Wednesday, October 31, 2012

DEMA’s 2013 Be A Diver Pool Tour Offers Cross-Marketing Opportunity For Your Growing Business

The Be A Diver Pool Tour is a year-round, nationwide program that enables targeted potential diving customers to try scuba diving in the warm, safe confines of a four-foot deep swimming pool under professional supervision. For sponsors, there is a visually exciting opportunity to be seen by affluent adults with the money and time to travel and participate in scuba diving.

“The Be A Diver Pool Tour has been in existence for over 10 years and has brought the interactive diving experience to thousands of participants at more than 250 venues across the U.S. ,” commented Tom Ingram, Executive Director of DEMA. “Based on solid consumer research, the Pool appears at large-scale events which already attract potential customers who fit the same prosperous demographic profile targeted by the diving industry. Sponsoring the Pool Tour is a unique means of reaching this much sought after target group.  In addition, the Be A Diver Pool is very visual, and attracts media attention for the local retailers and especially for the Pool Tour sponsors.”

As an official sponsor of the Pool Tour, your business will reap the benefits of highly visible exposure. Your company’s logo/product will receive on-site event exposure as well as media exposure, supported by DEMA’s Public Relations Firm, Adams Unlimited PR. In 2012, the Pool reached more than 1.5 million views through targeted television broadcast alone.

In addition to on-site and media exposure, sponsors receive a contact list following each Pool Stop that includes every participant who tries scuba diving in the Be A Diver Pool. Participants are required to register before entering the Be A Diver Pool, which provides an accurate database for potential customers.
There are a variety of different sponsorships available to meet your advertising needs and detailed information about the various sponsorship packages available can be found in the Be A Diver Pool Prospectus.  If you are interested in sponsoring the Pool Tour or have additional questions please contact DEMA’s Pool Tour Coordinator, Dave Reidenbach at (920) 205-3657 or bigwavedave@dema.org.

Making stops throughout the year at various consumer-oriented travel, outdoor activity and adventure shows, the Be A Diver pool gives anyone 10 years old and up the opportunity to discover the fun and exciting sport of scuba diving for FREE in the comfort of a large, tropically-warm pool. Participants are provided with everything they need to take advantage of this short but life-changing experience; locally-based diving professionals guide them while they use state-of-the-art diving equipment that makes it fun to experience diving.  Those who take the plunge need not worry about getting wet, since the Be A Diver pool provides wetsuits, towels, dressing rooms and even hair dryers! Plus they’ll have contacts with the local retail professional who can guide them to becoming a certified diver.

Friday, October 26, 2012

Twitter Me This…

Guest Blogger: Rachelle Morris, DEMA Membership Marketing & Communications Coordinator

I must confess, I haven’t always been a fan of Twitter. Initially, I took it to be for the ego-maniac; who could possibly think anyone cares what they have to say in 140 characters every 5 minutes? Obviously, that was before I had A CLUE about Twitter and how powerful it can really be.

In my personal life, I have come to realize that Twitter is a source where I often discover “breaking news.” This realization has, in my eyes, made Twitter synonymous with the dissemination of information, and for businesses there is endless potential. Not only does it provide you with a platform where you can tweet all day long with less potential of annoying your followers as compared to say, Facebook, (Twitter followers expect to hear from you throughout the day) but this license to chat away keeps you top-of-mind and relevant.

Much like my Facebook findings, there is a wealth of information on ways to make the most of your Twitter campaign and marketing. Here are of a few tips that I have found to be valuable in DEMA’s Twitter efforts:
  1. The 80/20 Rule: Just like I discussed in my previous post about Facebook post content, the 80/20 rule applies to Twitter as well. Remember, the rule suggests that 80% of your posts should be providing valuable content that supports the lifestyle/interests/concerns of your followers while 20% should be promotional. I have even read that on Twitter specifically, your self promotional content should be as low as 5%-10%.

