One of the most common mistakes you can make when it comes to distributing digital content is sending an email or two and assuming everyone has seen it. A well-known marketing rule, called “the rule of seven,” states that a prospect needs to see or hear your marketing message at least seven times before they take action. So, just when you’re tired of the content you’ve been sharing, that’s about the time your members are starting to pay attention to it.

In this digital world, the channels of communication available to your members are abundant. Everyone has their own individual preferences as to where they like to receive their information, and people will have varying degrees of attention in different channels based on those preferences. The only way to truly maximize the chance that your audience is going to see or hear your message — seven times, no less — and take action is to distribute it across as many channels as you can, and in the channels that make sense for the content, of course.

A content-sharing checklist is a great tool that will help you think through all the possible channels in which to share your digital content. Every time a new message or piece of content is created, your team can easily run through the checklist to make sure you are maximizing the exposure.

Here is a basic worksheet to help you get started. Remember, not every piece of content is going to go into every channel — be sure clear guidelines are set for each channel and the types of content that should be shared there.

Content-Sharing Checklist Worksheet General Guidelines:

• All of your content should have a dedicated landing page on your site to which you can link, with a clear call to action.
• Add guidelines and channels specific to your credit union.
• Follow the 60-30-10 rule: Sixty percent of content is original, educational content; 30 percent is educational content from other leading authorities; and 10 percent is promotional.

Visit www.nafcu.org/content-sharing-checklist to download the checklist so you can customize it for your credit union!

Article published in the July-August 2016 issue of The Federal Credit Union magazine from NAFCU.