3 Sources to Consider When Defining Your Video Content Calendar

“We’re ready to develop a content calendar… but how do we know which video topics will resonate with our members?”

Hands down this is one of the most commonly asked questions by associations as they take the first steps towards launching their Association TV® video program. Sure, video is a new communications vehicle for many organizations, and yes, the execution is different from traditional forms of media. But the approach to defining which video topics and themes your membership will find interesting hasn’t changed – in fact, the video topics you’re looking for could very well be right under your nose.

As you develop your video content calendar, consider the following sources. No doubt there are other avenues to explore, but this list is a logical starting point.

1) Borrow from your recent or upcoming event

The last time your organization hosted an event, there was likely a brochure, or website published which lists every single topic spoken or presented about. And someone internal or external to your association (an agency, for example) curated this list and deemed it to be worthy of your members’ attention and interest. Why go against the grain? Use the most popular topics as the basis for your video topics and titles.

Tip: Can’t choose between the event’s speaker topics? If your event has already happened, find out from your events department which presentations were standing room only or which ones were well attended (like the image below). Lead with that. 

Packed Keynote Session.png

2) Leverage your board members

Your board members are perhaps some of the most engaged individuals in your industry. They’re passionate and driven, and at the same time they’re well versed in the headwinds that are challenging the economic wellbeing of your industry. What business issues are they contending with right now? What’s keeping them up at night? Ask your board members these two questions, and be ready to write down topic after topic after topic.

3) Survey your membership

We’ve all attended conferences where afterwards, we’ve been asked to complete a survey and rate our interest level in the material presented by speakers. Does you association practice this, and more importantly, are you acting on the qualitative data you collect? Maybe you have used this data to improve your speaker lineup in future events, but what did you do with the data beyond that? For some associations, this session survey may be one of a few or only opportunities when members willingly rate their learning experience, and indicate to you which themes and topics they enjoyed most. If the feedback is good enough to help you shape your next event, it’s good enough to help you shape your entire communications effort – including your content calendar.

Choosing the video topics that make up your video content calendar doesn’t have to be complex.

Your members have long regarded your association as the hub for their professional development and growth, which likely means that what you’re looking for is not so elusive after all – so use qualitative and quantitative data to uncover it.

Here at Association TV, we believe a balanced content calendar is one that also factors the needs of the association and your sponsor community. While considering your members interests first is a good idea, it on its own, satisfies only their needs. What about yours? Learn more about Association TV® by clicking on the demo button below.

Ask us about our step-by-step process for developing a content calendar that balances member needs, association goals, and helps you achieve association business goals such as generating non-dues revenue that can pay for your video program entirely.

Association TV® is a division of WorkerBee.TV

Randell Mauricio is Chief Operating Officer of WorkerBee.TV

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