    What DEMA is doing: Much like our Facebook page, we try and live by the 80/20 rule by posting valuable business tips, dive news and other information that would be beneficial to our Members and followers while incorporating a bit of Association-specific news to keep everyone updated. Much like our Facebook page, we try and live by the 80/20 rule by posting valuable business tips, dive news and other information that would be beneficial to our Members and followers while incorporating a bit of Association-specific news to keep everyone updated.


  2. Be Active! Twitter is very different from Facebook for many reasons, but one of my favorites is because it gives you a license to talk…a lot! Twitter followers expect and probably want to hear from you throughout the day, which means that you have less chance of being that annoying friend I referred to in a previous post. And remember, as soon as you tweet something, there are 5 other tweets that have just pushed yours down the queue. Don’t think that tweeting once a day is going to give you maximum exposure. If you aren’t tweeting multiple times a day, it’s quite possible that your tweets are getting lost.

    What DEMA is doing: We aim to post 4-5 times per day. Sometimes we don’t have enough quality information to share and sometimes we have extra. What we find to be important is that we are providing our followers with news and information that is valuable to their business, careers, diving interests, and so on. We aim for a certain number of tweets, but the quality and relativity of the information is just as important to us. We aim to post 4-5 times per day. Sometimes we don’t have enough quality information to share and sometimes we have extra. What we find to be important is that we are providing our followers with news and information that is valuable to their business, careers, diving interests, and so on. We aim for a certain number of tweets, but the quality and relativity of the information is just as important to us.


  3. Images, Images, Images: I was surprised to learn from a recent study that images posted on Twitter outperform text messages by 91%. Ninety-one percent! This article also states that image tweets only make up 2.3% of all tweets. It would seem that tweeting images is a hidden gem and posting such could really make you stand out from the rest while providing some pretty engaging content!

    What DEMA WILL BE doing: Given this newly discovered information, DEMA will certainly be incorporating additional images into our Twitter line-up. We are already sharing images and visually communicating on other platforms like Given this newly discovered information, DEMA will certainly be incorporating additional images into our Twitter line-up. We are already sharing images and visually communicating on other platforms like Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, and Instagram but we will begin to share similar content with our Twitter followers as well.
Are you looking to learn more about Twitter and how to set up your business or brand’s page? Consider reviewing this Twitter Guide Book that I’ve found to be a good overall resource to get you started!

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Free Daily Mini-Seminars Available To All DEMA Show Attendees

DEMA Show 2012 attendees and exhibitors wishing to make the most of their Show experience are encouraged to attend DEMA’s daily mini-seminars taking place inside the DEMA Booth. The seminars are packed with powerful information on DEMA’s latest retention tool, DiveCaching; Water, Sports & Travel Festival 2013 and the newest video game dedicated to scuba diving.
 
These FREE seminars are available to all DEMA attendees and exhibitors. Seminar topics include:
Keep Divers Coming Back with DiveCaching and Opencaching.com
Wednesday, November 14 through Saturday, November 17, 2012 from 11:00am–11:30am
Wednesday, November 14 through Friday, November 16, 2012 from 2:00pm –2:30pm
  • Get informed about DEMA’s new partnership with Garmin’s geocaching site, Opencaching.com, to promote the real-life environmentally-friendly, in-water game of DiveCaching. This initiative was designed to increase customer retention for dive retailers by giving current divers a reason to return to a local dive spot or even brush up on their navigational skills. Attendees can learn the latest developments to help them implement the exciting in-water game of DiveCaching into their store’s retention program.
Discover Infinite Scuba, the Video Game of Scuba Diving, Treasure Hunting & DiveCaching in Real-World Locations
Wednesday, November 14 through Saturday November 17, 2012 from 12:00pm-12:30pm
Wednesday, November 14 through Friday, November 16, 2012 from 3:00pm-3:30pm
  • Get insider information on the latest project to promote sustainable growth in recreational diving and activities such as DiveCaching. This brand new video game sends divers off searching for treasures and DiveCaches at real-life dive sites and shipwrecks.
Grow Your Business: Be Part of Water, Sports & Travel Festival 2013
Wednesday, November 14 through Saturday, November 17, 2012 from 1:00pm–1:30pm
Wednesday, November 14 through Friday, November 16, 2012 from 4:00pm-4:30pm
  • Learn all you need to know about the benefits of participating in DEMA’s inaugural Water, Sports & Travel Festival. This consumer Festival will be held April 26-28, 2013 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and is part of DEMA's continuing effort to reach new customers for the diving industry by attracting persons with active lifestyles, using proven cross-marketing techniques. DEMA has contracted with MSE Management, a show management company with over 35 years of experience producing shows which generate consumer interest in the travel, product sales and active lifestyle market.
Additional details on the mini-seminars held in the DEMA booth at DEMA Show 2012 are available on the DEMA Show website.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

