====== Addendum H – GSF Social Media Strategy ====== The goal of GSF’s social media strategy is to increase the visibility and reach of the Federation to engage with the current 17-member associations and to build and strengthen GSF’s brand reputation, which will help GSF with… - **Increased visibility:** Increase the reach of GSF enabling us to connect with a wider audience. - **Brand building:** Reinforce the brand reputation of GSF, increasing our credibility and influence. - **Improved engagement:** Foster meaningful connections between GSF and its member associations. - **Increased event exposure:** Promote registrations for GSF events (GSS Summit) and its member associations (Annual Conventions). - **Knowledge sharing:** Facilitate knowledge sharing between GSF and its member associations. - **Increased membership:** Strengthen GSF community by attracting associations that are not part of GSF. - **Information sharing:** Additional vehicle to communicate happenings within the GSF and its member associations The target group of all GSF social media activities is **//Member-Associations//** of GSF (currently 17) and **Non-Member Associations**. The focus is not on catering to individual speakers, trainers, authors, etc., although GSF’s presence might help them explore their local associations. Even if individual speakers might follow GSFs social media accounts, the goal is to bring awareness to them about their member associations (redirection). __**Background**__\\ GSF has accumulated a variety of unmonitored and inactive groups, pages and profiles on various platforms. Administrative roles are inconsistent and not centralized. Community groups (FB and LinkedIn) are used by individuals to promote events or post inspirational content, yet in the perception of visitors may be that these are part of GSF’s social media activities. On GSF’s official outlets the association lacks consistent posting and misses out on opportunities to engage. __**Benefits**__\\ GSF can build a strong online presence, establish a positive reputation to demonstrate its value to member association, also by promoting their associations, leadership or events. //**Content ideas to demonstrate the value**// * //**GSF goals, vision, and mission:**// Promote GSF and educate on its vision and mission. * //**GSF member benefits:**// Share the benefits of membership in GSF. * //**GSF membership requirements:**// Share details about the requirements to join GSF as an association. * //**GSF leadership:**// Introduce the Presidential Leadership team and board members of GSF. * //**GSF history:**// Describe GSF’s past and present and why it is the go-to-resource for associations worldwide. * //**GSF award winners:**// Introduce and celebrate past and present award winners. * //**GSF Global Speaking Fellow promotion:**// Describe the requirements and application process. * //**GSF Global Speaking Fellows:**// Introduce past and present Global Speaking Fellow recipients. * //**Professional Speakers Celebration Day:**// Promote and celebrate March 14th. * //**GSF member association spotlights:**// Highlight member associations (goals, achievements, impact.) * //**GSF events:**// Promote the GSS Summit, highlight summit presenters, and encourage associations to share. * //**Association glossary:**// Explain common terms that association leaders should be familiar with. * //**Member association leadership:**// Congratulate and thank new Presidents of associations. * //**Member association events:**// Promote on annual conventions hosted by member associations. * //**Best practices and tips:**// Share advice on topics such as membership growth, event planning, marketing. * //**Association resources:**// Promote resources available in the GSF Library. * //**Success stories:**// Highlight achievements of member associations and impact on the speaking industry. By taking advantage of GSF's presence in social media, member associations can * leverage their affiliations with GSF to gain recognition. * increase their visibility and reach on a global level. * increased knowledge and understanding of GSF’s role * strengthened relationships between member associations * improve engagement between GSF and its member associations and their respective audiences. * access to resources and best practices from GSF and other member associations. __**Implementation**__\\ PHASE 1 (MARCH & APRIL 2023) – CLEAN UP\\ PHASE 2 (MAY & JUNE) — CONTENT AND SYSTEMS\\ PHASE 3 (JULY & AUGUST) — MONITORING AND ADJUSTMENTS\\ PHASE 4 (SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER) — EMAIL MARKETING __**PHASE 1 — CLEAN UP**__ - **//CLOSE ALL INACTIVE SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES OR GROUPS//** - Negative image: Inactive groups and pages show a lack of attention and