There is no question that last year, planned marketing strategies were thrown out the window and organizations were forced to quickly adapt to the challenges faced in 2020. On April 21st, we talked with Amy Huempfner, Association Marketing Director at YMCA of the Chippewa Valley, about what her organization is doing to prepare for fall programs and the tactics her team is using to ensure a successful marketing strategy. In case you missed it, we’ve included the recording and summary notes below!
Segment your Audiences
Targeted messages help prevent email fatigue and improve member and non-member experiences by only surfacing programs and announcements that get them excited. Don’t send mass emails if you can avoid it! They train your audience to ignore your communications, because they’ve opened one too many emails not relevant to them.
Right now, the Chippewa Valley Y is targeting three key groups:
- Current members (who also get priority registration for programs)
- Past program participants (Looking specifically at what they were involved with in the past and what they could be involved in now)
- Anyone who’s terminated between March 2020 and March 2021
They do this by creating groups in Daxko Engage. They create an email campaign made up of several emails set to send at predefined intervals. For driving program sign-ups, they start the campaign when registration is about to open, and they watch the program participant numbers climb after each email message is deployed.
Diversify your Messaging Platforms
Email is a great tool, but some people don’t check their email for program and membership opportunities. You have to meet your audience wherever they are, so be present on as many platforms as you can maintain.
That includes social media, your website, even brochures and printouts. Many organizations have tried for years to go paperless, especially during the pandemic. Amy mentioned that her association has found success with a combination of digital and print resources.
For example, all their program brochures are digital and can easily be found on their website. In addition to these digital brochures, the front desk staff also keeps specific program flyers on hand. That way, if someone comes into the facility with a question about a program on the digital brochure, a Y staff person can send them home with something tangible to dive into.
Find your Messaging
At the beginning of the pandemic, many organizations adopted the message, “Stay with Us.” In other words, convert your dues to donations, but continue to be a member and support us through this difficult time.
With all the improvements we’ve experienced in recent months, it’s time for new messaging. The YMCA of the Chippewa Valley has a few new taglines:
- “Get up, Get Out, and Get into the Y”
- “It’s been a while”
Everyone is excited to get members back into their facilities. This message speaks to all three audiences that Amy’s team segmented out: current members who aren’t registered for any programs, past program participants, and members who terminated between March 2020 and March 2021.
Specifically for the third audience, Amy reengages them by reminding them that, while they did have to close their doors and programs for a time, they are back with a slew of new offerings. She communicates to former members that, even if it’s just for a tour, they’d love to have them come see what’s going on. Oftentimes, once a person is inside the facility, the reasons to rejoin are evident.
To learn about how Daxko can enhance your marketing strategy, schedule a consultation with our team.