DEMA Members Receive Exclusive Benefits at DEMA Show 2012: Member Services Available Throughout the Show

DEMA Show 2012 is offering DEMA Members a wealth of savings, benefits and educational opportunities that can help them decrease expenses and take control of their business. DEMA encourages all Members to take advantage of these services throughout the Show.

Your People: DEMA Member Benefit Providers On Site at DEMA Show 2012
DEMA offers a wide range of business benefits and savings to DEMA Members through special service providers. The following Member Benefits providers will be available for direct consultation onsite at DEMA Show 2012:
  • Credit Card Processing and Consulting administered by Retriever
  • Freight Saving Program administered by Siriani & Associates
  • Insurance Program administered by AIP
  • Water, Sports & Travel Festival Opportunities managed by MSE Management, Inc.
  • DiveCaching Guidance from experience DiveCaching Staff
Your Place: DEMA Member & VIP Member Lounges
All 2012 DEMA Members and their staffs have access to a private Member-exclusive lounge, accessible directly from the Show floor. With meeting tables, electrical outlets and a computer and printer, the Member lounge is a place where Members and their staff can meet, charge their electronics or simply take a break.

New to DEMA Show 2012 is the DEMA Member VIP lounge. This special lounge is open exclusively to 2012 Level 2 and Level 3 DEMA Members and staff. Accessible through the Member lounge, the VIP

Member lounge offers the additional amenities of coffee, water and wireless internet access. Level 2 and 3 DEMA Members also have access to the VIP Badge Pick-Up desk at the registration area, located in the lobby of the Sands Expo.

Your Savings: DEMA Member Specials
DEMA Members are offered exclusive specials and savings onsite at DEMA Show 2012:
  • Save over $100 per Registration for DEMA Show 2012
    2012 DEMA Members can save over $100 per registration for DEMA Show 2012. Compare prices and register now!
  • Receive a $50 American Express Gift Card for Buying at DEMA Show 2012
    To redeem their gift card, registered DEMA Show 2012 Buyers must become a 2013 DEMA Member onsite and provide proof of onsite orders from five different DEMA Show 2012 Exhibitors which totals at least $500.  See us onsite for details!
  • Save $50 on your 2013 DEMA Membership Dues
    Members can save $50 by becoming a 2013 DEMA Member onsite at DEMA Show 2012. Visit the DEMA Booth located in the welcome area for more information and reap the savings.
  • Save $585 per Exhibit Space for DEMA Show 2013
    DEMA Members who sign up for DEMA Show 2013 onsite at DEMA Show 2012 have access to up to $585 in savings per booth over Non-Member rates. Applicable DEMA Member Level booth limits apply (up to 2 booths for level 1, 5 booths for level 2, unlimited for level 3).
  • Save 10% on Select DEMA Show Store Merchandise
    DEMA Members save 10% on select merchandise at the DEMA Store located in the Welcome Area of DEMA Show 2012
A DEMA Membership provides businesses in the Diving Industry with a number of invaluable benefits.  Become a current Member now and reap the rewards onsite at DEMA Show 2012. Visit www.dema.org and start taking advantage of a DEMA Membership today!

Monday, October 8, 2012

How to Gauge the Success of your Facebook Page

Guest Blogger: Rachelle Morris, DEMA Membership Marketing & Communications Coordinator

 Last week, I shared some of my favorite strategies for creating a successful Facebook business page and I am sure you probably have plenty of good ideas as well. Once you have your ideas and plan in place, how do you go about tracking the success of your social media efforts? Again, there is no universal answer, but I can certainly share with you what DEMA has decided to do to track and gauge the success of our efforts.