effort from the federation and can make GSF appear unreliable and untrustworthy to our audience. - Better management: Closing down inactive groups and pages simplifies the management and monitoring of social media accounts, making it easier to maintain a consistent brand image. - Wasted resources: Maintaining inactive groups and pages requires time, effort, and money. Closing down inactive groups and pages frees up resources that can be used to create new and engaging content on active platforms. - Confuses audience: Inactive groups and pages can confuse GSF’s audience and make it difficult for them to find relevant and up-to-date information. - Decreased engagement: Keeping inactive groups and pages reduces overall engagement and can limit the growth of active ones. - Increased security risk: Inactive groups and pages can become a security risk as they can be hacked and used for malicious purposes. - Decreased analytics data: Keeping inactive groups and pages can skew analytics data and make it difficult to measure the effectiveness of GSF’s social media campaigns accurately. - Improved social media strategy: Closing inactive groups and pages allows the federation to focus on the platforms where our audience is actively engaged. - Before closing REDIRECT existing members/followers to the new, active social media channels. - **//SIGN UP FOR ALL SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS//** - Protecting the brand: By owning all social media accounts, GSF can prevent others from creating accounts that might negatively impact the federation’s reputation. - Maintaining control: By owning all accounts, GSF can maintain control over the content, messaging, and overall image of the federation on social media. - Consistency: Owning all social media accounts ensures consistency in branding and messaging across all platforms, strengthening the federation’s image and reputation. - Protecting intellectual property: Owning all social media accounts helps protect GSF's intellectual property and ensures that others cannot use GSF’s name or content without permission. - Future use: Even if GSF is not actively using all social media accounts, owning them allows the federation to reserve the names/handles for future use. - **//STANDARDIZE ALL NAMES/HANDLES ACROSS PLATFORMS//** - Brand recognition: Consistent branding across all platforms increases brand recognition and helps build a stronger brand identity for GSF. - Improved discoverability: Having the same name or handle across all platforms makes it easier for audiences to find and follow the federation, increasing the reach and impact of GSF. - Improved engagement: By making it easier for audiences to find and follow the federation, a consistent name or handle can increase engagement and interactions. - Better analytics: Using a consistent handle across all platforms allows for more accurate tracking and analysis of social media activity, making it easier to evaluate the success of GSF’s social media campaigns. - Increased trust: Consistent branding across all platforms can increase trust and credibility, as audiences are more likely to engage with brands that have a strong, recognizable brand. - Better cross-platform promotion: A consistent name or handle makes it easier to promote the federation and its content across multiple platforms, increasing its reach and impact. - **//SUGGESTED NAME: VoiceofGSF (considering limitations of min. 5 to max 15 characters)://** * Facebook: available (https://www.facebook.com/voiceofgsf) - ACTIVE * Youtube: available (https://www.youtube.com/@voiceofGSF) - ACTIVE * Twitter: available (https://twitter.com/VoiceofGSF) - PARKED * Instagram: available (https://www.instagram.com/voiceofgsf) - ACTIVE * LinkedIn: available (https://www.linkedin.com/in/voiceofgsf/) - ACTIVE * Tiktok: available (https://www.tiktok.com/@voiceofgsf) - PARKED * Pinterest: available (https://www.pinterest.com/voiceofgsf) - PARKED * Snapchat: available (https://www.snapchat.com/add/voiceofgsf) - PARKED * Vimeo: available (https://vimeo.com/voiceofgsf) – PARKED * ACTIVE: refers to platforms that GSF plans to publish content in the future * PARKED: refers to platforms that GSF plans to secure the handle/URL but does not plan to publish content - **//CREATE CENTRAL EMAIL ADRESS FOR ALL SOCIAL MEDIA ACTIVITIES//** * Suggested email: voiceofgsf@globalspeakersfederation.com * Suggested admins: Shari Bricks, Michael Smith, Sylvie di Giusto (temporary) * Eliminate communications@globalspeakersfederation.com (unmonitored, unreachable) * Create a dedicated email address (voiceofgsf@globalspeakersfederation.com) that is used to administrate social media channels. - **//REPORT IN NEXT BOARD MEETING AND INTRODUCTION OF PHASE 2//** __**PHASE 2 — CONTENT AND SYSTEMS**__ Having successfully