Effective marketing and communication begin with clear goals. Determine what, specifically, your organization is trying to accomplish. Then, focus on the steps necessary to achieve those outcomes.

Preparing for a crisis starts by asking: “what would we do if ‘X’ happened?”

Press releases are an old standby, but they shouldn’t be your only approach to getting your message out. There are many alternatives.

Today, roughly a third of online activity is spent watching video. Internet traffic will account for more than 80 percent of all consumer traffic this year.

Caitlin Donahue, SVP and director of digital at Curley Company, talks with Rob Gifford, president of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation.

Particularly in a world with nonstop social media and ever-changing news stories, associations can benefit from having quarterly PR brainstorming sessions with their outside consultants or firms. We all know how unforeseen events can render a carefully designed communications plan largely ineffective within a few months of its implementation.

Dozens of members of Congress and presidential hopefuls have taken the “No PAC Money” pledge. Considered the most regulated form of campaign finance, association and corporate PACs are being maligned with the ills of super PACs.

LinkedIn is a great platform for associations to facilitate discussions, share information and best practices, and connect with their members and other colleagues in their industry. At latest count, LinkedIn had more than 450 million users across 200 countries. The platform represents an opportunity that’s too good to pass up.

With so many associations promoting their issues on Capitol Hill, what makes your issues stand out? Making them as personal and tangible as possible.

It’s important to understand the difference between what “looks good” and what has real “impact.” Vanity metrics ostensibly show a high-performing campaign, but fake engagement and bot farms may very well be the source of those big numbers.

Jennifer Curley, CEO of Curley Company and publisher of The Association 100, sits with Jim Klein, president of the American Benefits Council, to discuss trends in the world of associations.

Most associations primarily focus advocacy efforts on state and federal legislators. State attorneys general, however, have been rapidly realizing their potential to impact public policy. As AGs expand their purview, it’s vital that associations build relationships with their AG(s) just as they would with legislators.