DEMA has decided to focus on the engagement rate of our Facebook Fans. That is, calculating the Engaged Fans of DEMA’s Facebook page will tell us how many fans are engaged with the page content and essentially how well we are doing with providing our Facebook fans with content that is relevant and valuable.

We track this number on a weekly basis by taking the number of weekly engaged users (you can find this information under your FB business page insights “Talking About This” tab), less any new “Likes,” and then dividing it by the number of total fans as of that week. Ta-da! Weekly engagement rate!

What is a good engagement rate you ask? Prepare to be surprised. Well, at least I certainly was…

According to a study done in 2011 by Ehrenberg-BassInstitute, only 1.3% of Facebook users engage with brand pages. Only 1.3%!?! Wait…there is more… If page “Likes” are removed as a contributing factor of engagement, the actual average of engaged CURRENT fans is only 0.45%. Also noted is that even a sample of “Passion Brands” which were expected to see a higher level of engagement only saw an average of 0.64% of their page fans engaging with content.  I don’t know about you, but I was both shocked by this number (I was expecting something a little bit higher) but also relieved as it meant that DEMA is doing pretty well! One interesting tidbit to note is that engagement rates tend to drop as fan size increases (probably because of an increased number of lurkers rather than truly engaged fans). And according to another resource, Social Examiner, healthy pages have an average of 1-5%.

“Rachelle, why can’t you give me a straight answer?” It’s frustrating, I know. I was searching for a concrete answer like, “Your engagement rate should always be X%.” However, like most things related to social media and marketing for that matter, there doesn’t seem to be a finite answer. I would suggest that anyone trying to set an engagement rate goal consider these factors:
  •  Do you have 20 followers or thousands? If you are on the higher end, you may find that your pages have quite a number of lurkers (it’s ok!) which may bring your engagement rate down a tad.
  • Keep in mind the availability of the staff. If you don’t have the manpower to dedicate countless hours, just do the best you can do without sacrificing other areas of your business.
  • Calculate your current engagement rate. Is it on the lower end of the scale which leaves room for improvement? Maybe some of my suggestions from my previous post can help get your rate where you would like it to be.
·         Ultimately, what are the goals of your Facebook page? To entertain? To makes sales? To share information? You might have a great engagement rate, but if your underlining goals aren’t being met, perhaps incorporating a different strategy will help you reach your goals.

While we really focus on our weekly engagement rate, DEMA also tracks things like our audience demographics, page visits, number of likes, reach, tab views, referrers and so on. There is a wealth of information available to you under your Facebook page’s insights. If you haven’t already, take a peak and see what you can learn about your followers. 

  • What do you track?
  • Have your insights revealed any surprising information about your followers?
  • Does your engagement rate blow the 0.45%-5% scale out of the water? If so, please tell us what you are doing!

Have a great week!

Rachelle

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Secure Your Ideal Exhibit Space and Sponsorship Package for Water, Sports & Travel Festival 2013

DEMA recently announced that exhibit space for its inaugural Water, Sports and Travel Festival is now available through MSE Management. This consumer Festival will be held April 26-28, 2013 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and is part of DEMA's continuing effort to reach new customers for the diving industry by attracting persons with active lifestyles, using proven cross-marketing techniques.
Those diving businesses interested in exhibiting should contact MSE Management now to learn more about the options available and to secure a preferred booth location, putting your business in front of the thousands of divers and non-divers anticipated at the Festival! MSE can be reached using the following:
E-mail: WSTFest@msemgmt.com
Toll Free: (800) 322-9332
Phone: (203) 622-7081
Discount Exhibit Space is Available for DEMA Members!
$1395 per 100 net square feet for DEMA Members
$1995 per 100 net square feet for non-DEMA Members
More information is available on the Festival Fact Sheet and additional details are posted to www.WSTFest.com.

