The 2021 ASAE annual meeting was this past week and, as usual, was chocked full of ideas and insights for associations. If you weren’t able to attend, don’t worry, we took notes! 

Here are three key takeaways from this year’s ASAE Annual Meeting that you can implement into your business’s strategic marketing plan today.

1. Fine-tune your audience listening skills.

As audiences continue to evolve, it’s important to identify what communication styles and messaging they are responding to. Amanda Ripley, a New York Times bestselling author and investigative journalist, held a session deep-diving into different conversation tactics and ways to share information. Amanda reviewed her rules for successful engagement, and they have a lot more to do with listening than what your organization is saying. 

Identifying your audience’s goals, struggles and needs is crucial when developing content that aims to inspire. Don’t be afraid to ask your audience what they are looking for when they consume different types of content. Doing this will ensure you’re engaging with your audience accurately and when they need help the most.

2. Bring new life to your old way of thinking.

The truth is, when it comes to strategic communication, what is popular today may not be popular tomorrow. That’s why it’s necessary to always adapt to what your audience is consuming — but that doesn’t mean scrapping all old content. 

Use content your organization has already produced in a new way. Look at your organization’s content that has performed well, and bring it forward. Research what’s trending in your industry, and find ways to bring your past content into the conversation. Repurposing content will save you time and resources while still allowing you to deliver great content that aligns with your communication strategy. 

P.S. We have an entire podcast episode on what to do with old content. 

3. Don’t be afraid to realign your team.

For the past year, nothing has gone according to plan. Moogega Cooper, PhD, a leading engineer with NASA, held an amazing session at this year’s conference on what it is like to lead a team in 2021. “Dr. Moo,” as she is called, stressed the importance of realigning your team to ensure your organization’s goals and strategy haven’t been lost. With things constantly shifting, it’s important to hold weekly check-ins with everyone. Make sure everyone is on the same page and working toward the same goal. 

It’s helpful to have measurable ways to gauge your team’s effectiveness. You will be able to use that information and data in the future when your team is developing new strategies. Lastly, it is important to grow a team that has a diverse skill set. Develop a team full of individual experts who can lean on each other when executing your organization’s plan.