammy…a message no company or organization wants to send. And not only that, but the more hashtags you use, the less likely people are to share your post.
So what’s a “good” number of hashtags to use? Well, there’s no perfect number, but typically, three or less is a good range to stay within (though there are always exceptions).
Mistake #2: Publishing and relying on long forms
Do you have forms on your organization’s website? Think beyond your member application form. (That’s a bit of a unique case.) We’re talking about forms for webinar registrations, content downloads, member/prospect support, etc.
If you do have forms like that, the next question to consider is, how long are those forms? In other words, how many “fields” does a member or prospect need to fill out? You may want to capture as much information as you can, but asking for too much info is a big mistake.
Why? Well, the longer your forms, the less likely people are to complete them. When creating a form, only ask for the information you absolutely need; you can always ask for more later down the road.
A good rule of thumb is to keep your forms to four or five fields or less. That may not seem like much, but you have to remember, many people will be coming to your website via a mobile device, and five+ fields can be a tall ask for someone with a small screen.
Mistake #3: Neglecting data analysis
We KNOW you’re busy, but putting data analysis on the back burner is a costly mistake. Every time you send an email or publish a page on your website, you’re hoping for certain results: views, opens, click-throughs, etc. By analyzing certain data, you can GET better results. Sure, it takes time, but trust us — it’s worth it!
Now if your concern is, “My data’s all over the place!,” rest assured, you’re not alone. But to overcome that issue, you may want to consider some kind of all-in-one system, such as a membership management system. By housing everything in one place — your database, website, email marketing, etc. — your data, whether it be from an email or a form submission, will be housed in one place as well. You’ll be able to easily run reports, see what’s working and what’s not, and make pretty impactful improvements to your association or chamber’s marketing.
Want more tips for effectively marketing your association or chamber, via your website, email, social media, and beyond? Check out our free guide below!