DEMA’s Legislative Efforts Producing Big Results in 2012

DEMA is well-known for the annual DEMA Trade Show, but DEMA is much more than this trade-only event. DEMA’s legislative initiatives on behalf of the industry contribute to the diving community in many ways which help all DEMA Members. DEMA exists to serve its members by identifying key issues that affect the growth and success of the scuba and snorkeling industry, and by taking action on legislative matters which have an adverse effect on the sport. As in previous years, 2012 has been a productive year for the Association’s legislative efforts, helping to avert legislation detrimental to dive businesses, environmental disasters affecting recreational diving locations and preventing the loss of access to divers.
DEMA formally contracts with a liaison based in Florida and works directly with volunteer members in California, Hawaii, Florida and other states to monitor and act where needed, especially when legislation could set precedents that impact the overall industry. Working together with these legislative representatives and other industry professionals, DEMA has been able to assist in numerous legislative activities since the beginning of the year.

2012 Legislative initiatives include: 
  • Health Care Reform Member Advisory
    • Created a roadmap for DEMA Members to understand impending healthcare reform
  • Shark Fin Ban in New Jersey
    • DEMA supported banning shark finning in New Jersey, providing economic and jobs data on the impact of diminished diving activity due to a reduction in the shark population to help secure the needed legislation
  • Support of the Extension of the Deadline for Americans with Disabilities Act Compliance
    • Webinars for DEMA Members to help understand pool compliance requirements
    •  Seminars scheduled for Saturday, November 17th in affiliation with DEMA Show 2012 to further educate attendees
  • Request for withdrawal of Coast Guard Advisory on Recreational Diving
    • Coast guard distributed advisory outlining requirements for dive boats
    • DEMA requested USCG to withdraw the Advisory since it was based on a false premise, appeared to include requirements outside of the scope of the USCG and included comments which conflicted with diving industry standards of practice
  • Support of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
    • DEMA supported fair use guidelines for Florida Keys sanctuaries including the recommendation that non-consumptive activities like recreational diving be allowed and consumptive activities such as spearfishing be allowed when hook and line fishing are permitted
  • Passage of Legislation to Resolve Dive Charter Boat Fishing License Issue
    • DEMA drafted and passed language to finally resolve the issue of whether dive charter boats were required to have fishing licenses during the two-day lobster season.  Dive charter boats now have several options, and will no longer be fined or closed down.
  • Promoting Diver Safety during Lobster Mini-Season in Florida
    • Public Service Announcement played on television stations in Florida and surrounding states as well as online, to remind divers to tune their equipment and take a dive refresher prior to Lobster mini-season
If you know of a legislative, environmental or other issue affecting the dive industry, let DEMA know at info@dema.org.

Monday, October 1, 2012

Searching for a Perfect Social Media Plan

Guest Blogger: Rachelle Morris, DEMA Membership Marketing & Communications Coordinator

