July 01, 2020

Best Practices in Communications

We would like to present to you the 2020 Associations & Clubs (A&C) Communications Handbook.

The following pages have been researched and compiled by the Associations & Clubs (A&C) Communications subcommittee to help Columbia Alumni Association (CAA) clubs of all sizes, and anywhere on the globe, better engage their members.

This is not, nor will it ever be, a finished document. With technology constantly evolving, platforms and networks changing regularly, and people shifting the way they engage, we will work to keep this up-to-date. While we’ve tried to include a large range of material, this will not answer every question or resolve all the challenges you may face. But it should be a good foundation on which to begin.

This handbook was made by CAA volunteers in clubs across Asia, Europe, and North America. However, we welcome any feedback and input from our global CAA community of over 355,000.

Alex Szabo ’80BUS	Mark Clemente ’08CC
Carla Sapsford Newman ’03SIPA ’03JRN	Paul Lindberg ’21SIPA
Esther Pang ’18SPS	Stephen Elms ’08SOA
Lani Yim ’20SIPA	Tania Martin-Mercado ’15SPS

Download the handbook or individual chapters using the links below.

COMPLETE HANDBOOK

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UPDATES:

Summer 2020

Make the most of your online presence by sharing all your links in one place. Include your website, social channels, events, and newsletter sign up. A free service like Linktree is easy to set up and update. This unique link can then be part of your Instagram and Twitter profiles or included in your email signature. Take a look at how Columbia University Club of London (CUCL) has been using it: https://linktr.ee/columbiaclublon

Email

Email is still the most common form of electronic communication. The Data & Marketing Association (DMA) reports that, “email has a median ROI of 122% – over 4x higher than any other marketing tools including social media, direct mail, and paid search.” Below are some key considerations for maximizing email ROI:

Utilizing email is the most efficient way one can communicate regularly with their members. You can improve your database by gathering email addresses from registration at events. Be creative with every element of your emails to help them stand out.
Members of your mailing list should not receive more than one email per week. We recommend two to three emails each month to keep alumni engaged, but not inundated with emails. The goal is to avoid unsubscribes or ‘spam’ reports which damage deliverability with certain email clients.
For a general monthly newsletter, an open rate of 20% would be considered successful. You can expect higher open rates for more targeted, personalized emails, such as registration confirmation or event reminder emails.

EMAIL CHAPTER

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Social Media

Social Media can have a strong impact on event participation and club membership. Approximately 30% of all online media time is spent on social media activities. It is important to build a consistent social media following, which requires a commitment to consistency, branding, posting of quality content, and upcoming events.

Post consistently, but keep in mind the adage of “quality over quantity.” Content should be relevant to your audience and elicit meaningful interactions (comments and shares). Interact with the audience by replying to other people’s posts.
Post images of people, which receive more responses than images of places. Use a social media management tool (HootSuite, Sprout Social, Buffer, Tweetdeck, etc.) to post across channels.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHAPTER

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Website

Websites can be used to help support your club activities and mission. Your club website is a tool you should use to promote your events, sell tickets, and give credibility to the club.

Websites should be utilized to get volunteers and drive new members to your mailing list. If you have a paid membership option, your site should also feature the benefits of becoming a paid member.

Video

Video Content is the most effective way of engaging an audience online. Try to find or create engaging video content and promote your club with it.

Videos can be used on your website, social media pages, and emails. Facebook events have a feature to create a slideshow with music to create a 10-15 second video from pictures. These are much more effective than using individual photos.