For many associations, this time spent working remotely has been a great opportunity to examine current processes and tools. A few months ago, I discussed how to evaluate your current marketing tool to determine if it fits your association’s current and future needs. If the result of that conversation was that a new system is needed, the next logical step is to determine which tool should be identified and implemented.
However, before going full steam ahead, I would recommend that your team do a full audit of all of your existing marketing assets and data sources. Going through this exercise will help ensure both a successful implementation, and reduce the number of surprises throughout the process.
My goal during discovery meetings with a new client is to gain a full understanding of everything that touches marketing and communications, but some small items may fall through the cracks because they are not top of mind for the client. Before a discovery meeting, whether internally or with an implementation partner, have your team review the items below to create an inventory of all marketing assets and ensure everything is included in the implementation plan.
Your legacy marketing system holds a wealth of information about how your members and prospects have interacted with your organization in the past. At the most basic level you know which contacts are subscribed or unsubscribed from receiving your emails. At a deeper level, you may know who opens up emails related to events versus educational opportunities. This behavioral information can be aggregated and added to the new system so you do not have to start from scratch.