As DEMA’s Membership Marketing and Communications Coordinator, one of my responsibilities is to maintain our social media pages. Sound like a Millennial’s dream-come-true? As it turns out, giving social media followers what they want is a HUGE responsibility and requires much more thought and strategic planning than simply reposting the latest “Cute Kitten Meme.”
With social media trends ever-changing, I have spent countless hours trying to find THE answer to making our social media sites the best they can be.  And after much research, I finally found the answer: There is no answer. No 10-Step Process. No “one-size-fits-all.”  No magical equation. Pretty anti-climactic, huh?
There are plenty of great tips out there, but no one has the universal answer for guaranteed success. You can bet that in all my research I NEVER found a guaranteed step-by-step process for how a non-profit trade organization can best engage the professional Diving Industry.  
However, my research did uncover a number of themes that seem to push most social media campaigns in the direction of success. In an effort to spare you from hours of grueling research, I’d like to share some of my discoveries with you over the next few weeks. I am not saying that these are the answers to your social media woes, but instead may they serve as food-for-thought. It is my hope that something you read here may be of some help in your social media efforts.
Let me start off by discussing the heavy hitter which may very well have replaced the timeless tradition of the High School Reunion: Facebook. While my research suggests there are many things that can help keep your followers happy and engaged, here are my five favorites:
1.       The 80/20 Rule: Did you ever (or maybe you still do) have that annoying friend that ONLY ever wants to talk about themselves? Don’t allow your Facebook page to be that friend. Nobody wants to follow a Facebook page that is going to entirely self-promote, so don’t or you may find your page getting dropped like a bad habit. The 80/20 rule suggests that 80% of your posts should be providing valuable content that supports the lifestyle/interests/concerns of your followers while 20% should be promotional.
What DEMA is doing: DEMA’s Facebook page “80%” contains stories that we believe diving professionals will find interesting. Whether it is news on the 1900’s ship wreckage discovered by divers or a great business tip – we want to pass it on to you to enjoy. Our “20%” is providing our followers with Association-specific news, Member benefits, important reminders and other DEMA tid-bits.
2.       Don’t post too much: On my personal Facebook page I have one friend in particular who – and I am not even exaggerating – on any given day will LITERALLY have 15-20 posts IN A ROW in my news feed. As much as I want to connect with them on social media, constant updates like these put them at risk for being “de-friended.” My point is this: if people are following your page, that means they are interested in what you have to say but that doesn’t give you a license to be annoying. My research suggests that your business page may see higher engagement rates if you post 1-2 times per day and that you may (remember this is not an exact science) get the best results during the hours of 1:00pm and 4:00pm. My takeaway from this: Moderation is key; post regularly enough to stay top-of-mind, but not so often that you turn people away from your brand. Know your audience and be mindful of how often they want to see you in their newsfeed. Combining this pattern with quality content should keep your followers intrigued and loyal.
What DEMA is doing: We try really hard to follow the 1-2 times per day rule. Sometimes it’s more, sometimes it’s less. But more often than not, you are probably only going to hear from DEMA on Facebook a couple of times a day.
3.       Visuals are KEY: Timeline was designed with visual stimulation in mind. Some love it, some hate it. Either way, take advantage of this trend! Post photos. Share photos. If you can, turn your content into visuals. If you can create a viral image…then gold star for you!
What DEMA is doing: We update our cover story weekly to visually communicate news released that week. We have even experienced these images being shared as our followers spread the news to their friends. We’ve also created a special “Industry News” photo album that essentially acts as a news archive including links to the full articles. If we see a fun, diving-related viral image – we share that with our followers. And we have developed a little game we like to call, “Mystery Pic of the Week.” We have other fun visual ideas coming down the pipe, but I don’t want to spoil all the fun quite yet. :)
4.       Tell people what you want them to do: Do you want someone to “Like” or share something? Tell them! Telling your followers what course of action you want them to take is sometimes the only little nudge they need to engage with your content.
What DEMA is doing: We’ve used this little golden nugget in a number of our posts. Over the past few months, the post to experience the most engagement ASKED for follower participation: "LIKE" this status if we will see you in 79 days at DEMA Show!” How’s that for delivering results?! ;)
5.       Talk to your followers: Ask people questions. Ask for their feedback. Create a poll using Facebook’s fancy little poll feature! RESPOND to post, questions, direct messages and comments. After all, social media is all about COMMUNICATION – make sure you are communicating with your followers and show them that you care about what they have to say.
What DEMA is doing: Here at DEMA we check our Facebook throughout the day and respond to comments, questions and direct messages as soon as we see them. Sometimes we will post questions or polls on our Timeline to prompt conversation. Posts that are left by followers might even receive a “LIKE” or comment from us as well.
So there you have it! If you aren’t already, think about how some of these ideas might work in your social media plan. Next week, I will share ideas for how to track and determine the success of these efforts (and how DEMA is doing it ourselves).
So, until next Monday and in the spirit of today’s post, I’d like to know:
  • What do you hope to get from DEMA’s Facebook page?
  • What is it missing? What do you like?
  • Do you have any strategies and creative ideas that have been successful for your company/organization?
I invite you to share them here with me and the rest of the Diving Industry!
Have a great week!
Rachelle
Just a tiny sample of my findings: