The Challenge

BESA’s priority is the ensure that members are aware of the support available to them to help them grow their business, and getting the right marketing resource is essential for what is a very demanding job. With a wide range of services from research to policy updates and events, there are a number of different channels and marketing strategies. BESA needed to hit targets for membership renewals, demonstrate engagement with their information services, as well as meet event registration and revenue targets. All this work was even more crucial during the pandemic to maintain and build their community online.

Our Approach

• We started by hosting a Sprint to scope out key stakeholders and messaging, developing a clear focus for our marketing activity. 

“The Marketing Sprint was a revelation and was a fantastic tool that immediately set the tone for the collaborative way in which BookMachine works with the whole BESA team.”
– Julia Garvey, Deputy Director General, BESA 

• Collaborating with the BESA membership manager, events team, schools team and policy advisor, we mapped a retention and renewal strategy, created a series of cross-channel campaigns to reach educators, and crafted a communications strategy for public policy and stakeholder partnerships.

• Planned and implemented data-driven campaigns across email and social media, including a brand and newsletter refresh.

• Undertook standalone projects and audits, tapping into our additional expertise for bolt-on projects to enhance the campaigns and activity including a website SEO audit and training for the team.

• Ongoing tracking and monitoring of the extensive BESA programme, reviewing activity to improve results and respond to changing priorities. 

“BESA provides invaluable support and guidance to their community. Our goal was to support their objectives as an outsourced marketing team and communicate the benefits that members can access. We focused on targets around events and renewals, and worked with the team to develop a campaign approach, streamlined communications with a project management and reporting structure that allows us to flex and respond to results.”
– Suzanne Kavanagh, Project Lead, BookMachine Creative Agency

The Results

Since working with BESA, we have seen benchmark open and click through rates double for the newsletter and increase by one third across other marketing campaigns. The member focused events programme online and in person has continued to reach or exceed targets. The membership renewals have consistently reached or exceeded targets after a turbulent and challenging period.