laid the foundational groundwork in Phase 1, where we streamlined GSF’s social media presence and established a unified brand identity, GSF is ready to transition into Phase 2. Phase 2 is the extension of our initial efforts and a strategic evolution as it’s designed to be the engine that drives GSF's digital transformation on the following platforms: * **LinkedIn:** linkedin.com/c/voiceofgsf * **Instagram:** instagram.com/voiceofgsf * **Facebook:** facebook.com/voiceofgsf * **YouTube:** youtube.com/@voiceofgsf - **Target Audience Identification:** - **//Primary Audience://** Member-Associations of GSF (currently 17) and Non-Member Associations - **//Secondary Audience://** NOT individual members (speakers, trainers, authors, coaches, consultants) of each association, although they might be interested in following GSF. - **Content Design** * **//Color Palette//** * **//Font Choices//** * **//Design Style//** * **//Logo//** - **Content Calendar** - LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram: two scheduled (image) posts per week (Tuesday, Thursday) - YouTube: when applicable - **Content Creation and Suggested Topics:** - **//GSF goals, vision, and mission://** Promote GSF and educate on its vision and mission. - **//GSF member benefits://** Share the benefits of membership in GSF. - **//GSF member associations://** Promote existing members associations. - **//GSF member association spotlights://** Highlight member associations’ goals and local impact. - **//GSF membership requirements://** Share details about the requirements to join GSF as an association. - **//GSF leadership://** Introduce the Presidential Leadership team and Board Members of GSF. - **//GSF history://** Describe how and when GSF hast become to go-to-resource for speaker associations. - **//GSF award winners://** Introduce and celebrate past and present GSF award winners. - **//GSF Global Speaking Fellow promotion://** Describe the process to become a Global Speaking Fellow. - **//GSF Global Speaking Fellows://** Introduce past and present Global Speaking Fellow recipients. - **//Professional Speakers Celebration Day://** Promote and celebrate March 14th. - **//GSF events://** Promote the GSS and encourage associations to share and speakers to sign up. - **//GSF initiatives://** Share initiatives and programs led by GSF. - **//Association glossary://** Explain common terms that association leaders should be familiar with. - **//Member association leadership://** Congratulate new Presidents of associations and thank for their service. - **//Member association events://** Promote upcoming (annual) events hosted by member associations. - **//Best practices://** Share tips for associations and leaders (membership growth, event planning, marketing. - **//Association resources://** Share resources and information that can help associations (GSF Library.) - **//Success stories://** Share success stories from member associations, highlighting their achievements. - **//Sponsorship opportunities://** Encourage sponsorship opportunities to support GSF or the speaking industry. - **//Ongoing stories://** presidential coverage (e.g. President visits annual conventions.) - **Content Governance:** - **//Neutral Political Stance://** cannot endorse or criticize any political parties, candidates, or ideologies. - **//Sensitive Topics://** no posting or commenting on topics such as race, religion, or personal opinions. - **//Inclusive Language://** language that is respectful regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, or nationality. - **//Cultural Sensitivity://** mindful of cultural differences and norms as viewed by a global audience. - **//No Individual Highlights://** instead maintain focus on the collective goals s of member associations. - **//Transparency://** indicate the source of any statistics, quotes, or data used in content. - **//Fact-Checking://** verify all information before posting to ensure accuracy and credibility. - **//Brand Consistency://** ensure that all content aligns with GSF's brand voice, design, mission, and values. - **//Non-Commercial Tone://** no overly promotional language; focus on value, information and education. - **//Accountability://** in the event of mistakes commit to being transparent and corrections made promptly. - **//Following individual accounts://** limit GSF’s following to member associations and not individual speakers. - **//User generated content://** disallow content published by users or don’t reshare it. - **//Content approval://** centralized at GSF staff and Social media team. - **Content Scheduling** * **//Advantages//** * **Time savings:** batch-create and schedule posts in single sessions. * **Increased efficiency:** streamlines the process, reduces the chances of errors and duplicated effort. * **Improved organization:** clear overview of scheduled content, making it easier to track progress. * **Better content planning:** allows planning GSFs content more effectively. * **Cross-platform consistency:** maintains a consistent brand image and messaging across platforms. * **Better analytics:** detailed and central analytics allow GSF to adjust its strategy as needed. * **//Disadvantages//** * **Lack of flexibility:** limits the ability to respond quickly to current events or trending topics. * **Less visibility and engagements:** platforms decrease reach when scheduled with third-party software. * **Inflexibility in response to feedback:** challenging to adjust content based on feedback. * **Reduced authenticity:** may not feel as genuine or spontaneous compared to ad-hoc postings. * **Decreased sense of urgency:** may not convey a sense of urgency compared to ad-hoc postings. * **Sensitivity:** GSF must ensure that can be paused during emergency situations, natural disasters, crises. __**PHASE 3 — MONITORING AND ADJUSTMENTS**__ tbd __**PHASE 4 — EMAIL MARKETING**__ Having successfully laid the foundational groundwork in Phase 1+2, where we streamlined GSF’s social media presence and established a unified brand identity, GSF is ready to transition into Phase 4 focusing on e-mail marketing. * **OBJECTIVE OF NEW EMAIL MARKETING STRATEGY** * Share regular GSF updates to keep member associations and subscribers informed and involved. * Promote upcoming association events to drive attendance and participation. * Provide valuable resources and educational content. * Spotlight federation and association leaders, bringing a personal touch to our global community. * Simplify the editorial and technical process to reduce time-to-publish. * Establish tools to measure newsletter effectiveness (open rates, click-through rates, subscriber growth). * Strengthen GSF’s overall brand and positioning. * Exemplify excellence and set a communication benchmark for member associations. * **TARGET AUDIENCE IDENTIFICATION** * Primary Audience: Member-Associations of GSF (currently 17) and Non-Member Associations, association leaders on national/regional/chapter level. * Secondary Audience: individual members (speakers, trainers, authors, coaches, consultants) of each association. * **LIST SEGMENTATION** * Group 1: Import of past recipients+ * Group 2: Current Presidents/Incoming Presidents/Vice Presidents of associations+ * Group 3: GSF Representatives+ * Group 4: Past GSF Presidents/Representatives+ * Group 5: Presidents/Board Members/Leadership national/regional/chapter level++ * Group 6: Individual Speakers / Future Leadership national/regional/chapter level++ * Group 7: Other Associations * +Recommended to confirm opt-in after import for list health * ++Manual Opt-in via website (in the future might consider lead magnet) * **SUBSCRIBER DATA** * Past Recipients: Import existing subscriber list and re-engage via initial email to reconfirm subscription. * Social Media Engagement: Utilize GSF social media channels to invite new subscribers. * Associations: Encourage member associations to promote the newsletter within their networks. * Lead Magnet: Offer a valuable resource on the GSF website as an incentive for new subscriptions. * **CONTENT STRATEGY** * Newsletter * Focus Topic: fostering continuous learning within the GSF community. * What's Currently Happening at GSF?: giving a transparent view into the federation's latest initiatives, promoting a sense of inclusivity. * Digital Buzz: showcasing content shared across GSF's social media channels. * Upcoming Events Around the Globe: promoting annual conference of GSF’s member associations. * Leadership Spotlight: introducing GSF and member association leaders. * Recommended frequency monthly (list engagement/list health), yet has to be determined based on effort and time investment for GSF volunteer. * Evergreen * Join the Global Celebration: rallying community for each year’s Professional Speakers Celebration Day. * Curious About GSF?: addressing common inquiries, ensuring subscribers know how to leverage GSF benefits. * Website Links: guiding subscribers toward specific areas on the GSF website. * Social Media Links: connecting subscribers seamlessly with GSF's social platforms. * Contact Details: ensuring subscribers can reach out with questions, feedback, etc. * Ad-Hoc-Updates * to address special announcements and significant occasions. * should be reserved for essential communication that warrants immediate attention. * recommended that their frequency is kept to a minimum. * should be subject to approval by the President. * Transactional e-mails * Subscription Confirmation: confirming successful subscription and welcoming to the community. * Unsubscribe Confirmation: confirming removal from the mailing list and providing options to resubscribe. * Feedback Survey: gathering feedback from subscribers about their newsletter experience. * Automated Workflows (evergreen, with links to website) * Welcome to GSF: welcoming new subscribers, outlining the mission and vision of GSF, providing links to essential resources on the website. * Meet Our Leadership: introducing subscriber to the individuals leading the federation. * Join Us on Social Media: encouraging to connect with GSF on social media platforms. * Explore Our Resources: inviting subscribers to check out GSF's resource library. * Global Speaker Fellow: providing an overview of the Global Speaker Fellow designation. * Lead Magnet sequence (evergreen) * Immediate Delivery: thanking subscriber and delivering the promised resource or content. * Feedback Request: requesting feedback on the lead magnet content after a while. * **CONTENT CREATION** * By shifting from a “pull” to a “push” process, GSF can leverage its existing digital presence (social media and website) to create a timely newsletter while streamlining the content management and distribution workflow. * Previous Pull Process: * Newsletter Manager reached out to associations, requesting content contributions. * Content was manually transferred from various sources (emails, documents, etc.) into a PDF format. * Manual design and formatting of the newsletter. * Manual distribution to a predefined list of recipients. * Proposed Push Process: * Utilize existing content from GSF's social media accounts and website, which already includes updates, event highlights, and member spotlights, etc. * Curate and organize existing content into a templated web-based newsletter format. * Automate the design and formatting of the newsletter using email marketing software. * Implement a scheduled distribution process that sends the newsletter to subscribers. * **EMAIL MANAGEMENT TOOL** * After careful investigation and evaluation of multiple email management tools, the proposed tool for GSF is MailerLite (www.mailerlite.com) * User-friendly drag-and-drop editor * Template creation * Simple preview feature * Time zone scheduling * Automation workflows * Signup forms and pop-ups * Email verification * Subscriber segmentation * A/B testing * Real-Time analytics * Integration with other marketing and CRM platforms * Compliance and Deliverability * Website and blog creation tools * Landing page creation * Customer support * Affordable pricing * **Benefits to GSF association members:** * Timely and Relevant Updates: Subscribers will receive up-to-date information, ensuring they stay informed about the latest developments, events, and resources within the GSF community. * Efficiency: GSF's streamlined e-mail creation and distribution process means that members receive newsletters efficiently, without delays caused by manual content collection and formatting. * Enhanced Engagement: The new strategy leverages and engaging content from GSF's social media channels, increasing member engagement with fresh and appealing content. * Consistency: Subscribers can count on a consistent flow of high-quality content in each newsletter, reinforcing the value of their association membership. * Access to Evergreen Resources: The newsletters include links to evergreen resources on GSF's website, allowing members to explore valuable content at their convenience. * Measurable Impact: GSF's ability to track engagement means we can report the impact to member associations, helping them make informed decisions about their involvement with GSF. * **Potential concerns of this proposal:** * Overreliance on Existing Content: Depending on website and social media content for newsletters requires that these sources are up-to-date. * Subscriber Engagement: While the strategy aims to enhance engagement, there's no guarantee that all subscribers will actively engage with the content. Some members may still prefer other communication channels or may not regularly check their email. * Email Deliverability: Ensuring that newsletters reach subscribers' inboxes and avoid spam filters is critical. * Privacy and Data Security: Any data breaches or mishandling of subscriber data could lead to trust issues. * Feature Limitations: The suggested tool is a basic email-management marketing tool. * Technical Challenges: Like with any tool there may be technical challenges, such as formatting issues or disruptions in the content flow. * Resources: Implementing this new strategy requires buy-in from all stakeholders. * Human Errors: There is always a possibility of factual inaccuracies, link errors or typographical errors. ;;# [[start|Home]] | [[addendum g|Prev: Addendum G – GSF Board Members - Staggered Term of Office Initial Association Rotation]] ;;#